What a great example with Jonah--he's probably the champion of refusing that call. It really just makes sense in terms of human nature--and to make it clear that the quest is both truly scary and important. Nobody wants to be on a quest in a situation with somebody like Tom Sawyer who's trying to make things more difficult for the drama of it.

That's a great point about the shared Fellowship. That really is what it's about--and of course that's one of the main things that characterizes Bilbo in the later stories where he's got these deep ties with other people outside the Shire. I love the shot when the dwarves are singing and Bilbo's leaning against his bedpost listening.