I'm reading The Hobbit again, as I live-action roleplay as a Tolkien scholar in an attempt to understand Middle Earth, its lore, and its effect on modern gaming. I'm reviewing each chapter of the book as I read, and this is my review of Chapter 10: A warm welcome.
This review contains spoilers.
The dwarves arrive in Laketown, and then set off to defeat the dragon Smaug.
The reaction of Laketown to the return of a dwarven king of the mountain is the star of this chapter. Tolkien provides a fascinating glimpse of how the real world worked then and now. The Master of Laketown believes Thorin and company to be frauds. Some people in Laketown believe Thorin is the king, others likely don't care one way or the other but appreciate the spectacle. A group of elven guests are insulted because they recognise Thorin as a prisoner of their king.
The reaction of Laketown is all over the map but nevertheless results in an apparently warm welcome. Thorin and company are housed and fed for at least several days if not weeks or months, and they're regarded as celebrities. The adventuring party recovers from their past trials, and then set off to reclaim their kingdom.
It's notable that the Master of Laketown makes a point of saying that he anticipates that the dwarves will be generous after they reclaim their treasure. Tolkien doesn't make a big deal out of this, but it's a serious reflection upon consent, negotiation, and contract law. Today, in the real world, there are those who argue that it was good enough, back in the fabled "good old days", to make a gentleman's agreement. You didn't have to negotiate and sign paperwork, because people just did what was right. Except, of course, they didn't really. Not then, not now, and not in Middle Earth. It's a minor spoiler, but Thorin and company are not gracious victors and it's not without a literal battle that the folk of Laketown get any recompensation for their aid.
I'm tracking Bilbo's reputation with the dwarves, and the dwarves' reputation with Bilbo, as the book progresses. This chapter is a lot of rest and recuperation, so there's no change. The score remains:
This is a transition chapter, getting the adventuring party from Laketown to the mountains. Of course, it's also a setup for the enmity Laketown feels for Thorin later in the book. I do wish I'd been able to read between the lines when I was younger, because this is a good chapter for its casual insight into how the world works.