# What was Bilbo dreaming about ...



## Rivendell_librarian (Jul 10, 2019)

... on the eagles' mountain ledge at the end of chapter 6 "Out of the Frying-Pan and into the Fire"

_He slept curled up on the hard rock more soundly than ever he had done on his feather-bed in his own little hole at home. But all night he dreamed of his own house and wandered in his sleep into all his different rooms looking for something that he could not find nor remember what it looked like._

It's a curious description given that Gollum had recently been looking for something he couldn't find in his hole in the ground.
One commentator thought this passage indicated that Bilbo subconsciously realizes his unadventurous former home life will no longer fully satisfy him, although in the morning Bilbo misses his toast and bacon!


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## Miguel (Jul 10, 2019)

Rivendell_librarian said:


> ... on the eagles' mountain ledge at the end of chapter 6 "Out of the Frying-Pan and into the Fire"
> 
> _He slept curled up on the hard rock more soundly than ever he had done on his feather-bed in his own little hole at home. But all night he dreamed of his own house and wandered in his sleep into all his different rooms looking for something that he could not find nor remember what it looked like._
> 
> ...



I envy Bilbo very very much.

I think it's time for me to listen to this:


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## Rivendell_librarian (Jul 11, 2019)

Nicol Williamson - good choice as the reader!


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## Deleted member 12094 (Jul 11, 2019)

JRRT often used dreams in his tales (see some discussions here for LotR) but explaining them isn't straightforward. At any rate the explanation you quoted sounds very acceptable.

The only alternative I could propose is the fear for failure of the enterprise he is contributing to, as well as the not-knowing of how it will end.

PS - Nicol Williamson: see my earlier tread here!


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## Ithilethiel (Jul 11, 2019)

To me when I read that it always felt as if some sort of psychic connection was beginning to take place btwn Bilbo and Gollum. The similarity of circumstance and of purpose though not intent. I could never really label the connection as good vs. evil it just was always a gray area. Just a thought...


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