#ThereAndBackAgain Readalong
Beorn, a Power of Nature
The Hobbit — Ch 7 Queer Lodgings — Beorn reveals what Tolkien loved the most as an adult and a father, and what his children loved.
Beorn’s chapter has always been among my favourites in The Hobbit. I adore Beorn and Gandalf’s sparring dialogue. It always makes me chuckle.
Beorn is a funny one. I mean, his house is clearly a fairy house, with the humanised animals and Beorn fondness for them. Still, Beorn himself never struck me as a fairytale character. He’s grim and difficult to get along with. There’s a hint that he may be too independent a person to be considered an ally, though there’s no doubt what side he’s on.
I suppose this ambiguity is what makes him such an interesting character. A shapeshifter in more than a sense, Beorn is quite hard to pin down. And like his more animal, hidden (at least to the reader) half, he’s powerful but unpredictable.
To some extent, Beorn incarnates the power of Nature
I think that to some extent, Beorn incarnates the power of Nature. It may be handled. It may even be persuaded to do what we (humans) want, but we should always be aware that that power is not ours to…
