Ron, Hermione, and the hearts of house-elves (Was: Andromeda as good Slytherin)

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 177678

> Debbie:
> Although at one time (pre-OOP) I envisioned Dumbledore flinging 
socks in the
> final battle, I believe JKR used the House Elf liberation
> issue primarily to illustrate the R/H subplot.  And this scene, 
though a bit
> awkwardly done, resolves this subplot by showing that both of them
> had adjusted their positions.  In expressing concern for the House 
Elves,
> Ron expressly rejects Harry's query whether they should get the 
House Elves
> fighting.  He only wants to protect them, which is a far cry from 
his
> statement in GoF that "They. Like. It.  They *like* being 
enslaved!" (ch.
> 14).  Back then he seemed to be in denial that the House Elves were 
being
> abused and needed help.  And, as Carol pointed out (which I will not
> repeat), Hermione has adjusted her own position, or she would not 
have
> considered Ron's statement to be justification for the kiss that's 
been
> coming for six books, if not seven.  

Magpie:
I'm still not seeing how Ron's changed his position. He still thinks 
House Elves are correctly slaves, doesn't he? But that doesn't mean 
he's always been okay with anything anyone did to them or ordered 
them to do. It seems to me that this is exactly the same respect he 
offered them back in OotP when he didn't get rid of the hats Hermione 
was leaving out but said "They ought to know what they're picking 
up." But he still seems to me to think House Elves are different from 
people and like being enslaved.

It seems like it's Hermione who's changed her attitude, though 
pretending she hasn't. She started out treating House Elves as 
brainwashed humans, then morphed into saying that they needed to be 
treated well because they'll respond to that and just want people to 
be kind to them. For two books she's pushing for freeing them, then 
in Book VI she's completely dropped it to the point where she says 
nothing when one of her best friend actually owns one of them. She no 
longer seems to think they're abused or need help. Then in Book VII 
she's instructing on the real psychology of House Elves.

What's odd to me is that Ron's attitude is presented as a change when 
I just don't think it is. It was Hermione's attitude to it that 
surprised me, not what Ron said.

As to it being an end to the House Elf storyline, it could be, if the 
House Elf plot was only supposed to be something for Ron and Hermione 
to bicker about. But I have to say, that's a bit unfortunate for me, 
because it's done a lot more as Hermione really getting into a 
political cause, and ending that with a kiss between her and Ron is a 
little...weird. I was actually happy when it was just dropped, though 
I thought it was bizarre, so I would be happy for nothing to be done 
with it at all, but Harry the beloved master with his personal 
slave...wow, that went a bit far.

I think JKR said the SPEW plot got away from her, and this may be the 
unfortunate result. If this were a realistic story where a middle 
class teenaged girl got really into a political cause and then had 
the story wrapped up with her just getting her man I'd think it was a 
point about the girl's commitment to the cause being shallow.


> Debbie
> who found it a bit jarring that in the last sentence of the main 
action of
> the series, Harry wants his slave Kreacher to bring him a sandwich
> and wanted to tell him to go get his own damn sandwich and thank 
Kreacher
> for his leadership of the elves in the final battle

Magpie:
To me,  part of the nostalgia factor is the "every one in their 
proper, happy place" aspect. I thought the same thing about Kreacher 
(that he should be thanked and honored equally and not given sandwich 
orders), but I don't think Harry's last line indicates anything but 
that House Elves are exactly where they belong, that they like being 
slaves, that this is their natural place, and that Kreacher's one 
lucky slave for having a proper, deserving master. 

-m