You can post your responses to the short answer question in the comments section of this page. For any of you who are not sure of how to post a comment, simply click on the "comments" buttong below, type your answer in the "leave your comment" box, and publish your comment. Make sure that you leave your name attacked to the comment so that you can get credit. It may also ask you to type in a work verification thing to make sure you're not spam.
I'm looking forward to reading your responses.
I think that it is important to once again clarify my reasons for making you write the short answer at the end of class last block.
1) Having just ended a full block focused on the topic that the questions were answering, I could be assured that the topic was fresh on your mind. You had the information that was written on the board to help guide you and the questions and answers that we had gone over in class were still very clear. By writing directly after we had reviewed the topic you all had a much better chance of getting some insightful and well guided answers.
2) By having you write your answers during class time it saved you the extra homework over the weekend.
3) By having your answer already written in "draft" form (the in class portion), I am hoping that you will practice your skills in revising and editing your answers. If it was for homework with a deadline of 12 midnight I can guarantee that some of you would be frantically writing your answers at 11:58pm, taking very little time to think about the question or provide detailed insight.
I hope that explains my rationale.
See you on Tuesday.
p.s Ranesh's comment is posted in the comments of the last blog entry.
HOMEWORK!!
- I expect you to have read up to the END of chapter 8
- Have posted your response by midnight on Saturday the 23rd
- Chosen a classmate's comment that you liked or want to respond to and have a short written response stating your reasons for liking it or your response to their comment. It is to be handed in on Tuesday (100 words minimum).
28 comments:
Answer to B)
Bilbo’s decision is not a very good one because he, the dwarves and Gandalf need to work together on this quest. By not telling them about something that is very significant to the story, it shows that he does not trust them. How can Bilbo expect to have others trust him if he doesn’t trust them in return. Bilbo left the ring out so he can have a moment of glory, “Bilbo’s reputation went up a very great deal” pg. 109. The credit and respect that he is given is really in fact a lie. Because he didn’t escape entirely on his own like he said he had, the dwarves’ new admiration for him is gained by that lie. The quote “he has been more trouble than use so far” pg. 107 shows that the dwarves don’t think of Bilbo as much of an important person. However, because of Bilbo’s omission of motioning the ring, they are led to believe that Bilbo can do something that he really cannot do.
The consequences that Bilbo might face because of this situation are mostly negative, but there is some up sides. I think this because when the dwarves and Gandalf find out, they might not like trust Bilbo and he will go back to the weak hobbit that he was at the beginning. Also, with only Bilbo knowing about the ring, he might turn evil like Gollum, become processed by the ring. But, maybe when the others find out about the ring, they will find a good use for it, especially when they need to steal their treasure back.
Sorina Moldovan
Answer to A.
If Bilbo would have told Gandalf and the dwarves about the ring from the beginning Gandalf would have probably recognize the ring, or discover what the ring really was. Gandalf would have for sure ask Bilbo to destroy it, or keep it safe for the time. The dwarves for sure would have wanted it. They like treasures and precious things, so knowing that the ring was so powerful and so valuable they would have wanted to take the ring from Bilbo.
Even if Gandalf would have stop them from getting the ring right away, the dwarves would have still found a way to get it. To get the ring they would probably have to kill Bilbo. Maybe it wasn't in their character to kill him, or they didn't want to kill him, but the ring blinds you with its power and makes you do thing that are horrible, and transforms you into an other person. A person that only seeks power.
answer to a.
The dwarves still would've given him the title as burglar because he was able to burgle the ring. Whether that is the title that Bilbo wants, we don't know. In one way, it can be shown as a sign of respect because the dwarves are using his title in a more respectful way, showing him more authority. On the other hand, they could still be using it as a derogatory term to express how they think of him; a nuisance or a person they have to babysit because Gandalf told them to. In any case, Bilbo wants respect and also, he deserves it. He wants to be appreciated.
The dwarves probably would have reacted the same way - they would have praised him and made him feel good about being able to be with them on their quest. His credibility went up as well as his self-esteem about reappearing with the dwarves. It's probably better this way because they have more reason to value and admire him instead of treat him like crap or a backup because they don’t want to be sent out to do something dangerous.
I presume Gandalf would have reacted the same way as he did, but I'd think he'd be a little worried about him. Gandalf knows things that other characters in the book don't, and knows that Bilbo is going to prove himself worthy of the quest. But I think Gandalf might know about the side effects of the ring - how addicting it becomes and how it can possess a creature. Gandalf would have been happy for Bilbo, but may have taken matters into his own hands and taken the ring before the dwarves could have it, or before Bilbo became too attached.
