[HPforGrownups] re: Color Symbolism and animagi

[Irene Mikhlin]

No: HPFGUIDX 44508

 Daharja XXX  wrote:

>
> Actually, I was referring to the Snake in OT *mythology*, not language.
It's >indisputable that the Serpent is associated with femaleness (the story
of Eve, for >example!)

And I always thought that the story of Eve and the Serpent was a seduction
allegory?
But of course I can't say it's indisputable, just my impression.

>not only in the OT, but also throughout much of Western mythology. In Pagan
>mythology, the Serpent is sacred to the Goddess.

Obviously it was a mistake on my part to enter the symbolism discussion. I'm
in over my head and I'll stick to Snape from now on <g>. But I can't help
it, it seems that with the right choice of symbols it's possible to come to
any conclusion.
For example, I could argue that because the raven is an evil symbol in
russian tradition, Ravenclaw must be an evil house.

>
> Irene wrote:
> <<Here we go again. But the house currently managed by a woman is the most
> important/noble/popular/what not? How inconvinient. But of course
McGonagall
> does not really move the plot or whatever is the excuse that allows to
write
> her off.>>
>
> I was actually discussing the house colours and attributes, so McGonagall
*is* pretty much irrelevant to the topic, but when one is keen to discredit
an argument, irrelevancies do have a habit of creeping in!

No, I was not trying to discredit an argument. If your argument was about
the balance
of male and female in the canon  - it is all about personal perceptions and
I would
never try to convince anyone that my way of interpreting things is the only
way.

> Finally, is JKR aware of the sexual bias in her books and is it
>intentional?

But if you insist that the sexual bias in the books is a *fact* and the only
thing that
is left to discuss is whether JKR exploited the sexist status quo or the
status quo exploited her psyche, I do have problems with this argument.
Because somehow the subset of the canon used to support it is always defined
in such way that makes the current Head of Gryffindor irrelevant. I was
mistaken about your specific definition, that's all.

Irene