Stereotyping

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 84648

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kathryn Cawte" <kcawte at n...> wrote:
> 
> Me (K)
> 
> If it looks like a rat, sounds like a rat and smells like a rat .....
> People assume that elves are slaves because they are owned by wizarding
> families, work for no pay and are unable to leave without the permission of
> their owner. Unless you have a definition of slavery different to the one
> most people use that pretty much sounds like slavery to me.


Kneasy:
Brownies (and I believe by extension Elves) belong to the house 
not the householder. They stay, even if the family moves.

They *refuse* pay.

Slaves were never punished by giving them freedom. If they had
been, all slave societies would have been hot-beds of slave criminality.


 K
> 
> Money-lending was their profession because they were banned from most other
> professions. After this so-called better press they were still seen as
> scapegoats by society, banned from paracticing their religion outside of
> their own homes, massacred on several occasions and then expelled from the
> country.
>

 
Kneasy:
True to a certain extent, but not after the1500s. Once the dictats of
Rome (including blame for the crucifixion, permissable occupations 
limited to moneylending and banking, public worship forbidden)were 
consigned to the dust-bin in England and justice got onto
an even keel, systematic persecution, usually whipped up by some-one
powerful who wanted to renege on their debts, was no longer a problem
except when public order broke down. Which was rare. 
I can't claim that everyone greeted them with open arms, but that was 
nothing special - the Welsh were treated the same way, as were Scots, 
Irish and French. And they were equal under the law.
 
> K
> While House Elves are no doubt based on Brownies
> (see my previous post about JKR and mythology) they have evolved far beyond
> the traditional mythology and are slaves. While I have no sympathy with SPEW
> as Hermione seems insistent on forcing her views of how they should live on
> them with no regard for their opinions, making her no better than the
> Malfoys imo, the Elves are slaves, albeit willing slaves in many cases.
> 

Kneasy:
Well, we agree on Hermione, at least.
Sure, Elves are not exact parallels with Brownies, but I have posted often
expressing the belief that there is more to come, that we do  not have
all the relevent facts. To those who voice unalterable certainty, I repeat
the warning that I've made before: I think you're going to have egg on
your face, just like Hermione. If I'm wrong I'll  apologise, publicly.