Inaugural address and Mandy Croyance on Assumption

[Amanda]

No: HPFGUIDX 97755

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Nora Renka" <nrenka at y...> 
wrote:
> 
> We have canon that Bellatrix was in Slytherin, though; she's in the 
> list of the 'gang of Slytherins who all became Death Eaters' Sirius 
> gives us in GoF.  Agree that not all DEs are Slytherins, but...
<snip>

Mandy Croyance:
I know we have evidence that Bellatrix was in the Slytherin house. 
The main focus of throwing things like that into my article was to 
provoke a response. Yet, I don't agree that Bellatrix is a Slytherin 
at heart. In fact I doubt many people in the Slytherin house deserve 
to be there at all. This is a subject I plan to go into at a later 
date when I too am done with massive school pressures. The geist of 
it is that most purebloods from bigotted families choose to go into 
Slytherin (even though it is recommended for them to be placed 
elsewhere) because they are conditioned to do so. I also plan to 
argue that it is their home condition and not the house that is the 
key factor in turning many 'evil'.  

<snip>
> To make an argument I'm working on in more detail short (it'll be 
> posted when papers/finals/master classes are over), because 
> Slytherins *in general* have the most to gain from following 
> Voldemort.  While blood is not the sole defining characteristic of 
> Slytherin House, we're not sure whether half-blood Tom Riddle is an 
> exception or more widely permitted, but we know that Slytherin won't 
> take Muggleborns. 

Mandy Croyance: 
I also am mulling many of the same ideas. I would like to argue that 
half-bloods are usual but not exceptional. I think that in order to 
be accepted into the house without pure-blood status one would have 
to have increased qualifications (e.g. cunning and ambition). In 
addition, Slytherin was against muggle-borns because he did not trust 
them (a viable stance at the time), but I personally don't remember 
any canon evidence to say he also refused half-bloods. Please prove 
me wrong (I enjoy being proven wrong). 


> My hypothesis?  This kind of exclusion has put a 
> profound damper on any potential corrections or re-engagements 
> provided by an influx of people with new ideas, meaning that 
> Slytherin House has a tendency to a certain cultural homogeneity...
> 
> And cultural homogeneity is something that Voldemort wants. Getting 
> rid of Muggleborns and half-bloods, putting the purebloods in 
> power...this is the agenda that a lot of people in the WW *agreed* 
> with, before Voldemort started killing people and showed how ruthless 
> he is.  Who has the most to gain from this?  The pureblooded.  The 
> rich and pureblooded (Malfoys, Blacks) preserve their status which is 
> challenged by a meritocratic system and an influx of outsiders, the 
> less well-off but still pureblooded (Snape?  perhaps--explains some 
> things) get a gain in status.
> 

Mandy Croyance:
That is a very well developed thesis and I will enjoy it when it is 
published. In many respects you are correct. The situation is very 
much like WWII. Of course it is not the most well thought out plan on 
Voldemort's side. When accomplished it would created a very static 
society in terms of demography. This could not last especially as it 
would also create a class of aristocrats who would gladly remove a 
tyrant from power to assume it themselves. History is a great model 
of the contrariness of rebels.

Inbreeding would become even more integral to the functioning of such 
a society and deformities aboud. As far as we know the wizarding 
world is nowhere near the size of the muggle world and the number of 
pure-blooded families is painfully small. It has already been said 
that wizards would have died out had they not married muggles.
The benefits to the those who follow him will be very rewarding... if 
he wins. This is not an assured fact and would it also not be 
rewarding to any pureblood who sat on the side lines? Ambition likely 
causes some people to actively pursue their goal but if they did not 
they too would still recieve status is Voldemort won, but would lose 
nothing if he lost. It would be unwise to kill them for not 
participating as that would further reduce the availability of 
purebloods to breed and increase inbreeding. I think there are many 
fence sitters who may "change sides" as Voldemort gains power. 

<snip>
> I think that the blood ideology is not merely a mask for an 
> unadulterated power grab, but something significant.  Voldemort has 
> gotten to the point where he really believes his own propaganda...
<snip>

Mandy Croyance:
 While prehaps there is more to it than a 'power grab', I think the 
blood ideology is less integral to Voldemort's plot then it appears. 
Much in the same way that the gentlemen disliked and seperated 
themselves from the poor throughout the centuries I think it is a 
similar tactic. Voldemort certainly believes his own propaganda to a 
point, but whether it has consumed him is debatable. 

Firstly the propaganda is nowhere near properly spread thoughout 
society. Before the American civil war, even many of the slaves 
believed themselves to be inferior to their white masters and few 
even considered running away. We know the situation does not exist 
even close to such. I would go into how Voldemort is doing everything 
wrong, but I will say that I wouldn't be surprised if with age he has 
come to realized there is nothing wrong with muggle-borns except 
their ideas and there is no better way of ralling the troops then by 
exploiting their ignorance of the same fact.


Mandy Croyance

"Some say one must put things into perspective. I encourage taking 
things out of it." – Mandy Croyance (I love quoting myself)