Something that I really thought was interesting after reading the Harry Potter series was J.K Rowling’s commentary on slavery and classism. She uses a very interesting medium in house-elves in order to display her beliefs around the subject and to also make commentary on current systems as well as similar ones of the past. We are shown that while Rowling does not support slavery or unust treatment towards different classes, we do see a sort of indifference to the house elf. Whether that says something about Rowling is a completely different conversation but I do find it interesting how she positions herself amongst these topics. In order to discuss this further it would be great to give a little background on the house elf and what role they played in the Harry Potter series 

 We are first introduced to house elves when Dobby, the main house elf in the series, visits Harry in his home prior to his 2nd year at Hogwart. Dobby was a house else for the Malfoy family but was so enamored with Harry Potter that he came to warn him of the fact that he was in grave danger. He proceeded to prevent Harry from transporting to Hogwarts via the 9 and 3/4 platform and he also Bewitched a quidditch match so that Harry would be injured and have to return home. Dobby was so fiercely loyal to Harry Potter that he risked his own life and limb in order to ensure Harry safety.  Being that Dobby was a house elf, it was understood that it was his duty to take care of the household chores and to do so while being treated very badly. He was often berated verbally and physically at times. As a result Dobby adopted a very self-depricating personality. He was also not able to separate himself from the work he was supposed to do until we see him later in the series. We see this inability  in other house elves and as Dobby gains his freedomwe see him begin to act differently. The other house elves find this to me difficult to accept and felt that Dobby was acting against the very nature of the house elf. They were so indoctrinated in the belief that they were there to only do chores and keep the house that they were not able to see that they were slaves.  Many house elves did not want to be freed  andfor the most part they felt that their only duty in life was to serve those who owned them. They did however, have the opportunity to be freed only if their owner gifted them an article of clothing.  This is how we see Dobby freed by Harry in a trick on the Malfoy family. 

 In terms of Rowling’s commentary on house elves she seems to be very indifferent and even takes a light-hearted stance on the subject.  She does not seem to take it very seriously and even makes a mockery of Hermione and her S.P.E.W program, which was designed to highlight the injustices done to house elves in the Wizarding community. Now this stance does not say that JK Rowling supported slavery but it does speak to her beliefs around servitude. It seems as though Rowling felt that if one did not know or did not want to be freed from a system that oppressed them then who are we to tell them or to try to free them. This could be seen in the old oppressive Western ideals with women as well as the Indian caste system which separates people into classes which they are not able to be moved from. Now the people in these systems will often speak to the integrity and the need for these systems although it is apparent that there are problems. This commentary by Rowling makes a very interesting point and I find her position to be one of indifference.

-LP