Lord of the Rings Connections

As you may know, I am currently reading the great Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. Though I am not very far yet, I have already began to make connections between the novel and what we are currently learning about: the Renaissance.

In the book, Bilbo Baggins, now an elderly hobbit, owns Bag End and possess much riches. Bilbo's relatives, the Sackville-Bagginses, have been in line for the property, and will do anything to get it, but are angry when Frodo appears on the scene, and therefore becomes the heir. Angry, the Sackville-Bagginses storm away, vowing hatred on Bilbo forever.

Now, how might this connect to the Renaissance? Well, the Sackville-Bagginses remind me of the Albizzi family in the sense that they both are trying to steal the other group's money and power (either Bilbo's or the Medici's). It's the same kind of idea, though obviously not to the same extent in the Lord of the Rings as the Renaissance. This thought immediately came to mind when I was reading. It seems that I have been using some "talking to the text" strategies all along! :P

Keep checking this post for updates as I continue reading!