Hermione's Parents, Muggle skepticism

[jferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 35956

Anna:"Hagrid also doesn't give Muggles much credit when he notes 
that "everyone would be wanting magical solutions to their
problems." Sure, a lot of people would, but how many
others would be leery of it, like the Grangers? For that
matter, what's keeping the whole of the Wizarding World
from using magical solutions to THEIR problems?"

Hagrid's right. We Muggles are always looking for the puppets 
controlling our lives. It would start out as wanting magical solutions 
to our problems. Next would be resentment about all the things wizards 
"could have" solved but didn't: 'why didn't they prevent September 
11th? Why did they let my Uncle Zach die?" and so on. Finally there 
would be resentment born of jealousy and the widespread belief that 
wizards are running the world behind the scenes to suit themselves.

As far as wizarding folks themselves, that opens up a really 
fascinating field for inquiry: What are the limits of magic? It can't 
be God-like omnipotence, or the world would stop making sense; 
actually, the world would probably stop existing.  And wizards would 
have their own resentments. Stan Shunpike might think he could be 
great a wizard as Dumbledore if they'd only "let" him. It's human 
nature.

Anna:"One movie reviewer described Rowling's "rage at the  Muggle 
world" - I didn't notice it myself, but now that  you've fleshed it 
out a bit, I see what you're both on  to."

People with imagination often resent those with none. I often heard 
how contemptuously SCA or SF fans referred to "mundanes."

Anna:"I'm inclined to read it as a bit of racial-type tension in the 
Wizard World. Even when "inter-magical" couples exist, they either 
don't last Mr. & Mrs. Riddle) or there's some tension (Seamus  
Finnegan's parents). I'm on my second read-through now - just finished 
CoS - so I've probably missed something, but I don't recall anyone who 
has a name (besides Seamus) being half-blood."

There's bound to be tension. Muggle-borns like Hermione can move in 
two worlds, while many "purebloods" would be lost in our world. 
Imagine the Trio in Muggle London. Harry and Hermione would be right 
at home, and Ron would be totally lost. A lot of wizard-borns wouldn't 
like it. [If I ran Hogwarts and wanted, like Dumbledore, to build 
bridges, I'd make everybody live as a Muggle two weeks out of each 
term.]

The Muggle-borns would be strange. They probably wear the same clothes 
they wore before they came to Hogwarts, which  makes them stand out; 
Dean Thomas might bring his soccer ball to school, etc.