House elves question

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 174611

The other Sherry:

> I'll never be able to get myself to accept that they 
> actually like being slaves of wizards. [snip] That's 
> one story line I wish had been resolved, the freedom 
> for house elves. oh well, if she'd tied up every possible 
> story line, we'd probably all still be trying to read 
> the book, because it would be so long!

houyhnhnm:

The depiction of house elves is one of the things that 
has bothered me ever since they were introduced, the way 
they're made to talk, the way they don't want to be free, 
don't want to be paid, just want to serve their masters, 
etc., but as I was re-reading the chapters involving 
Kreacher at the beginning of DH, a strange thought hit me.

They're not meant to represent human slavery in the 
real world.  They want to be owned. They will serve a 
mean master grudgingly, but a kind one with devotion. 
They're dogs. Bipedal, English-speaking dogs.  That's 
how we're supposed to see them. S.P.E.W. = S.P.C.A.