In defense of considering pureblood preference racism

[sofdog_2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 106985

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "arrowsmithbt" <arrowsmithbt at b...> 
wrote:
> Um. Where to start? Not that I don't agree that prejudice looms large
> in the Potterverse, it most definitely does. But race-linked prejudice,
> that I'm not so sure about. One of the problems is that everybody knows
> about racism, but other forms of prejudice tend to get forgotten, just
> because they're not so evident in our own society; not so evident
> doesn't mean they don't exist.
> 
> JKR goes to great pains to include a spread of racial types among the
> students with no indication that there is any conflict or unpleasantness.
> In general terms racially motivated hatred requires identifiers that can
> be easily picked out. This isn't so easy in the WW - although I did once
> theorise that any adult pureblood would never be seen in any other
> clothes except robes (Madam Malkin - robes for *all* occasions) - my
> emphasis.
> But on the whole the WW is presented as racially harmonious.
> 
> Except of course for Muggles and Mudbloods. But are they a race?
> I don't think so - I think that what we have here is a caste system.
> And in a caste system racial origins don't count for much, but one's
> inherited status in society does. By  virtue of bloodlines one caste
> rules - always (until they're knocked off) and other castes are
> designated as hewers of wood and drawers of water - and they'd
> better learn to like it! Or else!
> 
> Make no mistake, an hierarchy of castes can be just as nasty as
> any other kind of prejudice, in some ways even more so, because
> those at the bottom of the pile aren't just there to be despised,
> they're there to be *used*  at the whim of those higher up the
> ladder. That's the effect of an entrenched caste system, no
> matter what name you call it by - feudalism or religion or class.
> 
> And this attitude is more widespread than just DEs and Slytherins.
> Remember Mr Roberts? Poor bloody farmer whose fields were the
> venue for the World Cup? Nobody bothered in the slightest  that 
> his memory blasted every few hours. He was considered as a 
> nuisiance more than anything else - he was being used. So by the
> way, are the Dursleys, at least as far as we can tell. A cuckoo is
> dumped in their nest - no choices are offered; "You will do this." 
> 
> Of course in the WW purebloods are on a hiding to nothing,
> drawing their pathetic rags of justification around themselves,
> because for the system to become full-blown it requires that
> power be centralised in the higher castes - and it isn't. Magic is
> a highly personal, integral power that cannot be cancelled once
> it has manifested itself. "Power  grows out of the tip of a wand" -
> to paraphrase a RW mass murderer. So mudbloods can laugh  at 
> the pretentions of purebloods; they will not be imposed upon.
> 
> Muggles are still losers - at least for now. But if the WW maintains
> or even intensifies it's separation from the Muggle world, that
> will become moot.
> 
> It'll be interesting to see what happens.
> 
> Kneasy



SOF: I couldn't disagree more with this assessment. The Pureblood/Muggleborn 
conflict is clearly racism, not a caste system. If it were a caste system, both groups 
would be aware that they were partcipating in it and know there places. Wizards take 
great pains to conceal themselves from the Muggle population at large. Strangely, 
both groups share national pride yet they don't share a currency system or 
infrastructure of any kind. The fact that Rowling hasn't presented any color-based 
racism doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. It's hard to believe that those who grow up 
in the Muggle world would entirely abandon their upbringing in favor of a life of 
magic. Prejudices acquired in a Muggle life must seep into the Magical world. Many 
people maintain prejudices without making overt expressions. 

There is clearly a caste system within the magical world. House-elves were created 
specifically to draw water and hew wood. The laws that restrict them are strikingly 
similar to the laws governing American slaves (ie. no possession of wands). Add to 
that the standard case of the Malfoys and Blacks - wealthy snobs - looking down on 
the Weasleys, et al.  - the poor. This parallels the Muggle world, but doesn't include 
it. 

The attack on the Roberts family was the equivalent of a lynching in the American 
segregation era. They were picked on because they were isolated, outnumbered and 
unable to defend themselves. 

The Dursleys definitely had a choice with Harry. If they rejected him - gave him over 
to the state to be fostered - Harry would have been defenseless maybe, but it was an 
option available to them. It is the only thing that speaks well of the Dursleys, that 
they kept Harry for his own sake. 

It seems to me that the core reason Wizards work so hard to stay under the Muggle 
radar is to keep themselves from being hunted down and killed off. Mass hysteria 
leads to ugly things. Ron's comment that Wizards needed to intermarry in order to 
keep from dying out indicates that they are a significant minority of the human 
population. If sure if provoked, Muggles would find away to wipe them out.