House Elves

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 147540

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl at ...> 
wrote:
>
> justcarol67 wrote:
> > As for Harry's willingness to have a house-elf as his slave, 
mentioned
> > earlier in this thread, I suppose he's so used to Dobby's servile
> > obedience and doting adoration that he doesn't give a second 
thought
> > to ordering a fellow being to do his will, especially one as 
dangerous
> > and devious as Kreacher, who is still capable of doing great 
harm to a
> > hated master. And neither Harry nor Ron (nor I) ever had much 
use for
> > SPEW.
> 
> Bart:
> 	Once again, I think we need to go to Dumbledore for 
inspiration. Note 
> that Dumbledore had no problem employing house elves as slaves, 
nor does 
> he have any problem recognizing Dobby's freedom. Hermoine is 
prejudiced 
> from a human perspective; normally, when enslaved humans claim to 
love 
> their slavery, it is due to, at best, ignorance; they know no 
other 
> life, and are afraid of what it might bring, and, at worst, for 
fear of 
> reprisal. The psychology of house elves seems to be different.

Magpie:

I basically agree with this, though I now feel compelled to just 
throw out that Kreacher himself may be a house elf but he is 
anything but servile.  He didn't want to do anything for Harry and 
expressed that his own wish would be to work for the Malfoys.  So 
there's a slight difference here.  Kreacher is a slave bound to obey 
Harry only because of ancient magic and because Harry is his 
property.  

-m