[HPforGrownups] The permanent problem with Slytherin House

[Silverthorne]

No: HPFGUIDX 99207


Nora:

The Sorting Hat tells us in OotP that Slytherin only wanted students
of the finest ancestry.  In other words, he not only distrusted the
Muggleborn (told us in CoS), but he considered blood a real
requirement to be a student of his.

Plain and simple, this is prejudiced. ...Discrimination by ancestry is an
inherent part of the founding ideology of Slytherin House, and it lingers
strongly to this day.  This is not to say that all Slytherins are
necessarily evil--but so far as they identify fully with this ideology, I
have to conclude that are evil in that respect.



Silverthorne:
Okay, I can see where that is easy to assume--after all, JKR has only given
us concrete evidence of the 'negative' Slytherins..and it's probably 100%
intentional. After all, as with the arguements about Sirius/Snape, someone
has to have the 'black' part of the black and white veiwpoint pinned firmly
on them. I won't argue whether or not Salazar intended *only* pure blooded,
ambitious (dare we even say back stabbing)  students to be in his house--I'm
sure he did. It was after all what caused him and the other three to break
it off...but I have to say that unless JKR is going back on her own themes
of "just because you're *this label*, it doesn't mean you are *this way*.
And if she is, well, then she's shot herself in the foot a bit I think by
making *all* of Slytherin 'bad' (prejudiced in this case).

However, I tend to think that despite what Salazar wanted, he had the other
three founders *and* the Hat's ideals to contend with...which means that
despite all his efforts, Salazar is going to end up with students in 'his'
house that do not meet some of his requirements, whether it be evil,
backstabbing, overt ambition...or the snobbishness of depending on 'Blood
Purity'....centuries have passed, and so has Salazar's grasp on the
House--what keeps it where it is now is *not* 'his' ideals--but those of the
pure blooded families living in the past....and I doubt, even though all
we've seen is the worst of the house, that *all* slyths are 'evil' and
'prejudiced'.--that assumption on the part of outsiders is just as
prejudiced in the other direction as the supposed Slytherin ideal...and it
makes me wonder if that's what helped feed into the hatred and rivalry
between the five boys we so love to anaylize and try to figure out just who
was right, wrong, mean, justified, whatever (as well as other non-slyths in
regards to how they treated and interacted with Slyths over the years). I
mean, geez, we're STILL having problems with the homosexuality issue even
though in theory, we're 'getting better' about it. Or try RL Wiccan
practitioners--I still get called either a Satanist or delusional--and the
people saying that have no clue what they're putting down. I'm sure in some
cases (Rowling's insistence on showing us only 'bad' slyths
not-with-standing), there are Slyths that do not deserve the rep their
founder and his **fanatical** supporters have created over the centuries...


Nora:
I used to not think that the blood issue was so major in the
Potterverse, but I'm more and more convinced that it *is* the
driving ideology of the current conflict--and what it will take is,
in part, Slytherins willing to repudiate the ideology of their
House.

Slytherin House must cease to exist. :)


Silverthorne:
No, it doesn't need to cease to exist--it needs a damned face lift...^^ And
probably some social counciling...lol. I do have to agree though that two
things needs to happen ASAP--the pure blood idealogy needs to take a
freaking hike, first of all--I have to agree full heartedly with that. Just
because you happen to be 'royalty', does not make you 'god'. As soon as we
can get a generation of Slyths that can get that predominantly into their
head, we'll be okay...AND the other houses need to back off and give those
Slyths that would be willing to step out of their box a chance--I dont know
about any of you, but most teens aren't going to step out of their own
stereotypes for the sake of a bunch of other kids who hate them anyway....I
know that I sure as hell wasn't interested in 'proving them wrong' when they
were always picking on me because I wasn't like them in school. My first
thought was 'hell with them--I'll stick with my few friends who really know
what I'm like--and it's nothing like what those bozos over there are
thinking...'

Incidently, anyone notice that our favorite Slyth to hate has only ever once
indulged in 'Mixed blood' bashing--and that was when he was young and
suspended upside down in an embarrasing situation? People say and do a lot
of things they don't mean when they feel hurt, trapped and completely shat
upon...something to think about for all of you arguing the validity of
whether or not Snape's (or any Slyths) feelings at that moment were
valid...he's still human, guys. Maybe not the nicest human in the world even
then, but if you think the Fab Four giving him the treatment they did would
have taught him a damned thing other then to continue to be hateful right
back, you're out of your mind. Hate breeds hate--and it's never right, no
matter *how* much you think the other person 'deserves' it.

It's not just the Slyths that will have to change, guys--it's the whole
freaking system.

Anne/Silverthorne