Welcome back to my series of posts on how J.R.R. Tolkien’s books differ from their film adaptations. This time we’ll be looking at The Hobbit—specifically what we can learn from this line:
‘Dwalin at your service!’
Dwalin son of Fundin, The Hobbit (Chapter Ⅰ)
In the Films
While the line is said many times in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the line is given a great deal more importance in the book. In the film, we hear most of the dwarves say “at your service!” to Bilbo as they enter his home, and of course Thorin says no such thing.
Niceties at Bag End
In the book, each of Thorin’s company made a point of saying “At your service!” as they walked through the door, starting with Dwalin, but soon followed by his brother Balin. Next came Fíli and Kíli, and then Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, and Glóin. Each of them made a point of greeting Bilbo with this nicety.
He had hardly turned the knob, before they were all inside, bowing and saying ‘at your service’ one after another. Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, and Glóin were their names; and very soon two purple hoods, a grey hood, a brown hood, and a white hood were hanging on the pegs, and off they marched with their broad hands stuck in their gold and silver belts to join the others.
The Hobbit (Chapter Ⅰ)
However, when their King-in-Exile Thorin Ⅱ arrived, Tolkien made a point of telling us that Thorin said nothing of the sort:
‘At your service!’ said Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur standing in a row. Then they hung up two yellow hoods and a pale green one; and also a sky-blue one with a long silver tassel. This last belonged to Thorin, an enormously important dwarf, in fact no other than the great Thorin Oakenshield himself, who was not at all pleased at falling flat on Bilbo’s mat with Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur on top of him. For one thing Bombur was immensely fat and heavy. Thorin indeed was very haughty, and said nothing of service; but poor Mr. Baggins said he was sorry so many times, that at last he grunted ‘pray don’t mention it,’ and stopped frowning.
The Hobbit (Chapter Ⅰ)
Queer Lodgings
Thorin did go on to say “at your service” several times over the course of the book: once to the Great Goblin, although we’re told he doesn’t mean it. Soon afterwards, Thorin said it to Beorn, being in need of the skin-changer’s help.
‘Thorin Oakenshield, at your service! Dori at your service!’ said the two dwarves bowing again.
‘I don’t need your service, thank you,’ said Beorn, ‘ but I expect you need mine.’
The Hobbit (Chapter Ⅶ)
Thorin at Your Service
It’s only when Bilbo freed the company from the Elvenking’s dungeons that Thorin finally said “at your service” to Bilbo, signalling that the king-in-exile had finally accepted the hobbit into his company.
‘Upon my word!’ said Thorin, when Bilbo whispered to him to come out and join his friends, ‘Gandalf spoke true, as usual! A pretty fine burglar you make, it seems, when the time comes. I am sure we are all for ever at your service, whatever happens after this.’
The Hobbit (Chapter Ⅸ)
This arc, wherein Thorin’s company gradually come to accept Bilbo as one of them, serves to set up the tragic climax of the story. It’s also an example of Tolkien using subtle dialogue to develop characters. It’s the sort of thing you’ll likely notice only after you’ve read The Hobbit a few times.
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