Will someone assist me in answering the first question below? Once I figure out an answer for the first question, I should be able to answer the other two.

"Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside was their favorite haunt. They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a hand-loom, though they were skillful with tools. Even in ancient days they were, as a rule, shy of 'the Big Folk,' as they call us, and now they avoid us with dismay and are becoming hard to find. They are quick of hearing and sharp-eyed, and though they are inclined to be fat and do not hurry unnecessarily, they are nonetheless nimble and deft in their movements. They possessed from the first the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large fol whom they do not wish to meet com blundering by; and this art they have developed until to Men it may seem magical. But Hobbits have never, in fact, studied magic of any kind, and their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill that heredity and practice, and a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger and clumsier races."

Q: Why do you suppose the Hobbits were more numerous in ancient times than today? What then is the author philosophically saying about people and their environment? What subtle inferences are made about man?

A: ?

Hobbits love peace and quiet and farmland. Today, much farmland has been taken over by streets, highways, malls, office buildings and houses. A lot of our peace and quiet is gone.

Okay, so what do you think about these answers to ALL the questions above?

A: Hobbits were more numerous in ancient times than today because they love peace and quiet and farmland. Today, much farmland has been taken over by streets, highways, malls, office buildings and houses. A lot of our peace and quiet is gone. The author is thus philosophically trying to get a point of human domination over nature across. In addition, the author makes several subtle inferences about man by referring to humans as "The Big Folk" and "bigger and clumsier races."

Great!

Thank you for your help. (:

You are welcome.

To answer the first question, we can look at the information provided in the passage. The author states that hobbits love peace and quiet and prefer a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside. They do not understand or like complicated machines and prefer a simple way of life. The passage also mentions that hobbits were shy of "the Big Folk," or humans, and now they avoid them and are becoming hard to find. Additionally, hobbits possess skills of disappearing swiftly and silently when they do not wish to meet larger beings.

From this information, we can infer that the reason hobbits were more numerous in ancient times than today is because they thrived in a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside, which was their favorite habitat. However, with the advance of technology and the encroachment of humans, their habitat and way of life started to diminish, leading to a decrease in their population.

The author is making a philosophical statement about the relationship between people and their environment. The passage suggests that a peaceful and well-farmed countryside is essential for the prosperity and abundance of certain groups of people, in this case, hobbits. It implies that harmony between humans and their environment is crucial for maintaining a desirable way of life.

Furthermore, the passage subtly suggests that the preferences and inclinations of individuals can have a significant impact on their survival and growth. The hobbits' aversion to complicated machines and their affinity for a simple and peaceful lifestyle contribute to their decline as they struggle to adapt to the changing world.

In summary, the author is highlighting the importance of a harmonious relationship between people and their environment while suggesting that individuals' preferences and adaptations shape their existence and abundance.