Spoiler: Sirius the 'Jerk'

[lhunneb]

No: HPFGUIDX 63277

 "D.J." <contra75 at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "edisbevan" 
<A.E.B.Bevan at o...> 
> wrote:
> > S
> > P
> > O
> > I
> > L
> > E
> > R
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > S
> > P
> > A
> > C
> > E
> > .
> > .> Sirius had a lot of insights and blindnesses... 
> > 
> > In GoF he says (paraphrase follows) 'look at how someone treats 
> his 
> > inferiors not his superiors that gives the measure of a man...'
> > This in support of Hermiones comments on Crouch senior's 
treatment 
> of 
> > Winky...
> > 
> > Now in OOTP Sirius is measured by that test on the treatment 
> of 'his' 
> > house-elf and fails it.  And this choice rebounds on him...
> 
> 
> I don't agree that Sirius failed the test.  He didn't despise 
> Kreacher because he was an elf; he despised him because he was a 
> Dark elf.
> 
> To be quite honest, I felt that Dumbledore's defense of Kreacher 
was 
> both unconvincing and outrageously presumptuous.  Let's set aside, 
> first of all, the extreme unlikelihood that Dumbledore knew what 
> Kreacher was like better than Sirius did.  (It's not like 
Dumbledore 
> would've been a regular presence in the Black household.)  Let's 
> also set aside the incredible (and uncharacteristic) 
ungraciiousness 
> of Dumbledore in choosing that particular moment to offer Harry his 
> opinion.  What annoys me is this: after not showing the reader one 
> redeeming quality in Kreacher in 870 pages (except, I suppose, 
> loyalty to Dark wizards) JKR tells us through Dumbledore that a 
> Kreacher could've been saved by a little kindness!  Whatever was 
> redeemable about Kreacher, I missed as thoroughly as Sirius did; 
> which, in light of the outcome, makes Dumbledore's comments feel 
> like a slap in the face. 
> 
> This descent into sanctimony mars what is otherwise a fabulous 
novel.
> 
> D.J.

I don't agree.  I think that Dumbledore was advocating kindness and 
respect as the way to treat ALL creatures, regardless of their 
station, their past or their current behaviour.  

If we are only good, kind and patient with those who are good, kind 
and patient with us, there is precious little chance of the 
redemption of anyone.

Dumbledore's attitude about Kreacher reminds me of Gandalf's attitude 
towards Gollum in the Lord of the Rings.  

Behaving well towards others is done because it is the right thing to 
do, not because we expect it to always succeed.