House Elves and Inherent Tendencies

[uibristol at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 14768

naama writes;
> 
> Well, I'm not saying that elves should be mistreated or that their 
> attachment should be abused. They should have their rights. All I 
am 
> saying is that elf-master is not the same relationship as human 
slave-
> master. It's true that "inherent" arguments were made about 
> human "races" with obvious political purposes, but we're talking 
> about an imaginary world and an imaginary species. It seems to me 
> that, according to the books, house elves do have an innate 
tendency 
> to serve human beings (after all, they are HOUSE elves, and houses 
> are human habitats). Since humans do not have a similar tendency to 
> serve elves, I don't see how a relationship of equality can exist. 
> One is INHERENTLY the servant, the other is INHERENTLY the master. 
> The equality of human beings rests precisely on the premise that 
> there are no such INHERENT tendencies (no race or group are "born" 
> servile, for instance).

I have trouble with 'inherent' because of the powerful magic house 
elves possess.  It seems silly to give a creature/being such powers 
and then disallow them from using their gifts.  It's rather limiting 
to say you can only use your abilities when someone else tells you 
to.  I would agree that they may be innately docile, but have trouble 
believing that a natural power of an independent-thinking and 
intelligent being should be suppressed by someone else.  Even though 
Winky was a servant to Crouch, she still did make her own decisions, 
seen through her refusal, even when out of his service to discuss his 
matters.  I cannot say, based on what Rowling has given us, that they 
are not comfortable in what they do, but 'inherent' does seem to 
imply 'natural' or 'innate' which is rather strong for me.

Also, who has given them the name 'house' elf?  The wizards, of 
course.  So, it's hard to use that name to justify an 'inherent' 
place.  I do agree,Namaa, that rights should be given, but within 
their role as servile, where do these rights have a place?  Drastic 
changes in the 'house elf' status would have to change.  I think that 
the grant of these rights would change the relationship and make the 
role of house elves in her novels obsolete.  Rights do suggest a 
certain level of natural equality.  'Granting rights' itself seems to 
imply that they exist, the just simply haven't been given.  You can't 
grant something that doesn't already exist; you have to then create 
the right.

Intelligence and gifted magical abilities make an inherent role 
throughout time difficult.  

uibristol