Answer to B
I think Bilbo's decision to not tell the others about the ring was the wrong choice. If he had told the others about the ring then maybe he would have known more about the ring and had known that the ring basically corrupts the person who is wearing it. Bilbo doesn't know anything about the ring, all he knows is that it is powerful but what he doesn't know is that if it is used for evil or good.
By not telling the others about the ring it could have a negative consequence in the future, Bilbo had met Gollum, the previous owner of the ring, and if he continues to keep the ring hidden he coud just end up like Gollum,"Gollum used to wear it at first, till it tired him; and then kept it in a pouch next his skin, till it galled him; and now usually he hid it in a hole in the rock on his island, and was always going back to look at it. And still sometimes he put it on, when he could not bear to be parted from it any longer"pg.95
So basically if Bilbo continues to keep the ring hidden, the ring could slowly corrupt him and turn him evil
Answer to A:
If the dwarves and Gandalf had known that Bilbo had the magic ring, the dwarves may have respected him even more, because of the fact that he was not stupid in this situation, using his cunningness and keeping his eyes open, but still taking chances. However, Gandalf may have thought otherwise, maybe knowing the history of the ring. The dwarves would be especially proud of Bilbo, because in the short time they have known him, they have only seen his stupidity, clumsiness, and grumbling self, treating him quite lowly, and this would be a definite improvement. Also if they had the knowledge of the ring, the ring could have gotten them out of many dilemmas in the future. Because of all of these reasons, I believe that it would have been a wise decision, for Bilbo to have informed Gandalf, and the dwarves of the ring. In conclusion, the dwarves would have been excited, respecting Bilbo, and Gandalf would have remained a bit cautious and wise in thinking.
Michael Mak
Answer to B)
I thought Bilbo’s decision for not telling the others about the ring was a wise one because if Bilbo had told the dwarves and Gandalf, Bilbo would get a lot of questions from Gandalf. Probably Gandalf would just keep the ring instead of questions from Gandalf. Probably Gandalf would just keep the ring instead for “safe keeping” because Gandalf thought he was the greatest and most powerful wizard. Also if Bilbo told the dwarves and Gandalf he had such a ring, he would be targeted because the others would be jealous. And instead of the dwarves finding their lost treasure, the dwarves would be finding Bilbo and his magical, invisible ring. However, I think there will be positive consequences in the future because Bilbo could secretly use his powerful ring to help his role as a “burglar” and the dwarves and himself would be proud of it. “And here’s the burglar!” said Bilbo stepping down into the middle of them.” Also Bilbo and his ring could protect the dwarves when they got in to trouble again. Later, Bilbo could become more cared about and perhaps even be a great leader.
I think that Bilbo’s decision not to tell the others about the ring was a wise one because without doing this, Bilbo wouldn’t have had any well deserved trust and respect from the dwarves. Without this sense of dependence, the dwarves wouldn’t have trusted him to lead them from the elves and from being eaten by spiders.
I don’t think that this decision will have either a strong positive or negative effect on what will happen in the future. I think that the results will be “neutral” as in nothing will change for the better or for the worse because he eventually told the dwarves the truth a little bit later on after he had used it to help them out of trouble. They didn’t seem to be maddened by this delay. They just went on and were actually grateful for him having it because they had been spared from the jaws of the spiders and from imprisonment by the elves. They didn’t yell at him or abandon him tied up onto a tree… or maybe, not just yet… o.0
oh wait shoot :(.. i forgot to add.. the one i posted was for question B.
Jason Zhang
Answer to B:
I thought that Bilbo's decision to not to tell the others about the ring was a wise one because therefore he avoided alot of different situations and negative consequences. The Dwarves very reason for going on the quest was to fill their pockets with wealth and unique items so if they knew about the ring, they probably would have been tempted to steal it, being their greedy selves. If Biblo told the dwarves about the ring, his reputation would drop even lower, everyone would start blaming him for all the bad luck and mishaps of losing items, the dwarves said it before ''after all we do have a burglar with us'' quoting that they already blame him for the troubles. Also if they knew abou the ring, Bilbo would always be relied on and trusted to do things the dwarves commanded him to, thus not tell them about the ring saved alot of trouble. It also would result to alot of debate between in the group of who keeping it, since the ring's power can ''possess'' people and they might turn against one another being possessed by the ring and that will kill their trust in one another resulting in failure on the quest.
There are many things that prove that Bilbo's decision to not to tell the others about the ring was a wise one, many of them relate to the same thing of keeping things not trouble. It's a fact that it wont hurt the group of not telling them, and if Bilbo did tell them, it would do more harm than good.
