Stan Shunpike's accent (WAS: Re: Classist Hogwarts (was ... was .... was...)

[Sydney]

No: HPFGUIDX 45536


> Ron Weasley's presence at Hogwarts, to me, reinforces that 
elitism rather 
> than negating it.  Ron is poor, certainly, but that has no impact 
on his 
> class.  In fact, I would argue that Ron is at Hogwarts primarily 
because of 
> his class.  He is from an old family, is a pure-bred, is a child of 
> Hogwarts alumni, speaks with a "good" accent (cf. Stan 
Shunpike), but seems 
> to have only meager magical ability.  Would he have a place at 
Hogwarts 
> aside from the circumstances of his birth?



I haven't lived in England very long, but it's been long enough for 
me to appreciate the exceptional bitterness of the class issue, 
which in terms of psychic angst is closer to the race issue in the 
US than to anything else.  So I'll just edge around the whole 
Ron-as-useless-toff, stepping-on-the-face-of-the-working-man 
thing (which requires strenously reading against the tide of the 
narrative, but if one is so impelled, so be it), and turn to ol' Stan 
Shunpike.

I've come across a number of posts regarding this young man's 
education, and as far as I can tell the only evidence advanced 
that he DIDN'T go to Hogwarts, is that of his broad London 
cockney.  It is naturally assumed, that Hogwarts student's 
accents would gravitate towards a Merlin's English Standard, so 
in deviating from this, Stan is showing his muddy boots and 
state schooling.

But, DOES he in fact always speak this way?  Here is Exhibit A:

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transportation for the 
stranded witch or wizard.  Just stick out your wand hand, step on 
board and we can take you anywhere you want to go.  My name 
is Stan Shupike, and I will be your conductor this eve-" (UK Adult 
paperback, pg 29)

So far, so Hogwarts.  It's "stick out your wand hand", not "wand 
'and".  When he sees he's speaking to a little kid, though, he 
switches over to:

"Woss that on your 'ead?"

I now present Exhibit B, which is to say my boyfriend.  Now he's 
London bred and went to a common or garden state school, but 
had his higher education at Oxford.  I can assure you that he has 
his accent on a sliding scale, finely adjusted to situation and 
company.  He would most certainly employ his native woodnotes 
when speaking to a twelve year old, but that doesn't mean he 
can't do otherwise.

My feeling about Stan is that:

-- he's a wizard, so he went to Hogwarts.  Period.  Where he 
aquired the ability, when he chooses, to speak MES (Merlin 
English Standard)

-- he's London born, and till age 11, bred.  Hence, "nuffink".

-- I'll guess Muggle-born, because he a) didn't have the 
connections to get a better job out of school (class DOES count, 
after all), and b) was even more terrified than your avarage 
wizard at the meniton of Voldemort: "Me 'eart's goin' that fast..."

That's what I think, anyways.  

Sydney, possesed of a depressingly dull Canadian drawl.