The Problem of Greed in JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
Keywords:
Tolkien, Greed, Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, Bilbo, Gollum, ThorinAbstract
Throughout what is referred to as the legendarium of JRR Tolkien, the underlying value of objects and deeds is a prominent motif. Beginning with The Hobbit in 1937 and continuing through The Lord of the Rings (1954-55), Tolkien constructs a narrative that builds on the struggles of class warfare and the problems wealth brings, both intellectual and financial, with a key focus on the problems of greed. In this paper, I aim to outline Tolkien’s philosophy on how greed corrupts many of the protagonists in the Middle-earth he created, as well as highlight his insertion of the problems of the real world.Downloads
Published
2012-05-17
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Section
Critical Articles