Baggins side

The Baggins side is the cautious, comfort-loving, and respectable half of Bilbo Baggins's personality, inherited from his father Bungo Baggins, which throughout the adventure constantly pulls him toward home, safety, and conventional hobbit values, and ultimately reasserts itself after his return to Bag-End.

Identity and Background

The Baggins side of Bilbo's character came from his father Bungo Baggins, who built the most luxurious hobbit-hole for Belladonna Took and remained there to the end of his days. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected. Bilbo looked and behaved exactly like a second edition of his solid and comfortable father. The Baggins side was associated with a settled, prosperous life: a beautiful hobbit-hole with pantries, wardrobes, kitchens, and dining-rooms all on the same floor, and a love of regular meals, especially breakfast. This side of him was so strong that he had apparently settled down immovably by the time he was about fifty years old.

Conflict with the Tookish Side

The Baggins side was in constant tension with the Tookish side inherited from his mother Belladonna Took, which longed for adventure and the great mountains. When the dwarves sang of their ancient halls and treasure, something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick. But very quickly he was plain Mr. Baggins of Bag-End, Under-Hill, again. After the dwarves' arrival, the Tookish side won when he declared he would show them he was no good, but many a time afterwards the Baggins part regretted what he did now, and he said to himself: "Bilbo, you were a fool; you walked right in and put your foot in it." Throughout the journey, the Baggins side made him wish repeatedly for his comfortable hobbit-hole, especially in moments of extreme danger or discomfort.

The Baggins Side in Action

The Baggins side manifested in practical, cautious behaviour. When Bilbo found the ring in the goblin tunnels, he put it in his pocket almost without thinking, and it did not seem of any particular use at the moment. During the riddle game with Gollum, the Baggins side made him think of frying bacon and eggs in his own kitchen at home, which only made him miserabler. In the final stages of the adventure, when the dwarves were trapped in the Mountain and the treasure was at stake, the Baggins side grew stronger. As he looked out from the secret door, he thought of what lay beyond the blue distance, the quiet Western Land and the Hill and his hobbit-hole under it. The Tookish part was getting very tired, and the Baggins was daily getting stronger.

Return and Reassertion

After the adventure ended, the Baggins side fully reasserted itself. Bilbo returned to find his house being auctioned off, and he had to buy back much of his own furniture. He lost his reputation for respectability, but he did not mind. He was quite content, and the sound of the kettle on his hearth was ever after more musical than it had been even in the quiet days before the Unexpected Party. He took to writing poetry and visiting the elves, but he remained very happy to the end of his days, and those were extraordinarily long. The Baggins side ultimately integrated the adventure into a settled life, finding contentment in home while retaining the memories and friendships gained on the quest.