Freedom for House-Elves (Was: Kreacher the Plot Device Elf)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 162088

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> 
> a_svirn wrote:
> > We have seen three elves at close quarters. Two of them rebelled 
> > against their masters. All things considered not a bad 
percentage. 
> > Better, in fact, than with human slaves. 
> 
> Carol responds:
> We see Dobby, Kreacher, and Winky at close range *because* they're
> exceptional, all of them in some way involved with Harrry. Only in
> Dobby's case is that involvement vouluntary. (Interesting, isn't it,
> that Dobby worships Harry as the hero of the house-elves, but Winky,
> who worked for Mr. Crouch, also an enemy of the Death Eaters and
> Voldemort, worships him instead, while also caring deeply about his
> Death Eater son? the politics of the WW are of no concern to her, 
but
> she wants Barty Jr. to be able to watch Quidditch and see the sun.)
> The house-elves at Hogwarts, in contrast, appear to be typical--more
> than satisfied with their situation and disapproving of those who, 
in
> their view, disgrace them. And even Dobby is happy with Dumbledore 
as
> a "master" (employer), though he also volunteers to serve Harry.

Alla:

I am not quite sure if this is correct - saying that these three are 
atypical House elves. I think the exact opposite idea can be argued 
as well - that we see those three elves up close and personal 
**precisely** because JKR wants to show us what typical House elves 
are ( or as close as typical as it can possible be) and chooses to 
weave some of them in Harry's story one way or another.

We do not know anything about Hogwarts house elves, except that they 
are happy at Hogwarts, so I don't know whether I can think of their 
personalities as typical, because they have no developed 
personalities that author makes me aware of so far.


Carol:
> Judging house-elves in general by these three atypical specimens is
> like judging Hogwarts students by HRH. Those three go around 
breaking
> rules and wandering the halls at midnight and figuring out ways to
> fight Voldemrot. But three out of 280 (or more) is not a
> representative sample.

Alla:

Oh, good example, except I have completely opposite view of that. Why 
are Harry, Ron and Hermione so atypical? I mean, yes, Harry's life is 
not very typical, true, but as personalities of Hogwarts' students, 
why not?

Of course even better example for me is the Slytherin House 
discussion.

Do we mean to see Draco Malfoy as typical representative of that 
House? I would say, yes, why not?

I do not know any other student from this house who does not have the 
views of Mr. Malfoy. Harry does not see them? Well, maybe, but if the 
author for six books chose not show me one, I am going to assume that 
for the sake of the story those students do not exist. JKR can of 
course pull the rug in book 7 and show me someone who behave 
differently, but so far it looks to me as she is going in different 
direction, namely changing the behaviour of the said Mr. Malfoy.

So, I will stick with him as typical Slytherin as of today.

Same with House elves - I am thinking that the three we saw are meant 
to be the representatives of their race and if something going to 
change we will see it in their behaviour first.

IMO of course,

Alla