Should JKR shut up?/ Harry's remark to Kreacher

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 178582

Alla:
> > Do I still want to know more about Prank? 
>

CJ: 
> There IS nothing further to know about Prank (or Tonks, or 
Neville, or 
> any other character), because they have no existence outside what 
we've 
> already read. If you want to "know" more about Prank, then YOU 
make the 
> call.

Alla:

Sorry, should have specified. I want to know what JKR knows of the 
Prank that she did not include in the books. I am dying to know if 
she has any other backstory that she did not include. I am free to 
imagine whatever I like, but I certainly want to know as Catlady 
said ( I think) whether whatever is in JKR's head is just as 
fascinating as whatever made it to the pages of canon.


Alla: 
> > What happens to the characters in the future - I want to know.

CJ:
> People that don't exist have no future -- hence, nothing happens 
to them.


Alla:

People that do not exist, huh? I think I knew that part already. I 
will wait for more from JKR, I think.


Lizzyben:
People have said that the house-elf issue wasn't resolved, but I 
think
it was. It was resolved in that last line - the crazy elf who wanted
freedom has died, the conventional elf that accepted slavery has
survived, & the hero has accepted his proper role as master and slave
owner.

Magpie:
That's the way I read the last line too. Everything in its proper
place and Harry has his real life back. He can sleep in his own bed
at Hogwarts with his friends and have his loyal Elf make him a
sandwich. It's Voldemort who wanted social reform (albeit for the
worse), not Harry. If Harry met another Dobby who wanted to be free
he'd happily free him, just as Dumbledore offered the House Elves at
Hogwarts freedom and they rejected it. As a Wizard it's Harry's noble
duty to show noblesse oblige. Harry has just returned to the life he
was living in Grimmauld Place where Kreacher cooked and cleaned and
fawned over everyone and they accepted it as their due and the way
things were supposed to be. Harry's doing Kreacher a favor by asking
him to do stuff instead of doing it himself. Whether or not she
supports slavery in our world--which I highly doubt she does--she's
defended and justified it in her fictional world.


Alla:

But what proper place? Who decides that everything in proper place? 
Nothing changes at the end of War and peace with serfes situation, 
absolutely nothing. That is while during the book prince Andrey and 
Pierre both take succesful or less succesful steps to ease their 
serves situation - NOT free them at first, but care for them, 
educate, make their duties easier ( and I think Andrey frees some of 
them, but not all). Description of Pierre's situation stroke me 
exactly as Hermione attempts to help house elves. Poor guy had no 
clue. People were taking advantage of him ( people in charge of 
serves), nothing was working, he had no clue.

Nothing changes in Russian society as a whole though. Why? Because 
serves were NOT freed yet, it only happened in the last decade of 
the century.

Everybody still has slaves when the book ends. Same here, no?

Of course I do not see Harry asking Kreacher for sandwich as sign of 
his spiritual awakening, but I do not see that if Kreacher ever 
wants freedom, Harry will refuse him now OR if Hermione makes 
reforms, Harry will be against them.

This particular change just did not happen yet IMO. Only one 
particular evil was estinguished at the end - Lord Voldemort. I do 
not share POV that since elves like to serve, that is how it should 
be and that it is not distasteful. Of course it is distasteful to 
have sentinent beings to serve you, I totally agree with you.

Where we differ I think is in inttepreting JKR's intentions. I think 
she wanted to show that century long brainwashing does not go away 
so fast. NOT that this is the proper place. IMO of course.