This was also discussed
in this thread.
What both discussions leave out to some degree is the fact that the Elves were certainly not a cohesive group, and I don't think the Dwarves were either. So while Caranthir's scorn hand earned him and all his people the dislike of the Eastern Dwarves, Thingol was complacently trading with those that lived near him (granted, "Naugrim" is not a very nice name, but some of the other names they gave dwarves seem to me to carry a hint of admiration), and they were getting along beautifully with Finrod (of course, who wasn't?), well enough to give him another name. Each of these relationships was ruined
separately, that with Thingol by the ugly business of the Nauglamir as mentioned above and that with Finrod by the unfortunate political circumstances that arose at his death.
One thing that makes this interesting is Galadriel. Looking at the scene between her and Gimli as the Fellowship leaves Lorien is moving on an entirely different level if you look at it from a political point of view. On the one hand, there's her incredible suitability to represent all elves. She's usually considered a Noldo; she's closely related to Feanor who made the Silmarils that caused all these problems. She has close ties to the Sindar as well; she is descended from the Teleri, she was educated by Melian, and she married a Sindar. She's also Finrod's sister. So all three of these groups can be represented by her, and she has the choice between reconciliation and perpetutation of the grudge. She chooses reconciliation.
And then again, there's also the echoes of the episode of the Nauglamir in her exchange with Gimli. If I had my book with me I could go into this more thoroughly, but her offer of a gift seems to me a negative echo of the dispute of ownership between Thingol and the Dwarves. It also comes very close to that nightmare moment in fairy tales when someone is offered a choice of gifts, although, of course, Galadriel is somewhat more circumspect than that and does not swear to give Gimli whatever he asks for. There's an opportunity for him to make some outrageous request, or a snotty one, but he's gracious. It's really a very striking moment.
I will probably have to edit this later to make it make sense......
--Belin Ibaimendi,
flagrantly misusing her study time.