The only reason I can think of for assuming it will go that way is that we all know that slavery is bad so it should go away.
Which is exactly the answer gave to a room of children in an interview.
You yourself say it would be insulting to say it could be wrapped up in the near future, so why would it be obvious it will be wrapped up in the distant future--and why would that have any bearing on the story we're reading?
Because it will take a long time...that seems pretty self-explanatory. There are forces at work by the end of the last book that could potentially lead to future freedom for house-elves. But again, the story is not about house-elves; they are characters and subjects of oppression in a flawed world.
Which makes it also makes it a very convenient situation for slave owners. You can be totally against slavery but have to keep them enslaved because they'd be upset otherwise.
Or you could be like Dumbledore and not bind them to the rules, but let them serve, call him a "barmy old codger," and have pay and vacation if they want it, or refuse it if they don't.
Anybody can say what's obviously going to happen after the series is over, but I don't know if that changes what's actually written.
Yes, that's true. But again, the story is about Harry Potter. The other storylines and subplots are places for readers to play, create, and imagine. That's what we should be doing with the social justice issues at work in the series.
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Date: 2008-07-01 07:54 pm (UTC)Which is exactly the answer gave to a room of children in an interview.
You yourself say it would be insulting to say it could be wrapped up in the near future, so why would it be obvious it will be wrapped up in the distant future--and why would that have any bearing on the story we're reading?
Because it will take a long time...that seems pretty self-explanatory. There are forces at work by the end of the last book that could potentially lead to future freedom for house-elves. But again, the story is not about house-elves; they are characters and subjects of oppression in a flawed world.
Which makes it also makes it a very convenient situation for slave owners. You can be totally against slavery but have to keep them enslaved because they'd be upset otherwise.
Or you could be like Dumbledore and not bind them to the rules, but let them serve, call him a "barmy old codger," and have pay and vacation if they want it, or refuse it if they don't.
Anybody can say what's obviously going to happen after the series is over, but I don't know if that changes what's actually written.
Yes, that's true. But again, the story is about Harry Potter. The other storylines and subplots are places for readers to play, create, and imagine. That's what we should be doing with the social justice issues at work in the series.