How is wealth viewed in the novel The Hobbit?

Answer 1

I think that wealth is ultimately viewed rather dimly. Recall, the main antagonist is Smaug - a creature that hordes vast piles of gold and then sleeps on it. A great metaphor for the sterility of acquisition. The friendship (or at least comraderie) between Thorin and Bilbo is shattered over a dispute about a large jewel and Battle of Five Armies occurs because every army within marching distance races off to plunder Smaug's treasure. Vast amounts of treasure seem to just cause trouble in The Hobbit. So, at the end of the book, Bilbo refuses most of the treasure offered him, taking only a small fraction of what he could. And what he spends it on is revealing - gifts and the small comforts of life. Bilbo doesn't return home and use his wealth to achieve political power, prestige or influence in the Shire, nor does he use it to surround himself in luxuries. Bilbo instead uses his reward from the treasure to settle down back home and write his book, although possibly with slightly finer things around him. There's a comment in the final chapter about Balin noticing Bilbo's vests now have real gold buttons. I think that's Tolkien's idea of the proper level of wealth - sufficient for comfort but not for luxury.