The Storyteller’s Voice
Readers frequently comment on the voice of the narrator of The Hobbit, often attributing to it the book’s success. Some have called it professorial, because it gives a great deal of information on rather esoteric topics like runes, the lifestyle of hobbits, and the ancient history of dwarves and elves. It is certainly congenial, however, and one of the reasons The Hobbit is so enjoyable to read is the pleasure the narrator takes in telling the story.
The story of The Hobbit is related from a third-person omniscient point of view; that is, by a narrator who is not a character in the story himself (there is no “I” in The Hobbit) but who nonetheless knows everything there is to tell. He knows what some of the characters are thinking, especially more complex characters like Bilbo, Gollum, and Smaug. He describes Bilbo’s daydreams about food and tobacco, for example, and the alternatives he faces when making choices; he describes Gollum’s unique psychology.
This narrator also knows what will happen in the future of the story. The first time Bilbo thinks longingly of his hobbit-hole and wishes he were back home, the narrator explicitly tells you that this will not be the last time Bilbo has such regrets. On different occasions, he reveals that a certain character or place won’t be seen again; he hints at the future death or disappearance of some characters. When Bilbo is rescued by the Lord of the Eagles, you are told (Chapter VII) that Bilbo won’t see the eagles again until the Battle of Five Armies (Chapter XVII). In his prophetic vision, the narrator shares some of Gandalf’s magical power; this is consistent with the power that has traditionally been attributed to storytellers. He is in control of the plot of the story.
On the most superficial level, the journey of Bilbo and the dwarves conforms to the maps, drawn by Tolkien himself, that serve as the endpapers for most editions of the book. More subtly, the narrator draws your attention to the significance of events, as when Bilbo finds the ring of invisibility, that you might otherwise pass over. When a character is mistaken, the narrator sometimes shares with you the more accurate judgment, the better decision that could have been made. Despite the fact that he is narrating a story of his own invention, he assumes you are in sympathy with him and even share in his knowledge, as when he identifies the Wood-elves and comments that “of course” that is what they are.
At one point in the story, Tolkien offers a peek behind the scenes, as it were, to see the crafted structure of his plot. After Smaug has flown out of the Lonely Mountain in a rage and destroyed Esgaroth, the narrator begins Chapter XIV by asking you to go back two days to imagine the terror the people of Esgaroth felt as they saw Smaug descend upon them.
These narrative intrusions—places where the narrator breaks in upon his own story, destroying any illusion that it is reality unfolding before you—contribute to your sense that the plot is being capably managed and that the story is told by someone who really does know, down to the smallest detail, what happened. You are, in other words, in the hands of a master storyteller. While there is no “I” in The Hobbit, you find a great many references to “you,” the reader. Tolkien’s great attention to you as you read The Hobbit, his care that you understand every detail along the way, and his welcoming you into the world in which his story takes place accounts for much that makes the narrative voice so attractive.
