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One of the things I think is interesting in LOTR is the social status of the four hobbits in the Fellowship.

If I remember correctly, Pippin was the son (heir?) of the Thain, the #1 hobbit in the Shire and therefore in the world. In hobbit terms, he was perhaps the equivalent of the Prince of Wales.

Merry was the son (heir?) of the Master of Buckland, a semi-independent principality. So his status might be equal to the heir of a duke.

Frodo was closely related to both of them and therefore was an aristocrat himself, although not in the primary lines. Perhaps when he inherited from Bilbo, he became the equivalent of an English country squire who is related to a peer.

Sam, OTOH, is "just a servant." Early on in the story, the others sometimes treat him with unthinking condecension. By the end, they are treating him as a full equal, which of course he has earned through his own efforts. As Frodo's heir and Mayor, he becomes himself an aristocrat, which status he hands down to his descendants.

F.Y.I. The Daily Tolkien for Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th is, unofficially, the movie The Two Towers. I could have posted something, but most would be too interested in the movie and discussing it, so for all intents and purposes, it is the Daily Tolkien until the 19th. :-)

Except, the Thain was only appointed to replace the authority of the King who was no more, but then even that was forgotten and the Thain became just a customary title. If you use terms of European royality, you make Merry and Pippin look more important than they are (or rather, make them sound like political leaders, rather than traditional community leaders). They weren't royalty so much as customary leaders. They had authority, but not power as such. It's like the difference between a policeman who enforces laws, and a tribal elder who wields influence. The Shire was not a state; it was just a loose collection of communities obeying their own traditions and customary laws.