The paper aims to focus on the importance of the highlands amidst the non-anthropocentric imaginary world of Middle-earth as portrayed by J.R.R. Tolkien in his work The Hobbit. The highlands serves as the protector of the environment against the various imperialistic threats possessed by both anthropocentric and non-anthropocentric worlds .It not only serves as the protector of the vast ecology but also symbolically acts as the preserver of a vast reservoir of wealth. It shows how the hobbit, Bilbo, in the non-anthropocentric world acts as the upholder of great values and attaches importance to the sustainability of the ecology. His inner self develops closer to nature and it reaches its culmination when he begins his adventure to the highlands. Unlike the imperialistic endeavours of the dragon who captures the wealth, so long under the protection of the highlands, Bilbo believes in the principle of giving and thus decides to leave the possession under the protection of the highlands. The Hobbit proves that nature's wealth can be conquered but cannot be taken away from nature, and it raises an important question regarding the righteousness of the exploitation of natural wealth by the indigenous people.
Using a postcolonial ecocritical lens, the paper attempts to bring to the fore how Baggins as the marginalised being in the adventurous group, grows and develops his consciousness in the lap of nature where the mountain serves as his alter-ego in preserving its sustainability amidst greater threat of imperialism and globalisation. Drawing from Achebe’s comment on The Heart of Darkness as a racist attempt of Conrad in portraying African natives and their land, the paper elaborates on how the highlands is a world of its own and it becomes a non-anthropocentric endeavour in winning the battle and preserving its sustainability in the era of modern invasion.
