One common theme that is present throughout The Hobbit is that of materialism. The dwarves are the most apparent example of this. The dwarves are driven to reach the Mountain in order to regain their gold. All they can talk about is the glory they once had when they were in possession of the gold and the status they hope to recover by defeating the dragon, Smaug.
But the dwarves are not the only materialistic creatures in the novel. In a way Bilbo is materialistic as well. He continually talks about how he wants to go back to his home. Several times Bilbo mentions missing his fireplace, comfy chair and cakes. Bilbo is so concerned with his stuff at home that I think he sometimes loses sight of the adventure in front of him.
In a way, I think Tolkien was responding to the world around him when he was writing about these materialistic characters. At the time the novel was written (1937), consumerism was as it's height. In my social psychology class, we were talking about a man named Edward Bernays, who in the 1920s started the idea of "consumerism" in America. The economy changed from a need-based society to a want-based society. People were no longer buying only for necessity but for pleasure as well. Through Bilbo and the dwarves, Tolkien illustrates this new phenomenon of materialism. I don't think Tolkien thought materialism was a negative thing, but I think he was finding a way to respond to the world around him through his writing.
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