"Morality" and "tolerance" in the HP books (Was: a sandwich)

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 178862

> Jen: I read SPEW as not being about freeing the house elves so much 
> as the Trio, particularly Hermione, learning about the cycles of 
> social activism.  Hermione's attempts follow what is a fairly 
typical 
> pattern for an activist in my own experience, moving from the truly 
> idealistic attempt to free all the house elves by knitting hats, to 
> smaller hopes for the freedom of a few elves such as Winky and 
> Kreacher, to finally attempting to make some small change whenever 
> possible for an elf experiencing injustice in front of her.  
Raising 
> awareness iow.  

a_svirn:
This is a very bleak outlook on social activism indeed, for in the 
last two books Hermione gave up on the house elves liberation 
altogether and concentrated on making a more responsible slave-owner 
out of Harry. 


> Jen:
> I didn't read this particular storyline as having a set beginning 
and 
> ending within the scope of the series because of the mutable nature 
> of raising awareness.  The ripples can play out over time in 
> unexpected ways, like Ron thinking about the house elves during the 
> battle because he's been exposed to some of Hermione's ideas.  That 
> type of changed thinking doesn't have an abrupt end like an action 
> might imo.

a_svirn:
This is a very good point. But the fact still remains that all this 
rising awareness business concerns only slave owners. It is useless 
to rise elves' awareness, because they are what they are – slaves by 
nature. Hermione, being a bright girl, accepted it eventually. But I 
find the idea that Rowling created natural slaves in order to make a 
point on social activism only slightly less nauseating than idea that 
she did it because she wanted Harry to have one. Especially since 
they are not mutually exclusive.