House elves question

[Mhochberg at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 174619

Sherrie here:

Additionally, Hermione's  actions were moot, anyway. Technically, she was
not the mistress of the house  elves of Hogwarts - that would have been the
Headmaster. Therefore, she could  not free them - she just insulted them by
trying.

Sherrie 

The  other Sherry:
And now, after knowing Dumbledore's story, and the lengths to  which he'll go
to achieve his end, it is no longer confusing to me that as  headmaster he
would own slaves, uh, I mean house elves. I always found it so  hard to
understand why DD did not have only free elves working at Hogwarts,  because
I'll never be able to get myself to accept that they actually like  being
slaves of wizards. After DH, I find it pretty much in character for  DD.
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!  

~~~~~
Mary: I agree with not wanting anyone, whether house elf or Imperioed!  
wizard, to be a slave, why is it so hard to understand that some beings like to  
clean and are proud of their work? It doesn't matter whether you are a house  
elf, muggle, wizard, or Martha Stewart, if you like to make things clean, you  
like to make things clean. 
 
If you like to cook meals or empty trash cans or sit at a computer all  day 
making up stories, that is what you like to do. No being should put down any  
other being for the work they like to do.
 
Hermione's suggestion of a "sponsored clean of the common room" so students  
would know how "awful it is to clean all day" is as much a put-down as her  
attempts to free the elves who don't want to be freed. Neither takes into  
account what the elves want. 
 
I've always wondered about how house elves went from free to slave. There  
are many stories and legends of creatures who clean or work for humans but leave 
 at the slightest sign of disrespect. I sometimes wonder if the status of  
house elves is JKR way of dealing with the odd status of adult muggle  women.
 
Mary
"Free the house elves. Let them choose what they wish to  do."



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