House Elves: Enslaved by Mind?

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 30800

Jenny wrote:

> What if part of the tragedy of the House Elf situation is that 
their 
> enslavement is in their minds?  I mean, what if they have been 
utterly 
> convinced that serving witches and wizards is their lot in life, 
but 
> really, they can leave *whenver they want to*?  What if there was 
no 
> spell at all that kept them in servitude to their masters?  
Wouldn't 
> that add a sad and complicated twist to the whole House Elf 
subplot?  
> 

I'll admit to being impressed if I'm also allowed to admit to being 
confused.  :-)

Let's say the house elves are basically just brainwashed and have 
bought into the whole "clothes = freedom" equation.  There is no 
magic binding them to their masters, and there are no consequences to 
leaving.  (Compare slavery in the U.S., where runaway slaves were in 
grave danger.)

What do we have, then?  Perhaps we don't really have slavery at all 
because the house elves are there voluntarily.  Well, sort of.  If 
the masters know that there is no magic binding the slave, and the 
masters know that the slave could leave if the master would 
just "suggest" it (in the form of clothes), does the master have the 
duty to liberate the house elves?  In a different (and totally 
hypothetical <bg>) context, imagine that I am working at a job that 
pays very little (or far less than I'm worth) because I believe I 
don't have any choice.  Does my employer have a duty to educate me?  
I'm not sure.  

So I can't say whether Jenny's idea makes the house elf situation 
more sad or more acceptable.  It certainly is thought-provoking, 
though.

Cindy