House elves and some spoilers for Swordspoint WAS: realistic solutions

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 180824

> Carol responds:
> 
> Will someone *please* tell me what you think would and should happen
> if the House-Elves were freed? In what way would conditions be better?
> I see unhappiness and chaos, myself. I *don't* see House-Elves
> attending Hogwarts, learning to use wands, and becoming miniature
> humans, with all our economic and political problems. What's this
> Utopia you envision? All I've seen is this argument:
> 
> House-Elves are slaves.
> Slavery is bad.
> Therefore, House-Elves should be freed.

Montavilla47:

That's not the argument that I've been seeing.  What I've been
seeing, as from Sistermagpie, is that there *isn't* a problem
with House-Elf slavery (within the books).  Slavery is depicted
as fine and dandy, as long as the Master is a good master and 
doesn't abuse his slave.

When he does, bad things happen (Dobby gets ideas about 
freedom, Kreacher betrays his master to the enemy).  

When Harry is good and thinks about his slave's feelings, 
then he gets valuable information, a clean house, and 
treacle tarts.

Again, I would find this an excellent moral for a kid growing
up in a society with slaves (or a servant class).  It would fit
right in in Edwardian England, as you'd want you future leaders
 to grow up treating their servants nicely, instead of being
spoiled tyrants.

It's just weird when it's toted as being a statement on 
slavery, because the ultimate message is that slavery, when
the institution itself isn't abused by bad people, is okay.

More than that, really.  Because the opposite--the freeing
of slaves in this case, is a positive evil, leading to 
depression and alcoholism.


Carol: 
> So, please. Describe this ideal solution to the "problem" of House-Elf
> "slavery" in our imaginary WW.

Montavilla47:
As you say, there aren't really any ideal solutions.  Which is why it's 
both plausible and absurd that Hermione's supposedly going to
make a difference once she gets into power.  

Plausible, because any solution is going to be slow and anything
Hermione can do will probably make it better for those elves
who are being abused.

Absurd because nothing can really be done until the institution
is abolished, and it won't be because both Wizards and Elves are
dependent on it.