Ethnic stereotyping, possible Xenophobia?

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 20623

Catherine wrote:

> Also, 
> regarding Durmstrang.  I never thought about any Iron Curtainisms 
> here.  For one thing, we don't know where Durmstrang is (see recent 
> thread).  Of course, Krum is Bulgarian, and Igor Karkaroff does 
sound 
> Eastern European, but again it is too much of a generalisation to 
say 
> that JKR put Durmstrang in Eastern Europe because it advocates the 
> Dark Arts and most Wizards who are interested in their children 
being 
> educated this way come from there.  In the context of GoF, we see 
one 
> good character (Krum) and one bad character (Karkaroff) coming from 
> there, which balances this out.  Also in the context of the books, 
> the Darkest Wizard of the age comes from good old England, so go 
> figure.  Finally, we don't actually know that the Dark Arts are 
> taught there - only on Malfoy's say so, which I tend to take with 
> pinch of salt.
> 

I do think there's a bit of Iron Curtainism going on.  It's not just 
Karkaroff, who, as you say, is balanced by Krum, and by the otherwise 
entirely British or unidentified-ethnicity cast of Death Eaters we've 
met so far.  There's the secrecy, for one thing.  Then there are the 
names, which are all Eastern European except for "Durmstrang" itself. 

Sirius, not just Draco, says Karkaroff has "been teaching the Dark 
Arts to every student who passes through that school of his" (GF 19).

I don't find these Cold War echoes xenophobic, myself; I agree that 
the British come off as badly in the comparison as the French and 
mysterious-Nordic-Slavics.  Black pudding, anyone?

Amy Z

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 Harry liked this clock.  It was completely
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 otherwise very informative.
                  -HP and the Goblet of Fire
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