JKR on bigotry and elves

[nera at rconnect.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 15163

This is a thread that was covered a few days ago, but I just now 
found this.

Interviewer: "One of "Goblet"'s biggest themes is bigotry. It's 
always been in your books, with the Hitlerlike Lord Voldemort and his 
followers prejudiced against Muggles (nonmagical people). In book 4, 
Hermione tries to liberate the school's worker elves, who've been 
indentured servants so long they lack desire for anything else. Why 
did you want to explore these themes?" 

JKR: "Because bigotry is probably the thing I detest most. All forms 
of intolerance, the whole idea of "that which is different from me is 
necessary evil." I really like to explore the idea that difference is 
equal and good. But there's another idea that I like to explore, too. 
Oppressed groups are not, generally speaking, people who stand firmly 
together -- no, sadly, they kind of subdivide among themselves and 
fight like hell. That's human nature, so that's what you see here. 
This world of wizards and witches, they're already ostracized, and 
then within themselves, they've formed a loathsome pecking order." 

http://www.redmailorder.com/potter/c108.htm

Entertainment Weekly, SEPTEMBER 7, 2000, 'Fire' Storm

Doreen, the Corn_Patch_Witch