“The Hobbit” by JRR Tolkien is a novel in which a hobbit experiences the greatest adventure of his life. The first phase of the monomyth, the departure, is reflected in the book when Bilbo Baggins (the hobbit in the story) sets out on a quest to free a mountain from a dragon called Smaug. After the dragon is slain, the return phase of the monomyth comes into play as Bilbo returns home. Along the way, Baggins was helped and hindered by several characters who embodied the archetypes of the monomyth. Therefore, JRR Tolkien's “The Hobbit” follows the hero's journey exactly. Bilbo Baggins, as the hero of the story, goes through the starting phase of the hero's journey exactly as established by Joseph Campbell. The hobbit's call to adventure is a sign drawn by Gandalf on his door. Gloin later tells Bilbo that the sign could be translated as: "...the thief wants good work, lots of excitement and a reasonable reward..." The sign, which is Bilbo's call to adventure, indicates the first component of the departure. After Gloin explains the nature of the sign, Thorin tells the Baggins of the dwarves' purpose in coming to the hobbit. As Thorin explained, Bilbo felt quite terrified at the prospect of embarking on such a journey from which he might never return, as recounted in the book: Poor Bilbo could bear it no longer. Maybe he'll never come back, he began to feel a cry welling up inside him, and soon he exploded. Baggins was so afraid of such a journey that he had no doubt that he would refuse the call to adventure, which is the second component of the departure. The third component of the departure is the hero, in this case Bilbo, who finally accepts the call to adventure. In "The Hobbit", Bilbo was so enraged because Gloin called him "little fellow... middle of paper... Glar wants a good job". This act brings the dwarves to Bilbo's door, and so the herald archetype is embodied by Gandalf. The archetypes of the monomyth are absolutely exemplified in “The Hobbit”. The monometh is exactly represented in “The Hobbit” by JRR Tolkien. The hero of the story goes through the departure phase, initially refusing but then accepting the call to adventure. After the goal of the quest has been achieved, the return phase is activated and Bilbo returns home. He could not have completed his adventure without other characters, which is why the archetypes of the monomyth are present in the story. The little hobbit began his adventure as a frightened, almost cowardly being, but later gained wisdom and returned to his homeland a changed person. Works Cited Tolkien, JRR The Hobbit. 5th ed. London, England: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1995. Print.