the word mudblood & Wizard/Muggle (was Lily & James House)

[corinthum]

No: HPFGUIDX 41814

Annechan wrote:

> > A point about the word "mudblood"... Is there a polite equivalent 
> > to that word? I mean, "nigger" is not a really polite word, ...

And bboy_mn replied:

> I think the word 'mudblood' is an attempt by Rowlings to parallel
> English and European societies. In England, you have the Aristocrats
> who think they are superior to everyone else by their birthright and
> ancestral lineage. Then you have the English Commoner, who according
> to the aristocrats are genetically inferior, stupid, and who 
typically
> speak with a Cockney so thick that even most English people can't 
even
> understand them....

And now my $.02:

I think the first comparison is closer.  Just seeing the "n" word 
written strikes me as horribly offensive (even when used to make a 
point).  It's an extremely derogatory term used to distinguish one as 
not only different (both black indviduals and muggle-born individuals 
do actually have a trait that distinguishes them from others) but 
inferior.  People in the wizarding world seem to have the same sort 
of reaction to the word "mudblood" ("Flint had to dive in front of 
Malfoy to stop Fred and George from jumping on him, Alicia 
shrieked, 'How dare you!', and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, 
pulled out his wand..." CoS p. 112 American hardcover).  Aristocracy 
referring to commoners as such is certainly rude and offensive, but 
just not as offensive in my mind as a racial slur.