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Tolkien was born in the 19th Century and grew up in England in the early years of the 20th. His attitude towards the master/servant and empolyer/employee relationship reflect those of the place and the time.
In his letters, Tolkien has written that some of his inspiration for the character of Sam came from the men under his command during the Great War. Even in the 21st Century, private soldiers do not address Officers by their first names. Likewise, it would be unthinkable for me to speak to the head of the organisation in which I work by her first name. I would address her as "Ma'am" or "Vice-chancellor", never "Janet".
Class structures exist in all human societies, whether you like it or not, and were even stronger in the society in which Tolkien was raised.
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