Hermione's a liberal: was re: Moody -- "Types"--Where Are the Bleeding Hearts?

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 125471


Magda:

> I don't find Hermione's championing of SPEW or her militaristic
> knitting habit to be the big problem; for me, her biggest mistake is
> that she infantilizes individual elves: nothing is ever their fault,
> they have no power over their own actions or activities, they are
> simply passive recipients of others' abuse.  
> 
> She underestimates the degree of autonomy that they might have in a
> particular situation: as the lone House Elf in the Crouch household,
> Winky was able to successfully negotiate with Crouch Sr. on Crouch
> Jr.'s behalf.  Also she didn't really appreciate the extent to which
> Kreacher's devotion to his late master's beliefs would lead him to
> actively try to harm Sirius and the Order.  

Finwitch:

Yes, well - I compared Hermione to Harry. The way *Harry* sees house-
elves... Someone posted about the "freaks" of a circus until someone 
decided for them it wasn't right... History has too many examples of 
cultures destroyed when an outsider came and told (and forced the 
concept by war) people how the way they ate termites and such (for 
proteine) wasn't quite right... ending up so that the people in the 
area now need financial assistance to survive...

But the thing about underestimating elf-ability to make choices -- 
this is a fault Dumbledore shares. You make a valid point - 
especially kind, ignore the faults etc. just because he's a house-elf?

I agree that giving a special benefit to someone different out of 
fear of being seen as a racist is just as much (though perhaps a 
better one) a fault than rejection for that same difference.

Harry&Sirius - they see individuality and ability to make choices 
within the elves. Sirius was kind to elves in general - just not 
Kreacher. I'd say they *both* consider the elves as equal to wizards 
in that regard. Kreacher may be unable to disobey a direct order (not 
much different for lower-ranking members of an army, is it?) but I'd 
say that his lying to Harry (unless someone TOLD him to, which I 
doubt) *is* Kreacher's fault.

Finwitch