1. dmdutcher says:

    I think Bilbo fulfilled his contract once he got into Smaug’s lair. He was just sticking around for Thorin to pay up his end. As for  loyalty, well, in the book it was Bilbo going into Smaug’s cave alone. Time for him to “earn his keep” aka face the dragon. TBH Bilbo got used by people an awful lot in this book.

    The rebellion thing is a bit odd. What’s sort of annoying about The Hobbit is that Bilbo shouldn’t have had to steal the Arkenstone. I get the feeling that Gandalf is supposed to be sort of a king-making authority or like the old conception of a Christian Emperor. An authority over kings yet under God. I think normally rebellion is the last step when all other options have been exhausted in the pursuit of a morally right cause, and it would have been nice for Gandalf to finally pop in and do something about things like he did with Theoden in LOTR.

    I know Bilbo was only there because he was Gandalf’s unwitting agent, but he really wound up doing things above his pay grade. The little people suffer a lot in LOTR.

     

What do you think?