OotP Wading into the House Elves Debate

[medeacallous]

No: HPFGUIDX 63311

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Helen" 
<heymynameisabird at h...> wrote:

<snip>
> 
> Where does everyone else stand on this? Anyone wanting to join 
> S.P.E.W.? I can sell you a badge for two sickles
?
> 
> ~ Helen


OK, here goes.  

It is manifest after Book 5 that the HEs have been subjugated, and 
probably subtly (and maybe overtly) psychologically 'shaped' to 
embrace their servitude.  It is probable that if their circumstances 
changed, they would eventually come to appreciate more freedom and 
equality.

BUT, as often happens in RL, Hermione's liberation plan has several 
problems.  Among them:  

1.  Many/most of the House Elves say they don't want to be 
liberated.  No matter how wrong that is, no matter how much we may 
believe that they have been brainwashed, or shaped by their 
environment, etc, it is still tremendously presumptuous to go 
against their wishes, even 'for their own good'.  In fact, it is 
showing the other side of the 'Noblesse Oblige' coin whose more 
prominent face is the arrogant entitlement and condescension with 
which most magical folk treat the House Elves issue (and the HEs 
themselves).  Hermione is not much better than Malfoy when she 
arrogantly presumes to push the HEs into something she, in her human 
wisdom, believes to be to their benefit.

2.  'Freeing' the HEs does not do anything to alter the *real* 
problem, which is the behaviours and attitudes that most magical 
humans (including the supposedly humanitarian 'everyman' Sirius) 
exhibit towards the HEs.  IMO, the only course of action that will 
truly help the HEs is for Hermione to work to change the attitudes 
of humans (including her own), and let the changes trickle down.  To 
do otherwise is not only showing further disrespect to an already-
subjugated culture, but it is also merely a cosmetic solution.


MC