JKR characterizations--oversimplification?

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No: HPFGUIDX 115137


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich
<mgrantwich at y...> wrote:

> Sirius knows perfectly well that Kreacher is certifiably deranged
> after living in the house with only a portrait for company for over a
> decade, that as a House Elf Kreacher is attached to the house and
> can't leave and must serve the family members resident there, and
> that Kreacher is a product of brainwashing by the Black family in
> their own purist, DE beliefs.  In other words, Kreacher was made what
> he is in OOTP by wizards and witches and that it is too late now to
> undo the damage.  When Dumbledore warned Sirius to treat Kreacher
> with respect, he was reminding him of these facts.
> 
> And yet Sirius treats Kreacher as if the elf were capable of changing
> after all these years and of being something other than he is: old,
> deranged, pathetic and mentally warped.  If anything, Sirius should
> understand what its like to be a captive in a horrible place and felt
> some empathy, even if he didn't like Kreacher at all.
> 
> Magda

Yes, I agree with Magda.

What it boils down to is that Sirius and Kreacher loathed each other,
due in part to circumstances beyond their control.  Both are damaged,
but Sirius much less so.  Sirius was still responsible for his actions
(barring we find out he was being fed some potion on the sly).

Sirius didn't hate Kreacher because he was a House Elf. He treated
Kreacher like a House Elf because he hated him.  That's where he
violated his own principles.

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