#actually the hobbit trilogy has a lot to say about property and morality maybe I'll make a larger post on that sometime

[thesummerestsolstice]

So I rewatched the entire Hobbit trilogy (extended editions, of course), and I'm not sure if this is present in the book, but in the movies, the fight over the White Gems of Lasgalen really does feel like it was pulled straight from the Silmarillion.

For those who haven't seen the movies: both Thorin and Thranduil claim heirloom rights to the White Gems of Lasgalen, and both are willing to fight, bleed, and die for those rights.

Thranduil claims the gems are rightfully his because they belonged to a dead loved one (his wife), as well as basically accusing the dwarves of stealing them.

Thorin claims the gems are rightfully his because they're a part of Thror's (his grandfather's) treasure hoard, which Thorin claims absolute inheritance rights to. We also know that the dwarves disagree with the idea that the White Gems were stolen at all. But his decision is also clearly being influenced by the fact that Thranduil has unarguably hurt his people in the past (by denying them aid when Erebor fell).

And it's kind of impossible not to see this as a reference to the debate between the Feanorians and Elwing (or Dior) about who rightfully owns the Silmaril. Exchange Thranduil's wife for Feanor, Thror for Thingol, and "refusing to provide aid" for "the kinslayings," and it's easy to imagine them having the exact same arguments about who owns what.

Given this comparison, two things come to mind. First, the movie doesn't seem to approve of either Thorin or Thranduil's choices here. Thorin's inability to compromise by giving Thranduil the gems in return for the elves' aid is critiqued by Balin and Bard seems aghast that Thranduil is willing to go to war over gems. Both Thranduil and Thorin defend their choices by citing their heirloom rights. And they're both portrayed as heroic during other parts of the movies (Thranduil bringing aid for Bard's people, Thorin eventually realizing that he was wrong to value gold so highly), but the trilogy wants us to know that the choice to fight and kill for these gems is, on both sides, a bad one.

The other thing that comes to mind is Elrond. In the first movie, Thorin's company finds an old sword, and when Elrond examines it, he reveals that it belonged to Turgon. The sword is pretty clearly an heirloom of Elrond's house. And Elrond what does Elrond do? He willingly gives it to Gandalf with the hope that it'll serve Gandalf well, and it's really interesting to compare his behavior there with Thorin and Thranduil's stubborn possessiveness. And given what Elrond lived through because of the Silmaril, that choice makes a lot of sense. Honestly 10/10 Elrond characterization we love to see it.