House Elves and justice, etc

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 129735

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "deborahhbbrd" <hubbada at u...> wrote:
> I'd like to make a couple of points about the ethics, slavery etc
> discussions: ...
> 
> ... Enter the ancient Greeks and Romans –
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> And when the happy ending comes about, through the slave's creative
> ingenuity, he is asked what he would like as a reward. And is given
> it. His freedom, of course.
> 
> ... a powerful story line, which a slave state found convincing. 
> Slaves can be creative; slaves can be loyal and affectionate; slaves
> can play both ends against the middle for the sake of truth and 
> justice; and slaves can see the big picture... And there is no 
> compulsion, certainly no thought control, nothing but mutual respect
> and affection. It is bizarre, but it is a brilliantly useful plot 
> device.
> 

bboyminn:

I think we can agree that not all slave owners are evil incarnate.
Many of them, if for no other reason than to respect their investment,
treated their slaves fairly and kindly.

As far as Roman and Greek plays, while I haven't read it, "Uncle Tom's
Cabin" doesn't seem to fall too far from your sampe Greek/Roman play. 

> Deborah continues"
>
> ... There was a remark that Dobby is not a slave but a servant who 
> (a) chooses to serve and (b) gets paid for his work.
> 
> ... Do the House Elves get paid? Dobby at Hogwarts, yes. But Dobby
> at Malfoy Manor? Winky and Kreacher, anywhere? ... And yet 
 Molly
> Weasley would love a House Elf but has never been able to afford 
> one. ...
> 
> Deborah, 

bboyminn:

If you have been following this thread then you may have read my post
about House-Elf Honor, and how that honor is a powerful sacred
in-grained characteristic of Elves. 

Others have questioned why only rich people have elves if elves work
for free? I think the answer lies in Honor and Pride. To some extent,
I greatly speculate, an elf's status is measured by the quality of the
house he serves. Would you rather be the house-elf of a homeless
pennyless bum or the house-elf of the Minister of Magic? While elves
are somewhat above material possessions and personal gain, they are
not above pride. 

True some family's actions give them little cause for pride with
regard to their treatment of the house-elves, I suspect even in the
worst cases, elves still search for some point of pride in their
service and in those they serve. If nothing else, they draw on the
social status and wealth of their master as a point of pride. 

All indication are, or at least that I can see in the books, that the
elves give their service freely, requiring only the very basics of
food and shelter to sustain them. 

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn