Different Characters, Same Failing: Instances of Greed in The Hobbit Hannah Rose Laffoon 9th Grade

The famous poet, Rumi, once said “Greed makes man blind and foolish, and makes him an easy prey for death.” The Hobbit has many instances of greed, all of which lead to their inevitable destruction. Almost all characters are guilty of greed here and there, but there are a few that exhibit this theme throughout the book. The dwarves, Smaug, and Gollum are very different characters, yet they all share one trait, greed.

The dwarves themselves represent greed. All they desire is wealth and comfort. They are willing to risk it all just to have what they desire. Such as risking their lives all for Smaug’s treasure. Tolkien describes Bilbo’s lust for the treasure through the comparison of his desire with that of the dwarves. He writes of Bilbo: “His heart was filled and pierced with enchantment and with the desire of dwarves; and he gazed motionless, almost forgetting the frightful guardian, at the gold beyond price and count.” (Chapter 12, pg. 216). Many times have the dwarves been used as a symbol of greed. In the Hobbit, the dwarves risked not only their lives, but those of Bilbo as well in their quest for Thorin’s treasure. At one point, in Mirkwood, they all almost died of hunger; eventually they were stuck in Smaug’s cavern with...