House Elves & Slavery

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 126630


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
> A_svirn wrote:
> <SNIP>
> 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.
> 
> Ffred: 
> <SNIP>
> 
> Elves aren't human and they don't have human nature.
>  
> Their nature is to do housework.
> <SNIP> 
> Closest example in our own world (which doesn't have any other 
> sapientspecies any more) is that some humans mistreat their pets, 
> and that somefarmers 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.

<snip> 

> Alla:

<snip>

> I also disagree with comparison of Elves and pets. Elves have the 
> intellect of the same strength as wizards do, IMO, even if they 
> employ it differently. Also IMO, pets don't (I am not saying that 
> cats and dogs are stupid, of course not).

I think that Alla is right in pointing out that house elves, unlike 
cats and dogs, are fully sapient beings (so far as we can tell).  
They communicate with human language and are included as some of the 
Magical Bretheren along with the centaurs and goblins.

Dobby is capable of artistic creation that goes beyond just 
utilitarian things.  Yes, he makes Harry Potter socks, but he also 
paints Harry Potter, and the creation of art is something that speaks 
to his greater capabilities.  We know that house-elves have powerful 
magic of their own kind and can do things that wizards cannot.

They are also presented as having many of the same foibles as 
humans.  Kreacher's twistedness is not so far off what a human can 
become, or Winky's refuge in drunkenness, or Dobby's combination of 
fear and brave iconoclasm.  Compare a house-elf even to the partially 
anthropomorphized Buckbeak and see the difference.

I tend to agree with Steve that the essentially generous and devoted 
nature of the house-elf has been cruelly and inconsiderately 
exploited by wizards.  Dumbledore is telling us The Way It Is when he 
says that wizards have exploited their fellow beings for too long.  
While there may be something in the fundamental nature of the house-
elf that says "work and loyalty are what I really want to do", wizard 
treatment (with exceptions such as Dumbledore) is not much of a good 
thing.  I expect this theme to come up again and matter somehow.  The 
destruction of the Fountain is too explicit a symbol not to be run 
with.

-Nora wishes she had a friendly helpful house-elf to dust...