More than simply criticizing the dwarf race, Tolkien’s
depiction of the dwarves’ insensitivity also serves as a warning
against the destructive power of greed, which has turned those who
were once friends—the dwarves under the mountain and the men of
Dale—into enemies. Humans, dwarves, and elves who are all “Good
People” ought to be on the same side in Middle-Earth, and their
common enemy ought to be evil creatures, such as the goblins. Such
was the case while the dragon was alive, but now that Smaug is out
of the way, lust for gold blurs the proper lines between good and
evil.
In a sense, Bilbo’s desire for peace and his generous
desire to share the treasure is another mark of The Hobbit’s
swerving between the modern and ancient epic traits that shape his
character. Bard’s slaying of the dragon is thoroughly drawn from
epic literature, but Bilbo’s desire for a peaceful outcome to the
conflict would be hard to find in Anglo-Saxon literature. In ancient
Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian epics, gold and treasure were treated
with the same seriousness and reverence that is exhibited by the
dwarves. Though the source of The Hobbit’s
characters’ reverence for gold is different—gold in epic literature
is valuable as much for its ability to create social stability as
for its purchasing power—the strife that treasure creates mirrors
the conflict found in epics like Beowulf. Bilbo’s
desire for understanding and sharing is a sign that, having explored
epic heroism both in Bilbo’s past actions and in Bard’s slaying
of Smaug, Tolkien is also interested in exploring a more modern
notion of heroism, which connects courage to sympathy and understanding.
