Wands and Wizards...Again (Was: Epilogue ...)

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 183715

> > Carol responds;
> > 
> > IMO, Harry's still owning Kreacher at the end of the book, and still
> > treating Kreacher as he did at 12 GP where Kreacher was happy (once 
> he
> > accepted Harry as his master) is only a problem for readers who
> > expected Harry to free the Houwe-Elves at the end of the book. 

Montavilla47:
I think it depends on what you look at as the problem.  I'm quite
willing to agree that staying on as Harry's slave and bringing him
a sandwich is fine for Kreacher.  It's what he wants to do from 
all that we can see.

I thought what JKR did with the House Elves was really interesting
in GoF.  Because, you know, there have been societies in which
the institution of slavery did seem to work.  The concept of 
consistently being paid for your labor is only a few hundred 
years old.

And I can't say that JKR didn't develop her theme of House-Elf
slavery:  She did.  So, that isn't really a *problem.*  

Does it seem like I have a problem when I point out that 
the conclusion she reaches is that slavery is okay as long as
you treat your slaves well?

What I mind is having to deal with Hermione's obsession on the
subject for two books--then have her completely drop the 
S.P.E.W. project as soon as her friend acquires a slave.

But, then in DH, Hermione takes a *different* stance (she adopts
Ron's stance, actually, that the slaves ought to do what they 
want to do and ought to be treated kindly about it), and we're 
supposed to pretend that this was her perspective all along.

Now, it's not like you can't connect the dots between anti-slavery
Hermione of GoF and pro-slavery Hermione of DH.  But, in 
order to do so, you have to make up a couple of the dots yourself.

It does a certain violence to a character when you give her a
burning passion for two years, have her completely drop it
in a third, and then have rekindle that passion in a different 
direction without filling in the spots between.  It makes her
seem very shallow.

And really, it reduces the whole slavery question to is a 
backdrop to the more burning question of whether or not
Ron will get some nookie.

Montavilla47