House Elves and Slavery (Nel Question ## 1 & 2)

[phoenixgod2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 126517


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, elfundeb <elfundeb at g...> wrote:

<snip a whole bunch of stuff>
 
However, Dumbledore then makes the
> apparently inconsistent statement that Sirius "was kind to house 
elves
> in general" but that he "had no love for Kreacher, because Kreacher
> was a living reminder of the home Sirius had hated."   Somehow
> treating a class of beings as unworthy of attention or notice 
doesn't
> seem very "kind" to me.  However, it does seem consistent with 
Sirius'
> general contempt of those he believed to be inferior to himself, 
such
> as Pettigrew and, for that matter, his own family.  In his own 
words,
> "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he
> treats his inferiors, not his equals."

I agree with you on the accoultration vs brainwashing arguement, but 
I disagree with you about Sirius and Pettigrew.  He's had a long time 
to do nothing but contemplate how much he hates the little rat. IMO, 
they were probably much better friends than you give him credit for.  
While Peter seemed rather servile in the pensieve memory, to me that 
seemed more indicative of JK not understanding male/male friendships 
more than anything else. Peter was a marauder, he became an animagus, 
his name is on the Marauders map, his voice is one of the chorus that 
speaks when the map is used. Guys just don't include a hanger-on in 
their plans like that that, while having as much contempt as for the 
individual that she is trying to portray between Peter and the 
others. for MPP to go to as much trouble as they do to help peter 
perform the transformation, and include him in their group and 
nickname, they have to have more respect for him than that. In my 
time, I have been in both postions, the hanger on, and the core 
group, and for peter to be a marauder, Sirus and the rest have to 
have respected him more than you and JK seem to think. 
 
> Debbie
> with apologies for focusing so much on Sirius, but I have a great 
deal
> of trouble with his character -- how I see Sirius act in the books
> just doesn't square with what JKR tries to tell us about him

I'm curious about what you mean by that. Could you explain further?

phoenixgod2000