[HPforGrownups] Re: House Elf Loyalty

[Kemper]

No: HPFGUIDX 151632

Kemper now:

Carol poses a thoughtful question: What does freedom mean to the House
Elf?  My interpretation of Freedom is probably similar to Hermione's.

Winky's interpretation may mean no longer serving for the family,
though abusive, who she grew up with.  The HEs we've seen seem almost
pre-pubescent: from the way they talk, to hero worship (who of us
can't see Doby with a picture of Harry on his bedroom wall or Kreacher
with TeenBeat!Bellatrix taped to his school locker), to the school
yard roe of those two, and to the kitchen HEs eager to please.  If you
are familiar with social services, it won't be a surprise how many
abused youth yearn for a connection with their abusive parent(s). 
Winky's story reminds me of this: from Crouch (dad) abusing then
abandoning her, to her butterbeer (drug/alcohol) abuse.  Winky sees
freedom as a loss of a perceived, yet unrequited relationship and not
a gain of independence.

The kitchen HEs, and I agree with Magpie, don't want to be free
because they fear the freedom Winky is experiencing.

I think more than slavery, the HEs show the evils of a classist
society.  We love the magic of the WW, but it is this society as a
whole that would think us, Muggles, as less-than (the only exception
seems to be from the Weasley clan sans Molly.)  Was it always this
way?  No.  It became this way as a defense against a group of people
(Muggles) who feared and persecuted them.  It's a cycle:  the
oppressed become the oppressors.


Alla:
my main thing is that I don't remember any proof in canon
that House Elfs willingly entered their service to humans. That is
why I am hesitant to agree that they really like such service.

Kemper now:
Hi Alla.  You're right there is no canon.  BUT… there is canon that a
wandless HE can kick a wanded wizard's ass.  So… why would an HE enter
into a contract of any kind with a magical human?  The only reason I
can think is that their life purpose/mission is to serve, and some
magical human took advantage while no other magical human questioned
the ethics of it, making it ok for other magical humans to do the
same.  And wah-la… time passes and there's a culture of indentured
servitude.


Kemper, not sure if he's coherent as he's had quite a bit of IPA