Through Shadow and Flame, by Dalton D.

 Tolkien is a brilliant writer that inspires me with hope and positivity. His works have a persistent theme of hopefulness, which can be found in some significant quotes from his wonderful book, The Hobbit. I wanted to share my thoughts on these quotes, and how they have motivated me. I hope that these reflections can bring some light or joy to your life, and maybe you can find something of yourself in my thoughts and musings.

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"While there's life, there's hope!" - Bilbo, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien pg. 214

Sitting in an adamantine darkness, unsure of what chance they have, and trapped between a rock and a dragon, the dwarves had begun to lose hope. Bilbo, as he does often throughout the journey, rises to the occasion and rouses the dwarves into action. This led to Bilbo and the dwarves finding their long-desired hoard of gold and, more importantly, their escape from the dragon-reeking caverns of Erebor. 

Everyone goes through dread periods and tumultuous times in their lives. I've had several myself, and by all accounts I am still quite young at 29 years old. This quote serves as a firm, potent reminder that hope remains in every given situation we may live through. 

It reminds me too of another adjacent philosophy, though I wouldn't know who to attribute it to, since I have heard variations of it from many sources. "The greater the shadow seems, the closer you are to the light." A common message can be found in these two ideas, one of positivity and persistence. 

This quote from The Hobbit reminds me to never give in to hopelessness, as life leaves possibility and potential, and that in itself sustains the light of hope. 

"Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!"- Bilbo, The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien pg. 66

At this moment in the story, Bilbo is inextricably lost in the dark, with no friends, no idea where he is, and no knowing what lies ahead. Surrounded by shadows with only the dim light of his elvish blade, Bilbo makes the only decision he could, to keep moving forward. 

In our darkest moments, our only real option is to go forward. The past is gone, out of reach. There is no path side to side. The path that lies available is straight ahead. It is vital to remain firmly rooted in the present moment, eyes ahead, and with that persistent hope in your heart.

Bilbo's steadfast bravery and hope, even in arguably his darkest moment of the journey so far, is inspiring and impactful. 

"So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their ending!" - Bilbo, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien pg. 268

Tying in with the last quote, Tolkien once again delivers this consistent message of good overtaking evil, of the the passing of dark things, the coming of peace, and the tenacious hope that appears throughout his works. This quote sticks with me with the stark contrast between ice and fire. It feels like Tolkien is giving us a peek into the return of balance and nature after the unnatural, destructive presence of Smaug has been dismissed. 

Bilbo delivering this powerful revelation ties in his significance to the "righting of the scales" and the peace and prosperity that follows Smaug, even as Bilbo leaves to return to his own quiet home. 

I also enjoy the poetic role fire has in nature, one of offering both destruction and renewal. Thror's kingdom was already declining before Smaug arrived. The dwarves' greed would not have likely ended well, especially when Tolkien retroactively gave Thror one of the rings of power, which greatly increased his avarice. After Smaug's tooth and claw and flame, a renewal followed that resulted in previously hoarded wealth being shared with many in need. Whether intentional or not, Tolkien perfectly reflected the important role of natural forest fires in nature's cycle of birth, growth, decay, and renewal. 

It is easy to extrapolate these lessons to our own lives. Dark, challenging, destructive moments in our lives can knock us down, drag us around, and even bring us to the brink of death. They are also opportunities to completely rewrite our stories into ones we truly love to live. 

The same renewal that sprung forth from Erebor can be found in our own lives. We can choose to grow from the ashes, nourished by our experiences, and the knowledge and motivation they can bring us. 

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Tolkien's stories have touched the hearts of generations of people. A thousand and one lessons could be learned from his books, and this is only one. In a time of great personal turmoil, his words have inspired me to go forward, spurred on by hope and the promise of snow and renewal after dragon's fire.

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