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

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 178874

> lizzyben:
> It actually wouldn't surprise me if the wizards literally *made* 
> house elves in order to finally get some good servants. Ah, magic.

Jen: I think you're kidding but not sure. ;)  

> lizzyben: 
> I thought that Hermione finally realized that house elves aren't 
> people, they don't want to be free & only want to be treated
> kindly. They're more akin to pets than people. They're happy when 
> their owners are happy & unhappy when they're mistreated. That's 
> where it starts and ends. I truly don't think that you can use a
> social activism framework to resolve the house elf problem. 

Jen:  True, if looking at social activism as a resolution, which I'm 
not.  I'm only looking at how I understood the parts of the house-elf 
storyline that were presented.  There's no way to determine whether 
the house elves Harry meets are the way they are by nature, from the 
effects of learned behavior or a combination of factors imo, so I'll 
go with the one that makes the most sense to me given the laser-focus 
on self-punishement in the final act.  It's a stark image to watch 
Kreacher beating himself.  It's hard not to think of how many times a 
day, week, month, year, decade, century that similar behavior has 
gone on in house elf families.  I can't say it has no effect on who 
they've evolved to be.  In fact, I'm certain it has had an effect 
because house elves would never have needed to be enchanted at all if 
they were happy, obedient little slaves by nature. 

The idea that someone out there cared enough about the house elf 
situation to research their history and attempt to make some headway 
with helping others understand the psychology they present looked 
like progress to me from when the story started.  That's all I know. 

> That was Hermione's problem - first she approached it from a social 
> activism/civil rights perspective & alienated everyone (including 
> the house elves). Then, in "Kreacher's Tale", she and Harry were 
> educated on how house elves really think & what they really want - 
> they don't want freedom, just humane treatment. And Hermione 
> finally accepts that. Trying to free the elves would be like trying 
> to free all the dogs of Britain. I certainly don't think house
> elves should be freed - and by the end of DH, neither does 
> Hermione. That's the arc she went through.

Jen: Humane treatment is a good step in the right direction for a 
being who's been battered into submission.  It's the ultimate 
physical and psychological weaponry that house elves beat themselves -
'you're so bad and unworthy that we won't even bother to beat you, 
you can beat yourself.'  When you have absolutely zero control such 
as is the case with this 100% consistent punishment routine since 
it's magical, most beings would submit and become what someone else 
tells them they are.  Ergo, stopping the self-punishment & offering 
humane treatment are a step in the right direction imo.