Calling the Kettle Fat ...er ...I mean black.

[Steve]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "stella713" <stella713 at y...> wrote:

> Kriselda:
>
> "Rowlings use of obesity as a shorthand for "bad person" does 
> NOTHING to help prevent that kind of bigotry,
> 

> Stella:
>
> Very good point Kriselda - and I would like to make another.
> Have you noticed how Rowling describes the girls of Slytherin - they 
> are almost all ugly - and it is perfectly fine (for a Gryffindor) to 
> make fun of their appearance. As someone who is "different not 
> pretty" I found that quite disturbing. Incidentially I hold not much 
> hope in Harry Potter teaching children to be nonjudgemental....


bboy_mn:
But isn't it natural for us to use negative terms to describe people
we don't like? When Rita Skeeter wrote about Hermione the first time
she was something like stunningly attractive, because she wanted to
portray her in a positive light. The next time when she was feeling
much less benevolent toward Hermione, she had suddenly gone from
attractive to plain.

While we know from Harry and Ron's view of Hermione, she is a
reasonable attracrtive girl. Although, in the first couple books her
appearance is awkward and reasonable so, since most kids that age go
through a awkward looking period while their bodies change from little
kid to adolesent. Generally though, I think it is safe to consider
Hermione a reasonably attractive girl, but the Slytherin girls all cut
Hermione down much worse than the Gryfindors disparage the Slytherin
girls. 

Another example, fat people are describe based on how well the main
characters like them. Mrs. Weasley is fat, but we like her so she is
described as plump. We hate Dudley, so we call him porky. Umbridge is
describe very negatively, because she will be a character are meant
not to like. But a large proportioned character we do like could come
along, and certainly they would be described in much more pleasant terms. 



> Stella:
> ...my best example would be the sorting song in book 5, calling for 
> unity of hogwards. Three houses uniting against the fourth - not 
> exactly what I had in mind.
> 
> Greetings from
> Asta who returns back to lurkdom

bboy_mn:

The assumption that three houses will be united against the four
(Slytherin) is just that, an assumption. The Sorting Hat implies unity
and we can only assume that the Hat is unbiased and therefore means
complete unity. In fact, three against one is probably the very thing
that the Sorting Hat wants to prevent.

If you go back a few weeks, you will find a very long series of post
about the 'Good Slytherin'. It's based in the belief that not all
Slytherins are bad. 

The truth is we have only seen a very small select group of Slythrins
and can't realy be sure that they are a true cross-section. Many
Slytherins are probably just innocent kids who got sorted into that
house, beyond that, all they want to do is get through school and go
out and succeed in the world.

Personally, I believe the DA (Defense Art/Dumbledore's Army) Club will
be where the uniting of the four houses will plays out. I speculate
that everyone in the club and all of us readers want the DA Club to
continue. So in the next book, Dumbledore will allow them to make this
an open offical school club, which like all clubs will come with two
conditions; a faculty advisor and it must be open to everyone.

So who better than Snape to be the faculty advisor, now that he and
Harry have a deeper insight into each other. OK that might be
miserable for Harry, but it will be great for us readers. 

That means that Draco and his pals will have to be allowed, but since
this is Harry's club, Draco and his pals will only be allowed under
the condition that they behave themselves. So Draco and his pals will
join along with many other genuinely interested Slytherins. When Draco
inevitably screws up, and he and his pals leave, several 'good
Slytherins' will stay behind and continue with the club. Amoung them
will be 'The Good Slytherin', the one who will united the houses and
redeem Slytherins in the eyes of all. Most speculate that person will
be Baise Zambini.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn