How come bilbo is more important?

Discussion in 'Lord of the Rings' started by blackstone, Aug 6, 2013.

  1. blackstone

    blackstone Well-Known Member

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    I will admit that I prefer Bilbo then Frodo but in the beginning of the fellowship of the ring they have a huge party for Bilbos 111 birthday yet it is also frodos 33 birthday witch is when he is a official adult in the shire. isn't his birthday more important.
     
  2. pinkring

    pinkring Well-Known Member

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    I think it was mentioned (at least in the books) that the date was Frodo's birthday as well as Bilbo's. They invited 140 guests to the dinner to emphasise the fact that between the two of them, they counted 140 years (Bilbo had 111, and Frodo had 33). But maybe it is better remembered as Bilbo's birthday because very few hobbits lived quite long enough to celebrate a 111st birthday.
     
  3. SwordHungry

    SwordHungry Well-Known Member

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    I never thought about that actually. I'd imagine at that time everyone knew of Bilbo a lot better and he had done a lot more in his lifetime than Frodo. Bilbo probably knew of a lot more people to invite. I'd imagine some of the people that Bilbo invited would be friends of Frodo too.
     
  4. Thordar

    Thordar Active Member

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    Because Bilbo was instrumental in the history of the ring and how it ended up in the Shire. The symbolic handing over of the ring from him to Frodo sets the tale in its way and also gives Tolkien a chance to show how the ring could grab a hold over even good people like Hobbits.
     
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  5. Lafcadio

    Lafcadio Member

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    Bilbo, as the finder of the ring, and the only bearer ever to possess it so long and voluntarily let it go, is perhaps the most exceptional character in all the books. The movies completely left out the fact that Frodo & Bilbo shared a birthday and that in the book the party was for both of them. As someone who has combatted addiction, I have always identified with Frodo and his struggle to resist the overwhelming power of the ring. However, as Thordar mentioned, the story begins with Bilbo the fate of the ring & Middle Earth is ultimately decided by his actions.
     
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  6. pr0xx1d

    pr0xx1d Well-Known Member

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    I don't think either one was "more important" but they were both equally important. Bilbo found the Ring and Frodo destroyed it. Neither could have done the other, making them equally as important.
     
  7. SeanM

    SeanM Well-Known Member

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    I think that maybe it was because Biblo was so popular and well known, he lived a life that very few hobbits could even dream of...
     
  8. pr0xx1d

    pr0xx1d Well-Known Member

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    I agree with you, but I feel like Frodo also had an amazing life, however, Frodo didn't stay in Hobbiton as long as Bilbo did because he went across the Great Sea.
     
  9. andrew172

    andrew172 Well-Known Member

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    Why was he more important in the Shire social structure?
    Well he was richer for a start. Whoever was the head of Bag End was always high up in the social chain. And Bilbo with his unaturally prolonged life managed to get to know most hobbits, and so he was probably very popular in the shire. This is not to say that Frodo wasn't important, but any hobbits 111th birthday is worth celebrating in style as opose to an all too common 33rd birthday xD
     
  10. Lucky120

    Lucky120 Well-Known Member
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    Well Bilbo and Frodo are important in my opinion. Bilbo if my memory is correct found the ring first and went through a lot. I assume that is why he is more important, because he was around longer. I have not played the game, but I read the books and saw the movies.
     
  11. jaygee

    jaygee Active Member

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    Making it to 111 is quite an accomplishment. It's easier to make it to 33. Besides, Bilbo was throwing the party which means he also was paying for it. It was "his" party.
     
  12. elmarianexx

    elmarianexx Well-Known Member

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    Bear in mind that at the time of Bilbo's and Frodo's joint birthday celebration, the oldest hobbit on record had been Bilbo's kinsman the Old Took, who lived to be 130. So, Bilbo's turning 111 was very noteworthy. Furthermore, Bilbo's remarkable vitality, for his age, was the subject of much gossip and speculation around Hobbiton. From TTT, ch A Long-Expected Party:


    "...And if that was not enough for fame, there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at. Time wore on, but it seemed to have little effect on Mr. Baggins. At ninety he was much the same as at fifty. At ninety-nine they began to call hum well-preserved; but unchanged would have been nearer the mark. There were some that shook their heads and thought this was too much of a good thing; it seemed unfair that anyone chould possess (apparently) perpetual youth as well as (reputedly) inexaustible wealth."

    So, you can see that the implications of Bilbo's greater age easily eclipsed Frodo's coming of age.
     
  13. SpartanScooter

    SpartanScooter Well-Known Member
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    I think the main fact Bilbo was the "main attraction" of the birthday party was the fact that he organized it for himself, as he wanted to say goodbye to everyone before leaving (and I bet he also really wanted to do the trick with the ring :p)
    Still, I don't think that Frodo would mind his uncle's birthday taking priority over his, it doesn't really fit with his character.
     
  14. Zimbitt

    Zimbitt Well-Known Member
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    Lmao some random kids birthday or their oldest and most respected elder, oh and it doesn't hurt they all want to kiss his ass for his $$$$
     
  15. Fozz

    Fozz Well-Known Member
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    I like to think of the two characters as a continuation of one another. As in, yes, I physically view them separately as people, but in terms of their stories and destiny, very intertwined. One could not exist in the same way without the other, a symbiotic relationship.
     
  16. RolePlayer

    RolePlayer Well-Known Member
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    Bilbo is Frodo's predecessor. He basically sets the stage for Frodo to be the adventurer that he is. By telling him about his adventures he develops Frodo into a similar character as himself.