[HPforGrownups] Re: House elves and holidays

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 16740

> What I'd like to know is why most house elves seem to enjoy what 
> they do.  Why do they take such pride in being owned?  

Does anyone remember the story of the "Shoemaker's Elves"?  The
shoemaker was down to his last bit of leather, laid it out on his
bench before going to bed and found it made into shoes in the
morning. He and his wife discovered the elves and thanked them by
making them perfect little clothes to wear because they were naked. 
The elves were happy and left but the shoemaker had good luck the
rest of his life.

This is the analogy that came to me when I first encountered Dobby in
the second book.  Elves like to work and help humans.  Some humans
abuse the system and they are shown in the books to be unsympathetic
for doing so.  

I don't think Hermione's SPEW campaign is as funny as JKR meant it to
be but then JKR is not American and might not appreciate the
sensitivity of the whole slavery issue.  


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