Wizard World (was Why I Dislike The Twins/Toon Talk . . .harsh WW)

[Carol Bainbridge]

No: HPFGUIDX 43468

At 9/1/02 12:47 PM, you wrote:

>--- MariaJ <muj at hem.utfors.se> wrote:
>
> > It's the general condescending attitude toward muggles (I recently started
> > re-reading PS/SS and cringed when in Ch 1 McGonagall says about muggles:
> > "They're not completely stupid." Minerva, how could you?), the way
> > characters that are perceived as weak, like Quirrell or Moaning Myrtle, are
> > considered jokes (and thus legitimate targets for any kind of snide or rude
> > remarks) as well as the more obvious things like their Justice System, the
> > fact that there are House Elfs or the prejudice against people like Lupin,
> > Hagrid etc, people who aren't quite, quite like Us.
> > That Draco and Snape, ten (if not more) times worse than the twins, can
> > get away with their bullying is just another symptom (to me) of the fact
> > that the wizarding world is seriously messed up.

I don't see how the wizarding world is and more or less messed up than the 
Muggle world -- our world, that we live in now.  I see the same kinds of 
attitudes toward different groups of people all the time.  Poor kids are 
often thought of as stupid by ignorant people.  Kids with learning 
disabilities are often considered stupid too.  People who are perceived as 
weak are considered jokes, and therefore legitimate targets of 
ridicule.  Remember the "Revenge of the Nerds" movies?  Although the nerds 
beat the jocks in the end, do you not think the nerds were rather 
stereotyped in those movies?  I can think of many other instances where 
nerds are made fun of.  And not just in movies.  In real life too.  The 
nerdy-looking kids were always considered weaklings and made fun of.  The 
problems with the justice system would require a longer explanation, but 
not everyone thinks it meets out justice to everyone equally.  The 
attitudes toward house-elves reflects perfectly the attitudes that people 
once had toward slaves in American and I'll warrant that it reflects pretty 
accurately the attitudes the upper classes once had toward the servant 
classes.  In addition, there has always been a fear of those "not like us," 
and a prejudice to cope with that fear.  It's a basic Us/Them psychological 
mind set that is part of being human, wizard or Muggle.  As for Draco and 
Snape getting away with things more so than F and G, think about what goes 
on in our schools (at least our American schools).  In every school, the 
same sort of injustice goes on.  I've seen it myself and I know it goes on 
in my son's school.  I don't want to go off on a tangent about who I think 
gets away with more misbehavior, so I'll leave it at that.

JKR has said that she believes her books are like mirrors.  They reflect 
the beliefs of the reader.  She said this in response to the criticism that 
her books were evil, but I think it can go beyond that.  I think her books 
are definitely like mirrors, reflecting our world.  What I like so much 
about them is that in spite of all the unfairness, injustice and downright 
cruelty, it is still the positive qualities of life that wins out in the 
end: courage, friendship, love, loyalty, responsibility, innocence.  It may 
not work so easily in the real world, but it sure feels good to me when it 
works in the HP books!

Rebecca then said:

>I know what you mean.  As much as I like Harry Potter, I do get wound up 
>about it at times.  The way Muggles
>are treated drives me crazy.  They're just dismissed out of hand most of 
>the time, if not insulted.  And
>even Arthur, who adores Muggle things, ends his affection comments with 
>"bless them" like they're
>children.  Muggles never receive any respect, even by the non-persecutors.

Again, I see this as a reflection of real life.  I've known people who were 
just like Arthur, but about things/people other than Muggle.  I don't see 
Arthur's attitude as being so bad, though.  It's not much different from 
Hagrid's comment about not seeing how Muggles get on without magic.  It's 
part amazement that they can do it.  I think Arthur is as intrigued by the 
Muggle world as Harry was with the wizard world.

>Likewise, I agree with you about the victims.  It's like anyone who is a 
>victim brought it upon
>themselves, especially if they are weak or nervous or meek.

Same as in the real world. How long did it take before rape victims were 
recognized as victims, rather than women who brought the rape on 
themselves?  There are other areas of life where the attitude of victim as 
responsible person still prevails, including some relatively recent ones on 
a world-wide level.

The other thing to consider is that JKR's books are about the wizard world, 
not the Muggle world.  Consequently, she doesn't have to include Muggles in 
anything.  When it's absolutely necessary, Muggles are brought in to help, 
as they were when Sirius escaped from Azkaban.  However, the wizard world 
is careful getting too close to Muggles.  The reason was explained in the 
book.  I think it was Hagrid who told Harry very early on that if Muggles 
knew about the wizards, they'd all be wanted things done by magic.  I also 
don't think they want to interfere with the Muggle world.

If JKR wants to unite the wizard and Muggle worlds in the end, I suppose 
she could, but I'd see that as another rather cheap plot twist.  It's too 
"happy-ever-after," too perfect and too pat, which is not what I'd expect 
from JKR.


Carol Bainbridge
(kaityf at jorsm.com)

http://www.lcag.org