[HPforGrownups] Re: Comparing "house-elfment" to slavery (Part 1)

[Leon Adato]

No: HPFGUIDX 39123

naamagatus says:
****************
It seems to me that you are begging the central question here, which
is - IS the house elves connection to humans innate (i.e., natural)
or is it psychological (i.e., the result of "brainwashing"). You seem
to already assume the latter.
****************

And you seem to assume the former. Supporting ladjables comments, I would
like to point out that:

NO other race, no matter how "different" (unhuman) they are, speaks in the
same way as Dobby/Winky. Not even Aragog, who speaks in broken but still
english but using correct verb tenses. The centaurs, who hold themselves
apart from Humanit, speak perfect English. Already mentioned are the
Goblins. Dwarves (as seen delivering valentines) too. I'm not sure if what
we hear from snakes is valid, since it is filtered through Harry's
parseltongue.

But a key point to realize is that no other race is shown speaking in pidgin
language, whether as a characterization (parseltongue) or literally. JKR did
not make this choice lightly.

Naamagagus continues:
******************
But that is a different moral issue, what is the proper way to treat a
species that
IS non-human and that has an innate need to serve humans?
******************

Again, what other race does this? Even the Goblins, with whom the wizards
have warred in the past, fill a role in society that appears to contain
elements of freedom of choice, movement, etc (ie: the banking system). The
Weasley's don't enslave teh ghoul in the attic. While they are perhaps rude
to the gnomes in the garden, they don't try to put them to work only to
remove them as a nuisance. Name me one other race that appears on a lower
rung of society! One other race that is servile to another race!

The fact is that magic is the great equalizer in Harry's world - it raises
up the lowly (Prof Flitwick comes to mind) and levels the playing field on
people who might, based on purely physical abilities, consider themselves
mighty (Hagrid). Magical ability is the coin of the realm. And the Elves
have it in droves. They can apparate into/out of Hogwarts even when humans
cannot. They can blast great wizards (Lucius). Without apparent education,
they can perform wandless magic that rivals what the students themselves are
learning.

So I would argue that, based on the evidence provided within the books
themselves, the status of the HouseElf is inconsistant with the rest of the
HP world and begging to be addressed. If you then layer on all the
information ladjables has presented, you have what I believe to be a clear
message from JKR about the "right"ness or "wrong"ness of this entire
subject.


Leon Adato
--------------
Plus nous nous elevons, plus nous paraissons petits a ceux qui ne savent pas
voler.
(The higher we are going, the smaller we seem to be for the people who can
not fly)
  -F. Nietsche