S.P.E.W.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- SPEW can also stand for Socialist Party (England and Wales).
- Spew is also a slang term for vomit.
| Harry Potter association | |
| Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Gryffindor common room or Hogwarts library |
| Current head | Hermione Granger |
| Intentions | To promote better conditions and freedom for house-elves. |
| Enemies | Those who oppose greater rights for house-elves. |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (often abbreviated S.P.E.W. or SPEW) is a fictional organisation in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. It is formed by Hermione Granger who is horrified with the way house-elves are treated. The organisation aims to promote better conditions and freedom for house-elves. Hermione originally thought of calling it Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status but realised that this name was too long to fit onto a badge. It has become known by its acronym, which Ron Weasley pronounces as the word "spew", and once asks if she's changed the name to "the House-Elf Liberation Front".
House-elves are magical creatures who exist to serve wizards, specifically one wizarding family (or institution) until either the family dies out or the elf is set free. They are considered to be unworthy of fair treatment by some in the wizarding world, and so are often abused. It should be noted that others – such as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – treat the house-elves in their employ much better.
After seeing Winky verbally abused, misjudged and consequently sacked by Barty Crouch Sr. at the Quidditch World Cup, Hermione formed the organisation to try and improve the lives of house-elves. In Goblet of Fire Hermione states that "Our short-term aims are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand-use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly under-represented". However, she has faced several obstacles to her course:
- The unwillingness of the magical community to change their ways.
- The fact that no one – not even her best friends Ron and Harry – has faith in her cause.
- And, most importantly, that house-elves in general do not want to be set free; Dobby is so far the only exception mentioned.
In Goblet of Fire, when Hermione asks Rubeus Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher to join, he refuses, even after Hermione argues that Dobby was happy to be free:
| It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione...It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em.
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' doing, Hermione. |
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione steps up her plans by knitting hats for the Hogwarts house-elves and hiding them under rubbish (the only way for a house-elf to be set free is for their master to give them an item of clothing). Subsequently, the house-elves refuse to clean Gryffindor Tower because they are insulted by all the clothes lying around, leading Dobby to do it all on his own. No one has the heart to tell this to Hermione, who still believes she is setting elves free by the dozen.
Regarding the history of the relationship between house-elves and the human wizarding community, Hermione says in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, "Elf enslavement goes back centuries." In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore says the Fountain of Magical Brethren (in which various magical beings are depicted as subservient to, and in adoration of, witches and wizards) "tells a lie. We wizards have mistreated and abused our fellows for too long, and we are now reaping our reward."
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, there is no mention of S.P.E.W. from Hermione, leading to the speculation she has perhaps given up on the organization. However, Harry makes reference to it and seems to have been influenced by Hermione's perspective – particularly in the cases of Hepzibah Smith's house-elf Hokey, who was framed for the death of her master and sentenced without being given a fair trial. Also, in passing, Harry feels a sense of injustice when Professor Slughorn refers to using a house-elf to check his drink for poison.
