[HPforGrownups] Re: Hagrid's Prejudice

[elfundeb at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 40888

In a message dated 7/7/2002 9:39:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
meboriqua at aol.com writes:


> I don't think he 
> so much believes in egalitarianism as much as he wants to adopt the 
> beliefs of Dumbledore, whom he idolizes.  He really doesn't seem to 
> have opinions of his own; they are drawn either from his culture or 
> from Dumbledore, and his sweeping generalizations reflect his 
> childlike need to have simple explanations for the realities of his 
> world.>
> 
> This confuses me a bit.  What beliefs of Dumbledore's is Hagrid trying 
> to adopt?  We rarely, if ever, hear Dumbledore express any opinion 
> about another person, and we see him angry only once, in GoF.  That is 
> one of the things I love about Dumbledore: he really does make an 
> effort to see past people's weaknesses, pasts, problems, etc. to their 
> strengths (even Hagrid, though I don't think he made a wise choice 
> there).  Hagrid, however, doesn't have much to base his prejudices on, 
> and his dislike of Tom Riddle isn't enough for me, especially to still 
> harbor such an intense dislike for *all* Slytherins so many years 
> later.
> 
My sentence was very badly worded.  I definitely wasn't referring to any 
views of Dumbledore with respect to an individual.  What I was really trying 
to say is that IMO Hagrid doesn't think for himself.  He has views that, IMO, 
he adopted from Dumbledore and the views I was thinking of particularly here 
aren't necessarily germane to his prejudices.  For example, in PS/SS (ch. 4) 
when Hagrid talks about Voldemort not being dead, I just get the feeling that 
he is parroting things he's heard Dumbledore say.  (And I should acknowledge 
here that I may be influenced by my general dislike of Hagrid into reading 
more into this than I should, but that's how I see his statements.)  There 
are other examples of Hagrid expressing opinions that I think are 
Dumbledore's but I can't place any of them right now.  I think Hagrid's 
prejudices do not come from Dumbledore, but reflect WW culture.  I agree 
completely with your assessment of Dumbledore; he evaluates everyone based on 
personal qualities, but Hagrid, I'm afraid, adheres to the 
nature-over-nurture philosophy.  

Darrin pointed out that Hagrid deserves more credit for expressing his views 
on Muggle-borns than I gave him credit for.

Ah, but way before CoS even takes place, Hagrid lets known his 
feelings about the whole issue. In PS/SS (pg 61 UK; pg 79 US) Harry 
has just met with Malfoy for the first time and has heard Malfoy's 
belief that Muggle families shouldn't be allowed to Hogwarts.

Hagrid responds: "Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh 
were - he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' 
folk -- you saw 'em in the Leaky Cauldron."

OK, letting Harry know that Malfoy is full of it.

Now, next sentence: "Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the 
best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line 
o' Muggles - look at yer mum! Look what she had for a sister!"

I respond:

Darrin is right, demonstrating that I still don't have those books memorized. 
<g> I think the only sentence I remembered from this exchange is his protest 
that Harry is "not from a Muggle family!"  I guess for me that set the tone 
of the conversation.  Perhaps I should lighten up on Hagrid a bit.  I think 
Darrin is right, though, in that Hagrid makes a clear distinctions between 
those with magical ability and those without.

Debbie, who like Darrin is pleased to finally have the UK edition on her 
bookshelf



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