At this time in the novel, the antagonist Smaug has been slain. Even though the dragon is gone, the victors cannot come to agreement about how to split the treasure amongst everyone. The dwarfs do not want to share because, after all, it was their treasure in the first place and they feel that it belongs to only them. The humans and the elves just want to be repaid for sacrificing their homes and lives to defeat Smaug.
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world" (Tolkien 230).
This quote sums up the conflict that supplants the real evil at the end of the novel. It shows that if they all did not care as much about gold, then they could continue on happily through their lives. However, they cannot and more conflict ensues, even though it could be avoided easily if they were not so selfish. This is a lesson that the book can teach anyone; selfishness causes conflict, which can be avoided by a little compromise.
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