Shurooq Khan
Answer to A)
Bilbo’s main desire was to have the Dwarves give him respect. At the time, he had no respect from the dwarves. “The dwarves wanted to know why he had ever been brought.” Pg. 107. If the dwarves had known about the ring, the amount of respect that Bilbo had received would have decreased massively. The dwarves wouldn’t be praising Bilbo as much and still would have kept pestering Gandalf as to why Bilbo was even brought on this trip. The dwarves are known to treasure expensive and valuable things. They would have yearned to have possession of the ring, and although Bilbo’s escape was quite heroic even with having used the ring, the dwarves longing for the ring may have overshadowed their interest in Bilbo’s story. Once again making Bilbo feel low and neglected.
In the book, it was shown how elated Gandalf was to hear that Bilbo had made it back all on his own. “Gandalf was as astonished as any of them” pg. 108. I believe that Gandalf’s reaction wouldn’t have been quite the same if he had known that Bilbo had the ring by his side. I believe that Gandalf would know a little about this ring and what it can do to its carrier. He would have stopped at nothing to either warn Bilbo of the ring’s side effects or completely take it away from him. If the ring were taken away from Bilbo, his power, the one thing that made him feel respected, heroic and not just useless would be gone. Possibly leaving him feeling scarred and more useless than we had been in the beginning. If the dwarves and Gandalf had known about the ring, the amount of respect and the amount of praise he had received would have been significantly lower. Not only this, but he would have received a specific title, and that would be the title of simply being “a burglar” nothing more, nothing less, just a burglar.
Answer to A
If Bilbo told Gandulf and the dwarves that he had the magic ring,there would be a lot of probelms. Gandulf a wise and smart person. He would know that the ring is a powerful object. He might take the ring away from Bilbo and keep it safe.
Without the ring, the dwarves are going to think that Bilbo is useless. Then he would be back to the "burglar". The dwarves are very found of treasures and valuable stuff like the magic ring. The dwarves would be greedy and take the ring for themselve. a fight would go on between the dwarves,Bilbo, and Gaudulf. Something this powerful, could turn a normal person to someone that only cares for themselve "power-hungry" just like Gollum.
I believe it was not a wise decision for Bilbo to keep the ring hidden from the rest of the clan. First of all, if he kept the ring from them for personal gain for his reputation and such, even if he did tell them about the ring, he would still be known as the burglar. With the way we are viewing the story, with the dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo being the protagonists, maybe being called a burglar isn’t a bad thing after all. Being known as the burglar could help his reputation so that would’ve been a win-win situation. If he told them about the ring from the very beginning, he could be known as ‘Bilbo the burglar…and the man who saved us all by finding the ring’, which could only help his reputation more. It could also help make him feel more worthy than he felt like at the beginning of this adventure, which I believe is the sole reason for him to take up such a challenge like this.
Also Bilbo has met Gollum, and he has seen what the ring had done to him, even though he wasn’t aware that it was the ring that made him that way in the first place. The demons of the ring had possessed Gollum’s entire soul and if Bilbo were to have, hypothetically, kept the ring a secret from the group forever, then he was well, will also end up like Gollum and have no one there to save him from the hole he had dug up for himself.
If Bilbo meant to keep the ring from them, only for a little while for his personal gain to make him out to look like a hero and that he didn’t need the help of anyone else to get him through these tough obstacles that were brought to him, it still may not have been such a wise decision. If the dwarves and Gandalf felt that Bilbo was able to take care of himself on his own and not need the help of anyone else as he had “proved” while getting through the forest, then maybe they won’t be there to save him next time when he actually needs it. If he told them about the ring in the first place, they could all still respect him for finding such a great asset that could help them throughout the quest.
If Bilbo had revealed his magical ring to the dwarves and Gandalf, they would be probably surprised and excited, and maybe even scared. Their reaction might also depend on how they actually find out, whether Bilbo tells them or he isn’t careful enough in concealing it from them. Either way, he would receive much praise from them for bringing such a useful tool. In spite of all the praise he may earn, he would not be treated as well as if he never told them about the ring. This is because he didn’t really win the battle against Gollum all by himself. They would think that he is a hypocrite. The dwarves and Gandalf would be surprised and excited because it is such a coincidence that Bilbo had found the ring when he got lost. They would think that the ring would benefit them in their quest for the treasure. However, they may begin to be afraid of Bilbo because now that he has gained the incredible power of the ring, he may try to pay back for all the nasty things that they had said about him. If Bilbo does not reveal them the magical ring and they found out anyways, they would probably be overwhelmed by anger, especially Balin who was tricked, and want to kill Bilbo. They had given them so much respect just to find out that their “Burglar” is a selfish hypocrite who might even try to harm them. Therefore, they might try to kill him.
