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

[Xanatos]

No: HPFGUIDX 84372

> > 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. 

Now Erin: 
> 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.  <snip> 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.   

Now me (xan):

The impression I get from the books is that the WW just doesn't 
consider the house-elves to be even close to the same level as 
humans, and therefore are not worthy of rights.  American slavery 
and other labor injustices (the anti-Irish prejudice for instance) 
recongnized the victims as human, just an inferior form of human.  
The WW seems to place elves as being on the same plane as talking 
mirrors and enchanted self-cleaning pots.  We muggles instantly see 
the injustice because we can see that the house elves are sentient 
beings.  Wizards (most of them anyway) do not. I don't agree with 
the wizarding view and think the elves should be freed, but I think 
that a VERY radical shift in thinking in the WW needs to occur 
before that can happen.  

I too would like to see an American wizard take on this.  Would they 
follow wizarding tradition or adopt an American standard?

Do any characters aligned with the good side have house-elves?  
Malfoys and the Crouchs do, and of course the Blacks.  What about 
the Weasleys or any of the members of the Order?  Do they ever 
mention owning house-elves?  Is it a matter of not being able to 
afford one, or a matter of not wanting to enslave them?

I did wonder how Hogwarts managed food and laundry for all the 
students, but assumed it was paid human staff.  How did Hogwarts end 
up with house-elves? 


> "justcarol67":
> Her dislike of government interference in education is also 
> apparent throughout OoP.

Now Erin:
> Again, maybe this is relating to something in the British 
> political landscape that I, as an American, <snip> 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.  

New me (xan):

As a fellow American, I can cite a few instances of an overbearing 
government invading schools.  In the state of Kansas a few years 
ago, it was illegal to teach evolution.  Whole new schoolbooks had 
to be edited and purchased so that the students would not be 
accidently exposed to the theory.  (the law has since been repealed 
and they are teaching evolution again)  While Umbridge and the MOM 
went way overboard, things like that do happen.  Sometimes only 
through exaggeration can we get the idea to look a little closer to 
reality.


xan