OoP: More on the Slytherin "cariacture"

[Sara_ELL]

No: HPFGUIDX 64967

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett" 
<bard7696 at a...> wrote:

Darrin wrote:
> Forgive me, but I find it a touch presumptious to say that JKR is 
perpetuating a stereotype in a world she created, with rules she has 
set forth and a plan she has had for years.
<snip>

Me:
Fair enough however (IMO), I find it frustruating that throughout 
the series, we have met students from other houses and have seen 
that they do *not* all personify the quality that the sorting hat 
attributes to the houses - with the sole exception of the 
Slytherins. Were every single Ravenclaw short-sighted, in the 
library and top-of-the class, or every Hufflepuff average to a tee, 
I doubt that I'd be interested enough to spend my time on this board 
discussing JKR's terrific stories. We meet an attractive, sporting 
(yet probably bright) Cho at the same time that we're introduced to 
her ultimately double-crossing Ravenclaw friend; the Hogwarts 
champion in the Triwizard contest is (albeit very decently honest) 
Cedric Diggory yet book after book after book, Good!Slytherin 
remains an mythical entity. 


<snip>
Simply put, the current crop of Slyths could all be being trained to 
be evil, and Slyths could have been this way since V-Mort came to 
power and even as far back as when Riddle was at school the first 
time. Remember, even in V-Mort's absence, Lucius has been a school 
governor and in a position to exert tremendous influence. They have 
won the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup many times, indicating hey 
are producing smart, talented kids who will gain even MORE influence 
in the wizarding world. Powerful alumni who have been under the sway 
of V-Mort will then influence the kids.
<snip> 

So... nature + nurture = (Perpetually)Evil!Slytherins?

Lets look at nature - the main criteria that ol'Salazar placed on 
teaching students was their bloodline (ie: pure-bloods vs 
mudbloods). I find it very hard to believe that the sorting hat (a 
surrogate Salazar,if you will) would disregard this when allocating 
a student to Slytherin. (I am aware of the discrepancy regarding 
Voldemorts parentage and house allocation but won't go into that 
here). On the other hand, we do know that simply being pure-blooded 
(as aptly illustrated by the Weasleys & Neville) don't automatically 
mutate into Evil!Slytherins. What about the Slytherin-defining trait 
of ambition then? Dumbledore alludes to aspects of Harry's character 
(resourcefulness, daring?, & ambition)passed onto him by Voldemort 
that are associated with Slytherins but in Harry, obviously a 
postitive attribute. 

On to nurture then (AKA Slytherin House = "Young Death Eaters of 
Tomorrow" Club). Again, having a dark-arts leaning, bullying 
(former?) DE for a house master, a school governor not to mention 
relative *will* influence how you feel about Voldemort and the whole 
Dark Arts business. Yes, the Slytherin common room *could* possibly 
be a hot-bed of illicit Dark magic however, I cannot imagine ALL of 
the Slytherins following down that same path on the grounds of 
probabilty alone. If most of the Slytherins (since Tom Riddle's 
times) ended up being DEs or Dark Wizards, one would have hoped that 
the Ministry of Magic would've caught on by the time that Harry was 
sorted and renamed the house or something.

<snip>
Perhaps there isn't a good Slyth yet because there isn't a good 
Slyth in this current crop. And maybe it's not entirely those kids' 
fault, but that's just how it is. And maybe "uniting" the houses 
means breaking the influences that have corrupted House Slytherin 
and freeing the kids.
<snip>

Me:
Now that I think of it, the whole series is written from Harry's 
point of view and the Evil!Slytherin outbreak I object to, is simply 
a reflection of Harry's prejudicial attitude towards Slytherins in 
general. Perhaps we won't hear about Good!Slytherins until Harry 
himself overcomes these prejudices that are preventing him from 
allowing the houses to unite. Until then, I guess that we're stuck 
with "Gorilla Crabbe & Goyle" and "Pug-like Pansy") and the sceptre 
of Good!Slytherin remains that wisp of a boy who could see the 
Thestrals...


Sara (dog-paddling away in this ocean of posts)