Hermione's rude comment

[severusbook4]

No: HPFGUIDX 74683

Wanda Sherratt wrote:
> So now I find it rather disorienting that Hermione just 
> casually tosses off what in the wizarding world is basically a 
> racial insult, and nothing comes of it. Nobody speaks to her, 
> nobody  comments on it, nobody even raises an eyebrow or 
> looks troubled or  surprised. >>>

Pippin:
> Oh yes, they do.
> 
> "He's not a horse, he's a Centaur!" said Lavender, sounding 
> shocked.
> 
> It isn't the first time Hermione has come out with something 
> like this, either. In PoA  ch. 17:
> 
> "NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been 
> helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too--*he's 
> a werewolf*!" (emphasis Rowling's) 
> 
> Try changing "werewolf" to the  ethnic signifier of your choice 
> and see how it sounds. 
> 
> I think Rowling is trying to show us just how insidious prejudice 
> is. Even a well-meaning person like Hermione can fall prey to 
> stereotyping.

Dawn:
> I think this is probably the most likely explanation, with the 
> possible lead in to something in the forthcoming storylines, but 
> another thought came to me from something said in another thread.  
> 
> It was suggested that Snape was a racist because of one word 
> used when he was being taunted as a teenager (seen in the pensieve), 
> so perhaps JKR might of been dropping a hint that not everything 
> said by a teenage student to another is to be taken as a sign that 
> they are deeply tainted with racist beliefs? >>>>
 

     Actually, I think all of you are off base on this one.  
Hermione's comment is just a truthful one.  So she doesn't like 
horses, so what?  The girls are talking romantically of Firenze, and 
Hermione is stating that she doesn't find him romantically 
attractive because he is part horse.  Clear enough?  I don't like 
dogs as much as I like cats, does that make me predjudiced against 
dogs? No, I just prefer cats.  Hermione is also being catty because 
these girls act like love sick puppies towards a part human (twisted 
if you ask me) and the girls are not high on her friendship list 
either.  I think her reaction is normal and has nothing to do with 
being racist at all, remember she is the first to be singled out in 
the series as a mudblood, a ancestrial slur against her parents. In 
this sense she would be the last to condemn someone on their species 
group.  She just doesn't find him attractive. 'nough said. 


Karen:
> Isn't it possible that Hermione has a fear of horses? It is not 
> that odd a fear. If someone were afraid of horses, a centaur would 
> be pretty intimidating. Also, the Centaurs, by their own choice, 
> wanted to be aligned with the "beasts" not the humans, according to 
> Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. They have actively tried 
> to keep separated from human wizards and other "races". By their 
> own definition, they are superior to the human wizards, so racism 
> could be said to gallop (pardon the pun) through their herds. >>> 

Don't you think the werewolf reference is off base on this one?  
Werewolves will eat you if given the chance and should be feared. I 
don't like large sharks, why? Because if given the chance they will 
try to eat you or rather taste you to see if they want to eat you.  
Does this make me predjudiced against sharks? No, but I don't like 
them, because of their tendencies torward wanting to eat you.  Now 
of course Lupin didn't change in front of them so he could eat them, 
so her fear of him being a werewolf is more the fact he is on Sirius 
Black's side, the werewolf reference is just to cement Harry's 
defence or disliking of him so he wouldn't trust him and let his 
guard down as they had done.

"severusbook4"