Davem. However many times you restate your argument, you are not going to convince me. Nor, I suspect, the majority of contributors to this thread.
As far as I am concerned, any concept of Tolkien's Legendarium which does not include
The Hobbit is one that I am not interested in.
I accept, of course, that you are entitled to jettison
The Hobbit from your own interpretation of the Legendarium, contrary to the author's intentions. It is your right as a reader.
