House Elves & Slavery - plus Goblin thoughts

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 126628


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "manawydan" <manawydan at n...> 
wrote:
>  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

a_svirn:

Excellent example, Ffred. You can't in all consciences abandon your 
old dog, because dogs have been domesticated throughout the 
centuries of breeding and training and are not consequently fit to 
live in wilderness. Well, most of them in all events. This is 
precisely what I am saying about elves. Wizards have meddled with 
their nature in order to force them to their bidding. DD told us as 
much, didn't he? And while I am not going to get too far afield 
discussing the rights of animals, I find the domestication of 
sapient creatures most repugnant. And yes, it makes them slaves, 
just as it makes wizards masters. As for your analogy with cattle it 
is also apt! I don't understand why you object to the term "slave" 
if you are ready to liken them to the stock, though. The latter is 
hardly any better than the former.  

a_svirn