What role did greed play in Tolkien's books?

[Hugo Millbanks]

How odd! This very topic is why I logged in again after a year. I was reading LOTR again and while reading through TT, I began pondering Saurumans pride and greed. Giving it more thought I started contemplating if Aule could be considered the god of pride and greed as well.
The following characters are associated with him and all exhibit various levels of pride and greed. Sauron, Sauruman, Dwarves and the Noldor. Though the Noldor were children of Eru, he taught the Noldor much, and even Feanor would have been one of his pupils. Arguably Feanor held his own pride apart from Aule, but all the Noldor learned much from Aule and also demonstrated pride and later even greed. We can see even Galadriel demonstrates greed (desire) though she successfully rejects the ring.
Aule demonstrates himself some characteristics of pride when he creates the Dwarves. Within this context I am proposing the idea that pride is driving greed. Though I am not suggesting that Aule is greedy.
Sauron can be argued to have received his negative influences from Melkor. Certainly we can associate many negative characteristics to Melkor, envy being directly attributed to him, and envy can also be associated with greed. But Sauron also was of a different mindset than Melkor, he wanted dominion over others.
Tolkien certainly threaded many many messages within his mythology, as any mythology will. we can see the results of greed throughout his works. Tolkien did give some less than perfect characteristics to the gods, and each had their flaws, even if only alluded to.
Aule's interaction or influence on many of the characters throughout the mythology, could been seen as to create a sense of pride and hence greed.
Just one humble Hobbits observation. Time for my second breakfast.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Bilbo appears to hold to his stated earlier resolution that he took his fourteenth share and disposed of it. He would only accept two small chests, one of silver and one of gold, as a reward. Perhaps this was a symbolic payment for his rescuing the dwarves both from the giant spiders and the Elvenking's cells, something he pointed out was not included in his original contract.

Well, that and the fact that Thorin did, eventually, get the Arkenstone.....

Worth noting as well that Bilbo gave away his share of the Trolls' loot, feeling that he had "received stolen goods": not the act of a greedy hobbit.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Hugo Millbanks

Aule demonstrates himself some characteristics of pride when he creates the Dwarves. Within this context I am proposing the idea that pride is driving greed. Though I am not suggesting that Aule is greedy.

In Aulë's case though, when he 'made' the Dwarves, he did so only out of a desire to share his knowledge, and to have his own 'children', who could appreciate the world Eru had made. I see no sign of pride with his motives.

As for the associations with him by various individuals with less benign desires, I think that is connected with his innate appreciation for things made with the hands, which admittedly does lend itself readily to evil. I don't think Aulë taught his pupils to be possessive or contentious, though. They simply fell prey to other influences and used what Aulë had given them to their own ends.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

The line between pride and greed isn't actually all that sharp or broad

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

The line between pride and greed isn't actually all that sharp or broad

I beg to differ. While the two may be related, they are different enough that having one, you don't necessarily have the other.

[Zigûr]

While I don't believe Aulë himself is a proud or greedy character, I do believe that Professor Tolkien consistently argued that his discipline, "making", was a very dangerous one. I believe he saw a potential connection between a desire to "make" and a desire to control. Thus "makers" are often the ones who desire power and domination. "Makers" (in Arda) wish to bring their will into being, and their will might easily transform from "the existence of a thing" to "a state of affairs".

That's a way in which I see it.

[Saurondil]

A pretty prominent one. Examples include:

Melkor
The Dwarves as a People
Feanor
Thingol
Turgon
Ancalime
Tar-Atanamir the Great
Tar-Ciryatan
Tar-Telemmaite
Ar-Pharazon
the Numenoreans after the Shadow falls.
Sauron
Isildur ?
Smaug
Thorin has trouble with the Arkenstone, at least
Denethor II
Lobelia Sackville-Baggins

- and arguably Saruman.

Galadriel & Gandalf are both tested by having to resist their desire for the Ring.

All these characters desire, or are tempted to desire, what they cannot have, or should not use as they do. Melkor wants "the dominion of Arda". Feanor comes to love the Silmarils with a "possessive love", so that he cannot give them up after the Trees are poisoned. Denethor is so intent on "the good of Gondor", and his grief at the loss of Boromir, that he loses sight of the big picture. And Turgon is so enamoured of the beauty and strength of Gondolin, that he fails to heed the warning of Ulmo. Lobelia covets Bag End - with disastrous results

IMHO, the motif of greed could be regarded as a motif of disordered love - and love is a very prominent motif in the books. This is one reason Tom Bombadil is such a very important character - he has the inner freedom that protects him from wrongful desire. A Vala & a Hobbit and many beings between all suffer from wrongful desires of various desires - he is almost defined by not doing so. He is anything but a meaningless excrescence added for no good purpose - he is essential to the moral structure of the story.

I think making is essentially a form of self-giving, of - in a sense - relinquishing control, stepping back so that what is made can have a life of its own. And I think this requires power no Valar can have, because they are limited, not transcendent. FWIW, AFAICS making = subcreation, with creation in the strict sense being something only Eru can do. For creation, one must have the Flame Imperishable.