[HPforGrownups] Re: House Elves...

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 17028

Amy Z wrote:

> Does it matter who did the binding?  The question isn't whether
> wizards are evil, but whether house-elves are treated unjustly.  And
> if they are bound by some third party to serve wizards, why don't
> wizards recognize the tragedy of that and treat them with as much
> dignity and respect as is allowed by the enchantment?  Or are wizards,
> too, enchanted so that they can't help but call house-elves "Elf!"?

Well, look at the sample. We've seen Dobby and Winky, who come from
pretty well dysfunctional families. The Malfoys don't treat other
*wizards* with dignity and respect. The Crouches had, in my opinion,
about the same amount of personal warmth happening at home that the
Malfoys probably do, dark wizards or no, and anyone who would rescue his
own son from Azkaban but make him live under an Imperius Curse for years
has some, well, issues. He does not treat his own family with dignity or
respect.

The only other sample we've met personally would be the Hogwarts
staff-elves. Who are dressed nicely, in tea towels. Who seem to love
what they do. Who accepted Dobby with all his weird ideas. Dumbledore
has been noted for his ignoring of convention and prejudice, and he
unhesitatingly agreed to pay Dobby (more than Dobby wanted, in fact, and
Dobby talked him down). Dumbledore probably also knows the insulted
reaction he'd get if he tried to pay the others. It seems to me that
Dumbledore *does* treat the Hogwarts elves with respect and dignity, and
may well have welcomed Dobby as a means to illustrate another "way of
being" to the other elves.

Thus, to focus on the limited sample of the elves belonging to families
that we already know are abusive or otherwise damaged, and to dismiss
the attitudes and behaviors of the elves at Hogwarts, is to bias your
conclusions.

That said, I'd also prefer if the elves had a bit more choice. But
again, there's sooo much we don't know about the bond. We have no idea
how other wizarding families treat their house-elves; if JKR borrowed
the familiar "shoemaker and the elves" theme with the clothes, how many
other old wizarding families are leaving out sweet milk, and that sort
of thing? We just don't know enough.

The word "Elf!", by the way, is spoken by Amos Diggory, but while it
says he spoke it sternly, there is nothing condescending or superior in
his interview with her. He's just been faced with the reappearance of
the Dark Mark, she's a suspect, and his usage of "Elf!" is commensurate
with "Madam!" or "Sir!" or "You!"

I still think we're all jumping merrily to conclusions. JKR loves,
loves, loves to throw out things we'll take hook, line, and sinker like
this. I just think that a closer look at what is really the case with
the elves that we have met is in order, rather than extrapolating whole
cultural attitudes from the tiny and rather biased sample we've seen.

--Amanda


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