Rowling's politics (Was I know Molly.....)

[erinellii]

No: HPFGUIDX 84338

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> I think her left-wing political views are pretty transparent via
> Hermione, whom I liked better when she wasn't so self-righteously
> defending the rights of house elves. (I'm not attacking her views,
> just wishing she had left them out of the book.) 

Well, of course you aren't "attacking her views".  I mean, who in 
this day and age would admit to being in favor of slavery? :-)  But I 
am surprised that you charecterize being against slavery as being 
left-wing.  I would think it is just sort of- well- the decent thing 
to do.  I'm a republican, btw.

I have to say I was pretty surprised the first time I read GoF, and 
no one wanted to join SPEW.  I would have jumped right on board.  Of 
course, the fact that many of the elves don't WANT to be free changes 
things a bit, and maybe excuses the WW kids, since they've grown up 
in that culture.  But you can't tell me the muggle-born ones KNOW 
this.  Hermione didn't even know there *were* house-elves at Hogwarts 
until 4th year, so I doubt the other muggle-borns know much about 
them at all.  Then they are told by Hermione that they are an 
enslaved race of beings and no one is even *interested*?  I very 
highly doubt that it would play out that way in RL.  But it may be 
that I am influenced overmuch by living in the American south, where 
you can't really escape the history we have here.  

You know, I also doubt very much that American wizards keep House-
elves.   
  
"justcarol67":
Her dislike of
> government interference in education is also apparent throughout 
OoP.

Again, maybe this is relating to something in the British political 
landscape that I, as an American, am just not getting, but it would 
never have occured to me to liken the Umbridge plot to anything 
taking place in RL.  As far as I know, my government isn't trying to 
invade the schools and surpress evidence of the return of an evil 
wanna-be overlord.  


 "justcarol67":
> I hope the last two books are less overtly political and concentrate
> more on the characters and the essential elements of the story. No
> more spew, please. (Sorry, Hermione. I know it's S.P.E.W., but I'm
> with Ron on this.)


One more thing about the elves:  I really don't think JKR has put 
them in there to make a political point.  I think they do serve plot 
functions, and will go on to serve more.  In each of the three books 
they've shown up in, they've been *major* players plotwise.  But 
having put them in, JKR was forced to think how her characters would 
react to their presence.  And this was just how Hermione would 
react.  So JKR pretty much *had* to put it in, if she wanted to stay 
true to the personalities of her characters.  

Erin