A Most Unusual Dwarf

[littlemanpoet]

The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: they intended to pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor little fellow doing it if he would; but they would all have done their best to get him out of trouble, if he got into it, as they did in the case of the trolls at the beginning of their adventures before they had any particular reaons for being grateful to him. There it is: dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you don't expect too much.

The Hobbit, page 225 (1966 leatherbound edition)

About Gimli:

Gimli is a most unusual dwarf, given the quote above.

Do you think that he starts out, in Rivendell, better than this description?

Or does he become a better Dwarf through his experiences?

If he changed in LotR, what were the changes? When?

Have fun.