[HPforGrownups] House Elves & Slavery - plus Goblin thoughts

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 126622

 a_svirn wrote:
>What you are saying, Steve, in essence, is that humans must take
>pains to be generous and fair-minded masters rather than cruel and
>abusive ones. Either way they should still stay masters and elves
>should still stay slaves. You may be right IF indeed the flaw is in
>the elves' nature. It seems highly unlikely though that they
>have "evolved" to their slavery all by themselves. I for one think
>that their "nature and attitude" has been ruthlessly tampered with.

No, I don't think I'im putting words in Steve's mouth in denying that he's
saying that.

Elves aren't human and they don't have human nature.

Their nature is to do housework.

Some (and I'm sure not all) wizards take advantage of that by mistreating
elves in their households. That doesn't make them "masters" any more than it
makes elves "slaves".

Closest example in our own world (which doesn't have any other sapient
species any more) is that some humans mistreat their pets, and that some
farmers mistreat their stock. That doesn't change the nature of the cats,
dogs, or chickens, it's just a practice which most of us find repugnant.

If I was to end the "slavery" of my old dog, she'd die a miserable death on
the streets. I think it's equally cruel to try to force elves to be what?
Proletarians? when they just don't want to be.

Cheers

Ffred

O Benryn wleth hyd Luch Reon
Cymru yn unfryd gerhyd Wrion
Gwret dy Cymry yghymeiri