[HPFGU-Movie] Re: SPEW (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare)

[Nightbreed]

I think it was nuts for Rowling to make Hermione the Rosetta stone of
Wizarding World information (and Rowling has stated numerous times that
information comes readily from Dumbledore and Hermione because the reader
will believe what they say) and not until her second year at Hogwarts even
know House Elves exist. OTOH that's part of what outrages the 12 year old
Hermione of COS, she thinks House Elves are a dark, wizard secret and coming
from Muggles she thinks they are slaves. Of course, in the U.S. wealthy
people treat migrant workers from Mexico with much the same lack of
humanity. 

 

I know that Rowling wanted to make social statements with her books, and
death eater's Nazi-like mantra and the mistreatment of house elves (remember
wizards also don't allow non-humans to have wands) makes their society as
flawed as all the others. The wizard world is magic, not perfect. However,
SPEW ran out of steam, and jokes, and it was obvious Rowling started
something she couldn't finish. 

 

At first I was miffed that SPEW was not in GOF, but, now that I read all the
books and see that it never pans out as a subplot I am perfectly happy it's
not there. There are so many better threads the film makers could have
picked up.

 

md

 

From: HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com [mailto:HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Carol
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 1:21 AM
To: HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [HPFGU-Movie] Re: SPEW (Society for the Promotion of Elfish
Welfare)

 

Mrs. Lex Luthor (Red) wrote:
>
> Was anyone else horrible upset that they left out the entire Spew
story of out the movies? I mean i think that was Hermione's best goal,
she was so passionate about it that I think it radiated from the
books; trying to free the house-Elves. I think it changed Hermione
allot in the movies and it left you wanting more. Now if the directors
wanted to do more with Hermione's character they should have left that
in there. 

Carol:

True, House-Elf rights are Book!Hermione's passion, but I hated the
aptly acronymed SPEW from the moment I first read about it. Hermione
was trying to force freedom on creatures who didn't want it. Freedom
to a House-Elf and freedom to a human being are two different things,
or, at least, they're perceived differently. (I don't want to say any
more; We discussed House-elves on the main list so exhaustively that
most of us have had enough of the topic!) Anyway, far from being
horribly or even mildly upset when SPEW was left out of the movies, I
was happy. Plotwise, it didn't lead anywhere. If Hermione speaks up in
defense of Kreacher and Elf rights/Elf abuse in HBP, that will be
sufficient (with a brief reiteration in DH at 12 GP) to pave the way
for Ron's remark and THE KISS in DH. Or so I hope.

Carol, who thinks that Hermione's character traits have been
sufficiently established by the films, much more so than Ron's 

 



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