2. Bilbo acts as a "savior" in at least two ways at the end of the story? What are these ways and what do they require of him?

3. How psychologically "real" is the story? That is, how true is it to the way humans think and feel and even react with respect to crises, material gain, friendship, and business relations?

4. How is the myth presented in the story, especially in the character of Bilbo, true to the Christian myth? [Note I am using myth here in a sophisticated way as describing a belief system that encapsulates truth for a given group--not as fiction.] How does Bilbo enact, for example, the Sermon on the Mount?

5. What makes Bard important?

6. How do dwarves, men, and elves act in response to the treasure? How does that contrast with Wizards, beasts, and Beorn? To which group does Bilbo belong and why?

7. Does the War of the Five Armies seem contrived at the end of the story? How does the narrator justify its taking place?

8. What does Bilbo's use of the Arkenstone say for him? Is he a mere thief? Is he justified? Explain why.

9. What in the story prepares us for Thorin's death-bed repentance? Is it consistent with his character?

10. How does the end of the story (the last chapter) fit with the rest of it?