Throughout history, humans as a species have had an insatiable thirst for knowledge; from the early explorers and philosophers of the Age of Exploration, to the technology moguls of today.  Modern society has normalized the quest for knowledge by implementing higher education and cultural awareness, as necessities to lead a purposeful life. Those who don't participate are labeled as ignorant for not exploring the infinite possibilities that this world has to offer. In Peter Jackson's movie rendition of The Hobbit an Unexpected Journey, his film poster effectively juxtaposes the idea of ignorance and knowledge through the use of darkness and light respectively. The first thing you are drawn to is the large circular door that occupies most of the scene, separating the darkness inside from the light outside. The illustrator purposefully places Bilbo in a purgatory between the two, with one foot in the door and one foot out. In combination, these elements successfully entice spectators to come watch the film. While most people pick up the very obvious idea of embarking on an adventure, they are also subtly being pushed to seek knowledge rather than remain ignorant. 

Light and dark are the oldest rivals in the book. Light represents goodness, life, and knowledge; dark represents evil, death, and ignorance. The outside landscape in the poster is illustrated in a way that suggests infinite light. Just outside the door can see a cobblestone walkway and flowers full of detail and colors, but as move further out the details fade into absolute light. Two large green foothills mark the horizon in the picture, and just beyond that is overwhelming light. Everything between the foothills and the door is the small bit of knowledge already acquired. The light flooding in from over the hill  tempting Bilbo, and the spectator of the poster, to come explore the vast knowledge available. Light has the main influence in this illustration due to its positive connotation. Positive reinforcement is the most effective way to instill a lesson or idea, so the use of light here is perfect because of its known relationship to things of positive nature. That is why there  emphasis on the dark in this picture. Everyone loves when the good triumphs the evil, so the illustrator made sure that everything in the light demanded your attention. While the dark actually covers more of the image, . Darkness is usually suppressed by light, which is shown by the light leaking into Bilbo's dark home and casting his shadow. The point is to have light win over dark, signifying the importance of knowledge over ignorance. 

Inside the door, darkness envelops everything, only yielding details to the bits of light flowing in through the windows and door. A few books and candles are made visible purposefully. While books can record large amounts of information to be accessed by anyone, they are no substitute for acquiring the knowledge first hand. Other than that, the dark interior scene has nothing to offer just like ignorance. With less of an emphasis on the dark, the illustrator uses the two opposing themes to  to seek knowledge. The light is used to entice the subject, the dark is represented as distasteful and pushes you into the light. 

The large open door in the center of this piece is an important element used by the illustrator. Open doors are known  gateways to opportunity. For this piece in particular it represents the threshold must cross in your adventure for knowledge. will remain in ignorance until you decide to pass through the door of opportunity. Coincidentally, the door is also in the shape of a circle. Circles have been called the perfect shape; they are infinitely circular, with no bends or edges. Due to its characteristics the circle has been widely associated with knowledge and infinity. Although the circular door of a Hobbit hole was already , it supports the illustrations meaning. 

Everything the illustrator does in this piece comes full circle with Bilbo standing in the doorway. Obviously the image is still, but the way it has been illustrated gives it a feeling of slow motion. You can almost see the figure moving somewhat cautiously, as if he is unsure.  You can see the figure has one foot and one arm on either side of the doorway, but his body language is important. The arm inside is slightly outstretched behind him, as if it hesitated to fall away from the door. In addition to that, the inside foot is just barely touching the ground, suggesting he may take the next step towards the light, and ultimately the journey from ignorance to knowledge.

The quest for knowledge is so widespread that you would be hard pressed to find an aspect in modern society not somehow related to the acquisition of knowledge. People go out and experience life to find out what they are interested in, and then they learn everything they can about that field. This desire to escape ignorance and embrace knowledge pours into every profession in today's economy. In this movie poster for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit an Unexpected Journey, the illustrator uses this theme as a marketing technique by comparing the colors used, to the journey from ignorance to knowledge.
