Everything you've always wanted to know about Socks

[Morag Traynor]

No: HPFGUIDX 17156

Philip wrote:
>I think that the sock symbolizes disrespect. Lucius didn't think much of 
>giving an old sock to Dobby, because he doesn't care for house-elves. In 
>the same way, Vernon only gave Harry a sock, because he hates Harry's kind.
>
>I might be wrong about the socks, though; you have a good point.

I think the whole sock question is way more complex than that ;)!  By my 
calcluation, there are 21 references to socks in the canon, not counting any 
in FB and QA - haven't checked those yet.  Does anyone recall?  For what 
it's worth, this is what I think.

Socks are closely related to a major (if not *the* major) theme, namely 
Things Are Not What They Seem.  The sock is a humble, even comical, garment, 
and the archetypal boring Christmas present, necessary but often 
unattractive.  JKR, while getting full comedy value out of all this, builds 
it into much more.

Our very first sight of Harry (apart from his arrival at 4, Privet Drive) is 
where he is "looking for socks" (PS 20 - page numbers from British edition) 
and has to pull a spider off one, illustrating the Dursley's uncaring 
neglect.  Contrast this with Mrs Weasley's "fussing over the state of his 
socks" (CoS 36) and having "washed all his socks" (GoF 138).  At the Burrow, 
a family atmosphere is evoked: "Mrs Weasley dashed about in a bad mood 
looking for spare socks and quills, people kept colliding on the stairs, 
half-dressed with bits of toast in their hands" (CoS 53) - well, Mrs W may 
be in a bad mood, but I'll bet Harry loves it - this is what he's been 
missing all these years.

We get an early (PS 157) hint that socks may be important when Dumbledore 
reveals that he sees himself "holding a pair of thick woollen socks" in the 
mirror of Erised, and makes the wonderful remark that "One can never have 
enough socks...Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single 
pair.  People will insist on giving me books".

When Dobby enters the picture, socks become hugely important: "Dobby can 
only be freed if his master presents him with clothes, sir.  The family is 
careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, sir, for then he would be free to 
leave their home for ever" (CoS 153).  When Harry tricks Malfoy snr into 
doing just that, we see Dobby "holding up Harry's disgusting, slimy sock and 
looking at it as though it were *a priceless treasure* (CoS 248, my 
emphasis) which, of course, it is.

>From then on, Dobby is a kind of sock magnet, as pairs of initially unwanted 
socks are passed on and eventually treasured by Dobby.  The "freedom sock" 
has passed from Harry to Malfoy to Dobby.  Other pairs of socks will echo 
this journey.  Uncle Vernon's old socks have a particularly interesting 
career, starting as "the worst [prior to Marge's visit] present the Dursleys 
had ever given him" (PoA 20).  Those Dursley's are inspired bad present 
givers - not just socks, but *second-hand* (foot?) socks!  Harry says "I 
never wear those socks if I can help it" (PoA 167) but uses them to wrap up 
the Sneakoscope.

On Christmas morning, Harry gives Vernon's socks (now known to be "foul" 
"mustard-yellow" and "extra knobbly") to Dobby in one of the most 
delightful, and sock-filled, scenes in HP (GoF 355-6).  In the same scene, 
Ron presents Dobby with an unwanted violet pair he got from his mother (BTW, 
is she colour-blind?! :) ) and Dobby is tearful with gratitude:
"'Dobby did not know that he [Ron] was also as generous of spirit, as noble, 
as selfless-'
'They're only socks,' said Ron, who had gone slightly pink around the 
ears..."

So now we have the Molly-Ron-Dobby socks and the Vernon-Harry-Dobby socks 
once unvalued, now treasured in a scene overflowing with affection and joy.  
Perhaps Dumbledore really *did* see himself with a thick pair of socks in 
the mirror of Erised.

Dobby now gives Harry the socks, one red, with broomsticks, the other green 
with Snitches, that he has knitted for him, buying the wool from the wages 
he is now free to earn.  What's the betting these socks will reappear, and 
turn out to have some powerful magic knitted into them?  Were these the ones 
Dumbledore saw in the mirror?

In a final foot-note (sorry!), Harry resolves to buy Dobby "a pair of socks 
for every day of the year" (GoF 441)in gratitude for his help in the 
Tournament, and, to his very great credit, actually *does* buy him several 
pairs (GoF 451). Ron helps him to pick them out, including " a pair 
patterned with flashing gold and silver stars and another that screamed 
loudly when they became too smelly".

So, what do socks symbolise?  Love?  Freedom?  Redemption?  Anyway, you can 
be sure they're NOT WHAT THEY SEEM!
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