[HPforGrownups] Re: Giants

[Wendy St John]

No: HPFGUIDX 66084

This message doesn't appear to have made it through the first time I posted
it. My apologies if it ends up coming through twice . . .  

Sabrina wrote:
"I agree that it seems strange that the prejudices against Giants seem to
be based on truth, but then how can you really say what is normal or not.
In the Giants' society their behaviour is obviously normal - same as it was
during the stone ages with humans, I suspect - and the WW goes and measures
the Giants' society on their own and the Giants obviously come away short.
But we also hear that the Giants already have their own problems that
because of the constant fighting and backstabbing they are nearly extinct.
IMO that only shows what is the worst that could happen if Voldemort wins.
(I know that's a long shot.)"
 
 
Now me (Wendy):
 
For what it's worth, my interpretation on the imminent demise of the giants
is NOT that they have an innate problem with constant fighting and
backstabbing. Because of their status (or non-status) in the Wizarding
World, and the treatment they have received by wizards, all the giants have
been forced to live together in a relatively small area, which is the
primary cause of the constant fighting and backstabbing. As you said, the
WW has measured their society against Wizarding society, which is not
always a reasonable thing to do. If the giants had been left alone to live
spread out as they did once, they would not now be in danger of becoming
extinct. Instead, there would (my speculation) be small groups of giants
living here and there in relative peace. It's an example of perfectly
normal territoral behaviour, IMO. It reminds me of lions - a pride will
live together in relative harmony, having established a comfortable social
order. If another lion comes into the territory, the dominant male will
defend his territory and drive the new male away. This assumes, however,
that the other male has somewhere to go. If you were to put several prides
of lions together in a small area, they would fight and kill one another
until there were only as many lions left as the area could comfortably
support. While seeing lions massacre themselves in this situation would be
disturbing, I don't think any of us here would offer that as proof that
lions are generally horrible and deserve to become extinct. I think that is
what is happening to the giants. And the blame for this, again IMO, can be
placed squarely on the heads of the wizarding society which has forced them
away from their natural lifestyle. I will admit that this "natural"
behavior would argue against their standing as "beings" - they seem rather
more like "beasts" to me. But that doesn't absolve the WW from treating
them poorly. Another eco-lesson, perhaps?
 
Cheers,
Wendy