[HPforGrownups] Re: House Elves and Clothes

[bettedavisgreen at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 65227

Dans un e-mail daté du 28/06/2003 04:07:29 Paris, Madrid (heure d'été), 
zebco606 at yahoo.com a écrit :

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Rachael" <bratty_jedi at h...> 
> wrote:
> >House Elves can only be freed by getting clothes from their master
> >(s), so what about laundry?  I was under the impression that Elves 
> >did the laundry at Hogwarts and that Dobby, since he was able to 
> iron 
> >his hands without anyone noticing anything funny, did the Malfoys' 
> >laundry, ironing, etc.  If a wizard hands a stack of dirty clothes 
> to 
> >an Elf, does he have to precede that action with a statement 
> of, "I'm 
> >not freeing you, I'm giving you work."?  Obviously to free the 
> elf, 
> >nothing has to be said along with the clothes or Dobby would not 
> be 
> >free.  Any suggestions other than I need to stop obsessing over 
> Harry 
> >Potter so much that I wonder about trivial things like this?
> >
> >Rachael
> >Bratty
> 
> I think the humble laundry hamper is the answer to this question. 
> Dobby say that the master must give him clothes and indeed he is 
> freed when Lucius Malfoy hands him Harry's dirty sock. 
> 
> If it were possible for a house elf to be freed by laundry that they 
> have picked up, they wouldn't be able to tidy house (unless the 
> owner's NEVER discarded their jackets to the backs of chairs and 
> doorknobs) 
> 
> I think the act of giving the house elf clothes must be from hand to 
> hand in order for the elf to be freed
> 
> dorothy
> 
> 

Trivial, trivial... Wouldn't the dirty sock be considered laundry?...

IMHO, there has to be a tacit understanding between what is laundry and what 
is freedom clothes. I think that laundry can both be put somewhere or be given 
by hand (too complicated to keep remebering must put laundry in the basket or 
I'll be the one doing it. Who would expect Draco to pick up after himself?... 
).

That there is a difference between Sirius threatening Kreacher with clothes, 
and the causal, unintentional way that Malfoy freed Dobby, does complicate the 
intentional part of freeing/ giving clothes. So, I think the clue is in that 
they all know laundry is work, not freedom. I get the idea that the elves in 
Gry tower weren't at risk of becoming free because of little hats and socks 
lying around, they were insulted at the intention of a clumsy action. They must 
have known who was doing it, and they surely hadn't forgotten the scene in the 
kitchens in GoF. I don't see them as slaves, even enchanted ones, I think they 
have their pride, and when the master is good (and even encourages them to 
call him names :), they will feel well... free in sorts to take some sort of 
action against something ans someone they find insulting (didn't they almost 
throw Hermy out of the kitchen?)

And Kreacher did get out of the house, even if not out of the family (in a 
very extended sense) just because Sirius told him to get out. Sirius didn't mean 
him to get out of the house, but out of the room, out of the way in a very 
direct manner. Dobby was scared of his master. When the elf is not scared of his 
master, all the obedience he has towards him doesn't really stop him from 
doing what he really wants, according to his principles.

So, I really think they all understand that laundry is laundry, however it is 
presented. 

Cristina (who has to do her own laundry, and sometimes wishes her boyfriend 
wouldn't leave socks discarded everywhere and put them in the basket!!!)


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