• pachrist@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    JK Rowling’s opinion about slavery is that most slaves like it, they’re better off in slavery, and it’s just the natural order of things.

    When she speaks, she speaks from a place of fear and ignorance.

    • beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      2 months ago

      Please link me to the truth or not of this so that I can hate her yet more — I love surpassing my own limits

      • Dojan@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Going out on a limb here but I think it’s because of the portrayal of the house elves. A subjugated people who everyone said was better off in slavery, and the notion of emancipating them is ridiculed. Some people write it off as a coincidence, but there sure is a lot of these coincidences, like how the entire wizarding world’s economy is run by hook-nosed evil creatures, that even conspired with the dark lord for their own gains.

        • Soulg@sh.itjust.works
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          2 months ago

          I am not defending her but that is in no way proof of the claim being made. It’s a fictional book.

          Now, if she’s on record saying that, and using them as justification, then that’s different

          • mbfalzar@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            2 months ago

            In a since-deleted post on her site Pottermore, the writer argued that while freeing the slaves was noble in isolation, being enslaved is what’s better for the elves right now and they should stay that way until they politely ask to not be enslaved.

            https://archive.md/2020.05.08-221547/https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/to-spew-or-not-to-spew-hermione-granger-and-the-pitfalls-of-activism

            I don’t know who the original writer is and I don’t know of an archived copy before Pottermore ended and everything was transferred to Wizarding World, but I believe it’s from an era of Pottermore where she wrote the blog entries herself

          • duffman@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Seems like the delight dobby portrayed when he was freed would put that argument to rest.

            • mbfalzar@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              2 months ago

              Nah the actual in universe explanation is that Dobby is weird for wanting to be freed. Literal direct quote from Goblet of Fire

              “But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!” said Hermione. “And we heard he’s asking for wages now!”

              “Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I’m not sayin’ there isn’t the odd elf who’d take freedom, but yeh’ll never persuade most of ’em ter do it — no, nothin’ doin’, Hermione.”

              Hermione looked very cross indeed and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.

            • Soulg@sh.itjust.works
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              2 months ago

              Still no, it’s still a fictional story, just because you write a slave character doesn’t mean you’re pro slavery, just because you write a misogynist doesn’t make you a misogynist, etc.

              Again, she still might be, but citing Dobby as your evidence is stupid.

        • sudneo@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          Asking genuinely, why that would be a political statement? An author is not bound to represent his or her own opinion in books, I think, no?