House-Elves again (Was: Realistic Resolutions - WAS: Slytherins come back)

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 180772

Carol earlier:
> > *Of course* wizards are perfectly happy to accommodate the
House-Elves nature. (Note the name: House-Elves. They belong in
houses. Wizard's houses, as they don't seem to build their own.) And
House-Elves are perfectly happy to accomodate the Wizards. It's a
mutually beneficial relationship unless the House-Elves are abused.
And that's where Hermione's focus is now that she finally understands
House-Elf psychology. 
> 
> a_svirn:
> Except when they are desperately unhappy like Dobby and Kreacher in 
> OotP and HBP. Wizarding logic seems to be that they are only slaves 
> because they want to serve; however, if and when they don't want to 
> serve they should anyway, because they are slaves, after all. 
> 
> > 
> > Carol, noting that a rebellious House-Elf can do a pretty good job
of making a psychologically abusive master unhappy, if Kreacher is any
> > indication
> 
> a_svirn
> Is this an argument pro slavery or contra?
>
Carol responds:

I don't know how to answer that question. Of course, I'm not
pro-slavery in RL. I'm saying that the human-House-Elf relationship,
unless abused, is mutually beneficial and is not comparable to slavery
in RL. I'm also arguing that House-Elves are not entirely helpless, as
Kreacher illustrates. He's not about to serve a master he doesn't
respect in any useful way.

We agree that Kreacher and Dobby are each unhappy in their own way
(and each finds a way to thwart his master's will), but neither of
them is a normal House-Elf. If House-Elves are given what they want
(like the House-Elves at Hogwarts), they're happy. In turn, they give
"good service," making their owners happy. The owners, in turn, thank
them or compliment them, making them happier still. The only problem
is the enchantment that forces them to punish themselves when they
disobey their masters. *That's* what makes them "slaves," and that's
what Hermione is disturbed about in HBP. Otherwise, as I stated in the
clipped portions of my post, they're doing what they want to do and
are evidently designed by nature to do, serve wizards. As I said, they
don't seem capable of working for each other (House-Elves don't own
houses) and working for Goblins would be as bad as or worse than
working for Wizards. What are their options? Opening a cleaning
business, working for money "like a common goblin," to borrow Winky's
phrase? Why impose human values on them? 

Let *them* decide what makes them happy. That's the lesson Hermione
learns, IMO.

Carol, still wondering what this glorious "freedom" to be imposed on
the House-Elves against their will would consist of