a sandwich

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 178831

> > Carol:
> > Carol, who really and truly does not understand why posters see
> > House-Elf freedom as in itself a good thing and would appreciate 
an
> > explanation of the benefits these posters envisioned
> >
> a_svirn:
> I can't say for all the other posters, but I personally think that 
a 
> world of slaves by nature and natural masters is a very bad thing 
> indeed.  Downright disgusting.

Magpie:
Yes, what's complicated is that the question of what good it would do 
to free the House Elves isn't the question. I think most of us who 
are puzzled and disturbed by the whole thing basically agree that in 
the WW freeing the House Elves would do more harm than good. If the 
House Elves were all like Dobby, including Kreacher, and Harry was 
still ordering him around we could say that Harry was doing a bad 
thing by not freeing him but slavery is bad. 

But in this scenario, being a good slave master is a good thing (that 
those who would beat them or abuse them are unworthy masters and 
should have their elves taken away). But then in interviews the 
author says this is saying something about slavery in our world, and 
we're introduced to House Elves as if they're more like people via 
Dobby. Besides that, you've got the regular response of many 21st 
century readers, which is that owning a slave is a bit disturbing, 
especially in a book about treating people with respect even if 
they're different from you. I think if I were living in the 18th 
century and was a slave-owner, for instance, I would have no problem, 
and probably see the House Elves as a perfectly good stand-in for my 
own slaves. There's even the implied idea that people like Harry and 
Dumbledore would of course free their servants if they wanted it at 
all. Dumbledore's even willing to pay them all, as if even the 
economic loss in his case isn't a reason to think he actually likes 
having slaves. This is also why I see no hint that JKR's really 
showing us the temptation of slavery here, since there's no hint at 
all that owning slaves could be corruptive to one's character. 


-m