Need ideas for a research paper on hobbits!
 

I need some ideas on a research paper on hobbits. I have to have three points I am going to discuss in it. I was thinking...

1. Description and other basic info
2. History and traditions
3. Daily life

????

I don't know if that is going to work out! Can anyone help me with some suggestions? Thanks! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

food. food is always a good topic of its own [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

hehe! Yeah, food is a large part of hobbits lives (and mine!) That'll definetly be in there somewhere!

You're doing a research paper on hobbits? Oooohh, I'm so jealous! For what class?

Anyway, I'd suggest

1) Food
2) Culture (ie: customs- but you already have this idea, I think)
3) History (Don't forget their smoking- that plays a big part in their lives too [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img])

Yes, food would be a big factor with the hobbits. The fact that they farm and work the land themselves is a point to make about that. They live off their own land and not from anyone. Also mention they fact that they know nothing of the world around except what is happening in the Shire. They are a simple race, almost perfect in a sense. They don't have that many affairs to worry about, no battles to fight, and no real desire for power. It's almost close to Paradise.

It might be good to take a look at the preface of The Fellowship of the Ring. In my copy, there is a good 12 pages about the Hobbits, their origins, their love of pipe-weed, the ordering of the shire...etc, and then a few more pages about how the ring etc.

Lots of good stuff that might be good for your paper. Lucky you, getting to do a paper based on LotR...

Aylwen

It might also be a good idea to show the change in the Shire from not really knowing much about the world outside their borders and being sleepy and peaceful to becoming the home of the Ringbearers, the Knight of Rohan, and the Thain of Gondor and also they way this changed the Shire. The changes probably weren't huge, but doubtless, the hobbits became more aware of the world around them. Oh yeah! And don't forget Bilbo the Burgler! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] And there are a ton of family trees in the Appendix to Return of the King.

Good luck!

I'd say

1) Culture
2) simplicity
3) isolation

1- you can focus on what their like, give a brief history of the way they do things and describe how they are a unique race

2- simplicity relates to culture so you can roll this off your paragraph about culture, explain how they are simple (if that's simple enough [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] )

3- you can say that they are simple because of their isolation, explain how they are ignorant to the current events of ME, show how they avoid 'big folk', and you can also show their geographic isolation and how they are put aside from the current problem with the wars in Gondor and Mordor, if you want, you can show how the rangers even kept them isolated by protecting them

Hope that helps and I hope I'm not too late.

Good Luck! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Perhaps a little bit on the geography of the Shire, and its clans or family groups. e.g. the Brandybucks in Buckland hall.
What class is this for? I want to get into it!!!!
cya! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

buckland hall....im having afterthoughts...thats not righ is it? Ah well, buckland then!

Thanks so much for the ideas! They are all so good! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] The only thing I have to do so far is an outline about what I'm going to do, I haven't even started yet since it isn't due till, well, I think next Friday and all always put things off till last minute! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Don't worry about being precisly accurate Arwen, I can never remember names. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Here it is with cahnges:

1) Description
2) Culture
3) History

Description: includes appearance and the families likes Tooks and Brandybucks and Bagginses, the major ones, and how their families are seperated and constructed (so to speak)

Culture: includes food, simplicity, seperation from the rest of ME, and all I can fit of their basic lifestyle

History: Major occurences in the history of hobbits, where thwy came from, important changes in lifestyles

I think I can do it that way! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Sorry it took so long for me to reply! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]