House elves WAS: realistic resolutions

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 180959

> >>Mike:
> > But that is the difference, Magpie. It's fantasy slavery, house   
> > elf slavery, not real world human slavery. That's why I'm not    
> > willing to attach real world values to it, nor condemn the wizard 
> > slave owners like I would real world slave owners. 
> > <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I think that may be the difference between those of us who read or 
watch a lot of fantasy and/or scifi stuff and those of us who don't?  
Because one of the fun bits of those genres is to take something from 
the RW, stick into a foreign atmosphere and then look at the various 
implications.

IOWs, in scifi and fantasy, fantasy slavery *always* informs on RW 
slavery.  Just as the blood bigotry of the WW was meant to inform on 
RW bigotry.  (I'm not going to get into how well JKR did on either 
point. *eg*)

> >>a_svirn:
> It isn't about who the master is for me either. It is about the 
> freedom of choice.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
EXACTLY!  *bg*  It has nothing to do with the type of work, the type 
of wages (if any, in the end), or the way in which a house-elf feels 
pride or job-satisfaction.  A house-elf *cannot* say no to their 
master.  It doesn't matter what they're asked to do, it doesn't 
matter what their personal feelings are on the matter, a house-elf 
CANNOT SAY NO.

In that sense, house-elves are greater slaves than could ever be 
achieved in the RW.

> >>Kemper:
> <snip>
> But Harry and Hermione come from 'RL', they come into Wizard       
> society with some history of slavery (I'm guessing this... maybe   
> British education system doesn't address this issue as much as the 
> American education system).
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I have no idea on the coverage of slavery in Britain (I'm betting 
it's not nearly as comprehensive as the US just by virtue of it being 
so much further removed), but yes, there's an overlap into the RW 
that makes it even harder to make the "different society, different 
values" argument.  Part of the charm of the series was supposed to be 
the connection to the RW I'd thought.

Betsy Hp