Sins of Hagrid -- Subversive bigotry

[christi0469]

No: HPFGUIDX 33961

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "ssk7882" <theennead at a...> wrote:
> 
> > --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at h...> 
wrote:
> 
>  > Hagrid gave Dudley (an innocent child) a pig's tail because 
>  > he was angry at Vernon.
> 
> Jo replied:
> 
>  > Dudley an innocent child?  He's a horrid, mean, bullying brat.
> 
> Yes, but Hagrid had no real way of knowing that at the time, now,
> did he?  He may have inferred it from the overall unpleasantness
> of the family, but that's every bit as bad as people judging
> Hagrid himself on the basis of his giant parentage.


 But Hagrid did have ways of knowing about the Dursleys. Dumbledore 
told Hagrid that he might have trouble with the Dursleys. Harry's 
letters show that someone at Hogwarts is aware of where Harry sleeps 
(cupboard under the stairs, smallest bedroom, hotel room, the 
floor). Hagrid is unaware of how ignorant Harry is of his heritage, 
but IMHO he was briefed on Harry's general treatment. Mrs. Figg has 
probably been in contact and has probaly witnessed Dudley's bullying 
Harry. She definately knows that Harry is not taken on Dudley's 
birthday outings. And as Hagrid knew Lily she may have told him what 
Petunia was like as a child. Hagrid probably had very good reason to 
dislike the Dursleys, and Dudley specifically for beating on Harry 
at every opprotunity.

> 
> > He's also a bigot himself, and a very particular type of 
> bigot: the thoughtless man whose fondness for sweeping 
> generalizations and snap judgments leads him to make 
> statements that are not only deeply prejudiced, but also 
> frequently Just Plain Not True.
> 
> "Not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in 
> Slytherin," for example. 

 Hagrid probably is a bit predjudiced against Slytherin house. 
Remember that Tom Riddle was responsible for Hagrid getting expelled 
and wrongly accused of being responsible for Myrtle's death. LV and 
the DEs caused enough suffering in the wizarding world to cast a 
pall over anything they were associated with. While it is unfair to 
assume that all students sorted into Slytherin are evil, we do know 
that Slytherin has produced the worst evil wizard in a century and 
probably most of his followers. The only Slytherin we see on the 
side of good so far is Snape, and he's not particularly nice. I 
myself have a bias against Slytherin based upon Harry's POV, but 
hope to see good people come out of Slytherin house. 


 Or that bit about how you can't 
> trust foreigners. 

 The one comment I remember Hagrid making about foreigners comes 
after his experience with Madame Maxime at the Yule Ball. While the 
comment is unfair to foreigners, I think it comes from hurt feelings 
rather than actual bias. As he apparently forgives Madame Maxime at 
the end, perhaps we can forgive him that moment of weekness.


 Or his comment about the Malfoys having 
> "bad blood" -- which really is _rich,_ you know, given the 
> big-boned skeletons hiding in Hagrid's own family closet.


 I'm not sure where this comment is made, so I cannot defend it 
based on context. We do know that Lucius Malfoy was and is a DE, and 
that Draco has been trying to Hagrid and Harry in trouble. Hagrid 
may know things about the Malfoy line that we don't. It is wrong to 
assume that no Malfoy could ever be good because of bloodline; 
however Lucius and Draco can certainly be counted as enemies of 
Hagrid, and viewing the whole family as bad is a natural, if flawed, 
reaction.    


> Or, for that matter, his assurance to Harry that he'll surely 
> grow up to be a great wizard, because "with a mum an' dad 
> like yours, what else would yeh be?"  


 Given Hagrid's great regard for James and Lily this comment makes 
sense, especially if there is a strong genetic component to magical 
ability. Harry's parentage does not garantee he would be on the side 
of good, but James and Lily's abilities could be an indication of 
Harry's potential magical ability (and we know Squibs are rare). On 
the other hand, expecting children to be talented because of their 
parents ability can be unfair. Hagrid's reasoning may be flawed in 
this regard, but he does seem to have come up with the correct 
conclusion.


 
> Hagrid is *not* a believer in the primacy of blood.  He 
> really, really isn't.  But when he isn't thinking too hard, 
> he just kind of...slips back into that mode of thinking, and 
> starts going on about "bad blood" and Harry's rights of magical
> inheritance and so forth.  Just as he is *not* a muggle-hater, 
> and yet, and yet, and yet...
> 
> "I'd like to see a great Muggle like you stop him."  
> 
> "...it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest 
> Muggles I ever laid eyes on."  
> 
> "Look at what she had for a sister!"
> 
> And so forth.


Once again, I think this is an indication of what Hagrid knows about 
the Dursleys specifiaclly, rather than a bias against Muggles in 
general. We do know that he holds Lily and Hermione, both Muggle-
borns, in great regard.

 
> I like to think that we're supposed to notice this unsavory
> tendency of Hagrid's, that this is Rowling's way of showing
> the subversive power of institutionalized bigotry.  Hagrid's
> a product of his culture, and his culture is not an 
> egalitarian one.  He *does* believe in egalitarianism, very
> strongly.  But when he isn't watching himself, the ugly
> underside of his own culture slips through the cracks, and
> he betrays himself.
> 
>     -- Elkins, who is kind of fond of Hagrid, but sometimes
>           wants to smack him upside the head


 I do agree that Hagrid might deserve an occasional smack upon the 
head, but so might we all. Hagrid seems to have an egalitarian 
ideal. If he does have an occasional bigotted moment, I would say 
that's just because he is ruled by his human half, and is therefor 
as imperfect as any of us. 


Christi