Answer to A.
If Bilbo told, I think that Gandalf would still be just as proud of him because he proved himself useful on this quest. Gandalf mentioned to the dwarves that he doesn’t bring things that aren’t useful. So all along he felt differently from the dwarves and knew that Biblo would be great use on the journey. But since Gandalf has much more knowledge than all the others, he’s bound to know what the ring’s power possesses and might have taken it. He’s the leader and knows some secrets that all the others don’t. Gandalf would have respected Bilbo more than if he didn’t tell. Bilbo proved that he wasn’t selfish by sharing the ring with his group of travellers instead of keeping it a secret.
The dwarves might have not of praised and respected him just as much. But they still would of shown more respect to him then they’ve ever did. After all, nothing like that has ever happened to them. He would have actually proved himself to be a great burglar and not the burden of the group. He was just given the name burglar by Gandalf, but never showed any signs that he was one, or capable of being one. They would have still respected him and honoured him for escaping and finding a magical ring. But since the dwarves tend to be curious, they’d probably all want to play with the ring and keep it for themselves. The ring would have been way more amusing than Bilbo’s story. So once they hear about this ring, most likely they’ll just forget about Bilbo and focus on the ring.
a) I think the dwarves would be shocked and jealous because they couldn't have the ring which turned people invisible but I also think Bilbo would lose respect from the dwarves because the dwarves always doubt him. They never think about the good qualities Bilbo has. The dwarves would probably think, He only got out of the mountain safely because no one could see him. "They wanted to know all about this adventures." - pg. 109. If Bilbo told everybody about the ring and his powers they could've just predicted his adventures. For example, Bilbo put on the ring and walked out of the mountain unseen.
I think Gandalf would have a different reaction if he knew about the ring. I think he'd be curious but not mad but he would want to find out about every detail about the ring and how he had obtained it. The reason why I don't think Gandalf would be mad is because he had brought Bilbo for a reason and he doesn't point out the bad things about Bilbo, while the dwarves do. "I brought him, and I don't bring things that are of no use." - pg. 108
farrel
its late but at least i did it
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A.
I believe that Bilbo’s decision of not telling the group about the ring was not a very clever decision. Bilbo trying to get his moment of glory, I think will pay a price later on in the story.
We know these things about the ring:
1) It changes those who wear it into someone that is ‘evil’
2) You cannot propose with it
I think Bilbo’s limited knowledge and not knowing much about the ring will take its toll. Keeping the secret of the ring away from them will only make things worse, if he had told Gandalf about the ring, maybe he would have known what to do with it. Bilbo’s ignorance will only give negative consequences in the future. His whole get respect quick scheme worked, but it was all based on a lie. Sooner or later, the truth about the ring will have to be revealed and the respect from the dwarves will soon wear off, and would then be known as the lying burglar.
But I also think that there may be some good with Bilbo not telling them. For example, if Bilbo had told them about the ring, the dwarves would have turned shady. They would have probably tried to steal the ring from Bilbo, being the greedy characters that they are.
Answer to B)
(yes i realize it is late however i could not get hold of a computer till now, hence why I'm up at 8 in the morning... on a sunday)
Bilbo's decision to not tell the others about the ring was wise because he needed something to make him feel more confident in himself. Also if he fells more confident, his performance in the adventure will benefit everyone. If in fact he had said something about the ring, the other dwarfs will probably fight him for it. I think this because, the whole reason why they wanted to go on this adventure was to steal wealth from a dragon. Wealth represents power; the ring is exactly that, it give you power which is what they all want. To accomplish this quest successfully as a group, they have to remain a group with everybody on the same boat. For these reasons, I believe Bilbo's choice to not tell the others was very wise.
(again sorry its late, but it was out of my control!)
I posted mine twice yesterday, but it's not up yet so I'm giving it another try >.>
Answer to b)
-Dan Jin
In my opinion, Bilbo’s decision to keep the ring a secret wasn’t a wise one. In the previous chapters, Gollum had represented the darkest parts of Bilbo, also known as his shadow self. Gollum was described as a normal hobbit, but after he had obtained the ring, he seemed to become more corrupted and started to neglect the others around him. This foreshadows that Bilbo’s character might develop the same way as Gollum and becoming too dependant on the ring’s power.
