OOP: Giants, Elves, Centaurs (was "Giants")

[Leon Adato]

No: HPFGUIDX 66282


Before I get SPEW-ed upon, let me state that the following logic is ONLY
true if elves truly have a biological reason for being bound to a place,
and it isn't just because of years of psychological slavery and/or some
enchantment from long ago. But for the sake of argument, let's assume
for a moment that elves are not enslaved socially, emotionally and
psychologically, but have a good biological reason for being tied to a
place and/or family:

It suddenly struck me that the Grawp storyline ties into the SPEW
storyline and raises a possible overall plot arc: That you can neither
treat other people/speiceis/groups as if they are sub-human...

...nor as if they are exactly human.

What I mean is that you cannot expect elves to live by human standards -
being "free", wearing cloths, having "just a job", etc. It is (as many
have argued) against their nature. But that doesn't give you the right
to treat them without respect, dignity and the allowance to participate
in society in a way which is consistant with their habits, beliefs and
customs.

Ditto giants. They are violent not so much because they are inherently
vicious as because they have been forced to live so close together for
so long.

Hermione is trying to make elves something they are not. So is Hagrid. 

I think we will see more of the Centaur story line dovetail into this,
especially with Firenze's circumstances. 

All of this ties into the larger DE bigotry issue. You are clearly a
bigot if you want to refuse Muggleborn wizards entrance to Hogwarts. But
you also are exhibiting bigoted behavior if you try to make an elf wear
cloths.

This is Dumbledore's message to Harry when taling about Sirius and
Kreacher. It is also the statement he made at the MoM, when looking at
the water fountain. It is also (I think) a thought taken from British
history and the analysis of colonialism.

OK, that's my two knuts for the day.

-- 
Leon Adato
===============
"It was unintelligible at any speed we played it." 
 - US Gov't report investigating possible bad words in "Louie Louie"
adatole at yahoo.com
phone: 440-542-9659
fax: 305-832-2818


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