[HPforGrownups] Re: House elves and holidays

[Morag Traynor]

No: HPFGUIDX 16995

House-elves, by their own account, like work.  That doesn't mean they like 
being exploited.

CoS
"'Ah, if Harry Potter only knew!...If he knew what he means to us, to the 
lowly, the enslaved, us dregs of the magical world!  Dobby remembers how it 
was when He Who Must Not Be Named was at the height of his powers, sir!  We 
house-elves were treated like vermin, sir!...mostly, sir, life has improved 
for my kind since you triumphed over He Who Must Not Be Named...Harry Potter 
shone like a beacon of hope for those of us who thought the dark days would 
never end, sir..."


>From: Amanda Lewanski <editor at texas.net>
>Reply-To: HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com
>To: HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: House elves and holidays
>Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 15:13:12 -0500
>
>Morag Traynor wrote:
>
> > You're quite right in what you say (apart from its being just you, of
> > course :) ) but I don't recall Harry even making the kind of feeble
> > excuses we all make in such situations.  My considered opinion is, he
> > pays more attention to whether the house-elves he meets are happy,
> > than to abstract arguments about rights and justice - and, with the
> > obvious exception of Winky, for quite different reasons, they do seem
> > happy at Hogwarts.  I just don't think he's making the connection at
> > this stage.
>
>I don't think I am either. I think this is a relationship which is
>mutually beneficial. I think there is that in the house-elves' nature
>that makes them truly enjoy doing what they do. That we perceive what
>they do as "serving" is our problem. They have a fulfilled, purposeful
>existence, untroubled by our definitions of what they do.
>
>House-elves are not little homo sapiens. They are a *different species.*
>Our definitions don't necessarily apply. And even in our own species,
>the idea of what constitutes one's rights or justice varies considerably
>from culture to culture. I posted eons ago my belief that simply
>imposing our values on another culture, without fully understanding its
>inherent intricacies and balances, can cause tremendous damage to that
>culture. I think Hermione's intentions are laudable, but she doesn't
>know the entire story. She's operating on appearances. Whenever
>reformation slides into "whether you want it or not" I start to be
>hesitant.
>
>--Amanda
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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