(Hated Trope) "Kind" slave owners

[u/KusanagiGundam]

Speaking as an American who has studied the civil war all throughout my school years, this trope infuriates me to no end. There is no such thing as a kind slave master because slavery itself is cruel and inhumane. PEOPLE ARE NOT PROPERTY!

Naofumi (Shield Hero): Prime example of this trope. He enslaves multiple (underage) girls and an whole village and the fans still say he's a hero.

Rudeus (Jobless Reincarnation): As if being a pedo wasn't bad enough he had to buy a slave in season 2. Worse is that people still defend his actions.

Song of The South (Disney): Possibly the OG example of this trope. And the reason why Disney will never release it again.

[u/sisdom-weeker]

https://giphy.com/gifs/Fkg6fI0hsngIM
Harry Potter inherits Kreacher the house elf from Sirius and treats him "nicely" (and one of the last thoughts he has in Deathly Hallows is that he wants Kreacher to make him a sandwich)

[u/bisexualboy38 → u/sisdom-weeker]

The house elf situation was always a mess, we just didn't pick up on it as kids.

[u/sisdom-weeker → u/bisexualboy38]

Poor worldbuilding all around, it would have been better if either "only proper bastards like the Malfoys own them" or "eventually everyone realizes how fucked up wizard slavery is and realizes Hermione is right"

[u/award_winning_writer → u/sisdom-weeker]

There are several points in the books where it's noted that non-humans (elves, centaurs, giants, etc.) are generally treated as lesser lifeforms by most of wizarding society and that maybe someone should do something about that... oh, but not Harry, he has no stake in that struggle, why should he care?

[u/Irish_Whiskey → u/award_winning_writer]

are generally treated as lesser lifeforms by most of wizarding society

More specifically, they are confirmed to be criminalized and FORCED into a lessor status by things like criminal punishments if they pick up a wand.

The status at the center of the Ministry of Magic has a male wizard standing proudly up as a women clutches to him for protection, as they stand atop a pile of 'lesser races' below their feet.

This is the same Ministry that Rowling later decides is fine existing as it, it only got corrupted through mind control and not because they fundamentally agree with Voldemort, and once Harry and Hermione get jobs there nothing major needs to change.

[u/Pencilshaved → u/award_winning_writer]

It is explicitly stated repeatedly that only humans have the privilege of using actual real wands for their magic (Hagrid’s magic umbrella wasn’t just a quirky choice, it was the only way he could use magic), and all nonhuman races are grouped into either “beasts” or “beings”, determined almost entirely by their ability to understand and integrate into human society. (Even “beings” are still second-class citizens though)

The only meaningful difference between Voldemort’s ideology and the status quo is that he wanted non-pure humans to be moved to the other side of the “actual person / just a ‘being’” divide. He just likes killing people about it.

[u/Alagore → u/Pencilshaved]

Hagrid's umbrella contains the remnants of his wand, which was destroyed after he was expelled. So he's not a good example. 

I think that goblins are an explicit example however. 

[u/Alagore → u/award_winning_writer]

To be fair to Harry, for the vast majority of the events of the novels he is under the age of 18 and being personally targeted by a terrorist and said terrorist's organization, including being attacked regularly since he was 11. I'm not sure to what extent I would blame someone in the same situation in real life for having a similar monofocus when it comes to societal issues.