Magical notions of prejudice (Ron/Lupin)

[Emily Owens]

No: HPFGUIDX 10795

Amy wrote:
> > Ron's "get away from me, werewolf!" in the Shrieking Shack is a very
> > painful moment IMO.

>Amanda wrote:
Remember Hagrid's background is genetic, and Lupin's problem is a
disease. Contagious. Nasty. Incurable. Kind of like if you just found out
your close friend had AIDS. It would wack you out a bit, even if you
weren't in quite a bit of physical pain and simultaneously trying to
assimilate a very, very bizarre situation.

I think Amanda has a good point here about the difference between vampires 
and werewolves vs. giants, even if the AIDS comparison doesn't quite 
work...people who suffer from that disease don't periodically become violent 
and overcome with the compulsion to infect others!

While I find Ron's comment a little disappointing -- how quickly he turns 
against a favorite teacher! -- I think it's important to remember one of the 
important roles that Ron plays in the structure of the story. He is the only 
one of the Trio to grow up in a wizarding family, and therefore JKR uses him 
to introduce both the reader and Harry/Hermione to the wizarding way of 
looking at things. Especially in the beginning, H & H look to him to see how 
to react; the reader uses him as a gauge to see how wizards look at things.

Also, when I first read this scene, I took this comment partly in the "Ick, 
get away!" sense, sort of in the same vein as when he later says to 
Pettigrew, "I let you sleep in my *bed*!"

Emily
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