Jewish Goblins?

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 81406

--- EnsTren wrote:
> > Now this is what got me thinking, why would 
> > [the Goblins] be so sensitive when it comes 
> > to galleons?  why do they only work in the bank?
> > 
> > A long long time ago in a place across the sea
> > there were a people banned from owning land and 
> > certain buissnessry.
> > 
> > These were the Jews.  

<snip> 

> > So allow me to allign the Goblin rebellions 
> > with WWI and do you all see how my brain is 
> > working?
> > 
> > The Goblins were forced to work into the bank 
> > because it's a dirty proffession and they might 
> > just owe the MoM a lot of money because of 
> > their rebellions, hence why they are so 
> > sensitive about galleons . . . .

Laura replied:
 
> Well...do you really think JKR would indulge in 
> such a hackneyed stereotype?  I know she's been 
> accused of doing just that with the Irish and the 
> Bulgarians but I don't see it.  I especially don't 
> see that she would indulge in hurtful cartoon-like 
> portrayals of the sort you suggest-I just think 
> it's inconsistent with her ethos.

<snip>

> JKR describes the goblins, IIRC, as ugly and clever.  
> Do you really think she's trying to draw a parallel 
> to Jews?  After all, I know plenty of Jews who are 
> neither...in fact, I'm related to a bunch who 
> would fail to meet the latter descriptive term.  :-)

Although I suppose EnsTren could answer more reliably, I think that
you are misunderstanding his/her post.  The point, as I read it, is
not that the Goblins are supposed to *represent* Jews, but that the
*discrimination* against the Goblins is reminiscent of a certain brand
of anti-Semitism -- demonizing (goblinizing?) an entire group because
some members are successful in business or, particularly, in finance
("How now, Shylock, what news among the merchants"!).  In this sense,
EnsTren's point is similar to the prior thread discussing how various
brands of "otherness" in the books can be analogized to the otherness
felt by members of the gay/lesbian community (see post # 77983 and its
progeny).  Neither claim requires JKR to have intended any precise
symmetry, much less that she have "indulged in" a stereotype.  But,
given the prevalence of prejudice and discrimination as themes in the
books, it is rather difficult to believe that Rowling does not intend
us to draw *any* connection to prejudices in the real world.

It is perfectly clear, as you say, that Rowling disapproves of such
attitudes, in the RW and in the books.  It is perfectly reasonable to
predict that the injustice of such prejudice and discrimination will
continue to be a major theme in books 6 and 7.  And I do not think
that she will feel the need to tighten any of the metaphorical
connections EnsTren senses (there will be no goblin "Rosenblum" or
"Kravitz"), because Rowling knows she can trust her readers (yes, even
the young ones) to recognize enough of the allegory.  

-- Matt

P.S.: Laura definitely misread EnsTren in attributing to him/her a
claim that "2 Jews were in charge of the German government before
WWII."  What EnsTren said was that "prior to World War two Jews were
in control of the German goverment."  Notwithstanding the punctuation,
it is clear that the "two" was in reference to "World War II" and not
to "two Jews."