Not telling the dwarves about the ring at the time may have given him a better reputation as a burglar and allowed him to become more confident in himself, but this also gives him a false sense of confidence and after a period of time, he will depend on the ring’s power more and more to meet the dwarves’ expectations. Also, if he never tells the others about the ring, he will never know that he possesses the ability to overcome obstacles by himself, without always depending on the ring. Gandalf knows he will become useful sooner or later since he invited him on the quest even if he hadn’t found the ring at the time. Gollum was too dependant on the ring, and allowed his obsessive and selfish nature turn him into a dark and sinister creature, this might also happen to Bilbo if he doesn’t find out that all his power doesn’t come from the ring, but from himself.
(sorry i had computer problems so i couldnt post it on time)
Vivian Tang Answer to A
After knowing that Bilbo has the magic ring the dwarves and Gandalf might want to have the ring given to the most importent member of the group inorder to protect him from harm. This might lead to a fight between the members making their situation worse.
Also the dwarves and Gandolf may disclude Bilbo from going on further into their quest because Gollum knows Bilbo stole the his ring and this can be a threat to the group.
In conclusion, this will cause Bilbo to be even more of a burden to the group than before. Bilbo will be even more disrespected by the members.
the anonymous one with no name is mine. - viv luc
john tecson
i posted my answer on saturday but it still isnt here soo im not sure if it didnt work or if u still have it in ur email** i also didnt make an extra copy soo can u re- check ur email box if u hav it
~thanks
Hey John, I don't have anything in my inbox from you. I just double checked. I haven't had any concerns from other people not being able to get their comments posted, maybe a computer glitch? You should have it already written out from what you did in class. If you don't want to retype it then I'll make an exception for you and you can just hand me in what you wrote in class.
Answer to B
I think that Bilbo not telling the dwarves and Gandalf about the ring might affect him in a bad way. When Bilbo tells them later, they would probably be upset because they would think that he lied to them, and that what they thought of him, turned out to be false. Between Bilbo and the dwarves in the beginning when they met, the darves gave no respect to him at all, they didn't care what happens to him, and they think he's just some lousy hobbit. But after when he came out to the mountain, he gained more respect for them, and he was more appreciated. If he tells them about the ring, he will probably lose all respect from them that would be even worse than how they started. Even though Bilbo's actions might be to protect Gandolf's words to the dwarves, Gandolf might be disappointed in Bilbo for keeping this secret.
Answer to A)
I think that the dwarves and Gandalf would have still been impressed by his clever excape but maybe less so than when they thought he did it on his own. They would have probably also asked a lot of questions about the ring like where he'd found it, and how it felt to be invisible. Gandalf might have knone of the rings power and warned Bilbo not to wear it and may have perhaps made Bilbo give the ring to him for safe keeping. Maybe Bilbo was afraid of this and it contributed towards his decision to not mentioning the ring. The dwarves, on the other hand, may have wanted to sell the ring or use to steal for their own benifit.
-Nerissa
wait sorry guys, I just posted mine saying it was the answer to B but I was spacing out and it's actually the answer to A
sorry
-Nerissa
John Tecson
(srry this ones really late..I had to come up with a new one..)
answer to b
I think Bilbo not telling the dwarves and Gandalf about the ring wasn't his wisest choice. He would have to eventually tell them about it and the moment he tells it, the dwarves and Gandalf would be disapointed. Gandalf would tell Bilbo that he should've told them all about the ring so they could formulate a plan, using the ring to help steal the treasure from Smaug. He might also know what the ring is used for and what might happen when it is worn for too long. This fact can change Bilbos mood towards keeping the ring. He would also say that even though Bilbo had chosen to tell them about the ring right after he had found it, they would all still be very happy and proud that he had gotten something worth keeping and to out-smart someone so wicked by the name of Gollum. This shows that he would still get the praise with their knowledge of him being a great burglar. Gandalf would tell him that telling them about the ring long after he had found it can cause serious problems and fights mostly with the dwarves. The dwarves would complain and argue about Bilbos lying and his continuation of bragging and showing off his amazing escape from the goblins and from Gollum. Also, they have never trusted him to tell the truth and now that they have seen what he had done, it shows that that was true.
Bilbo's lie led the dwarves to respect him,("I take off my hood to you.")(pg109)but even if he hadn't lied, he would still gain the same respect. His need to be a special part of their group led him to understand that if he had exposed the ring he had found, his miraculous escape from the goblins and from Gollum would've all been because of a powerful yet mysterious ring. Bilbo's lie could also affect him. By not telling the group about the ring, Bilbo cannot be helped when the power of the ring turns him into someone else. Which is similar to the effects that has taken Gollum. This problem has probably started to change Bilbo since he has been wearing the ring for quite some time and if he continues to use it without telling his team about it, it may actually spread the evil upon him. Negative consequences are most likely to occur for Bilbo's future.
errmm... mines for A =)
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