The permanent problem with Slytherin House

[corinthum]

No: HPFGUIDX 99224

Nora wrote:

> 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.  I've seen people try to argue 
> around the Pureblood thing not being bigoted/discriminatory.  If 
> anyone here knows a good explication of this position, send it to me-
> -every single one I've read has ducked the issue of essentialism.

I believe the pureblood idea started as one of self-preservation.  The
Wizarding World originally decided to go into hiding because, magic
powers or no, they were losing the battle to magic-fearing Muggles. 
By accepting Muggle-born witches and wizards into their society, the
Wizarding World is keeping open a path between themselves and this
potential danger.  If the Wizarding World became exclusive, allowing
no non-legacy members, then eventually they could become completely
cut off from the Muggle world, and thus be ensured safety from it.  I
believe this was Slytherin's original motivation, rather one of
unfounded prejudice.  Which doesn't make the idea right, but it does
seem more understandable.

Based on the Sorting Hat's most recent song, it seems that all the
founders except Ms. Hufflepuff wanted to exclude a portion of young
witches and wizards from the school.  Slytherin wanted only
purebloods, of course.  What about the others?   

Gryffindor wanted only those "with brave deeds to their name".  Not
brave young witches and wizards, or those with the potential for
bravery, but those with brave deeds to their name.  I think this means
one of two things.  One, the child has already proven his- or herself
with a brave deed of some sort.  Unlikey, before the age of eleven. 
Which leaves a second possiblity: a brave deed has already been
committed by someone of the same name, i.e. an ancestor of the young
witch or wizard.  What's that?  Gryffindor wanted to choose pupils on
the basis of their ancestry?  Inconceivable!

And then there's Ravenclaw, who wanted only those "whose intelligence
is surest".  Hmm, can I twist this one to be ancestry-related?  Of
course.  Again, the line doesn't specify that the child be
intelligent, but rather that intelligence is a strong possiblity,
either now or in the future.  Now what would one use to determine
whether or not a child had the potential to excel?  

Even if you don't want to accept the idea that Gryffindor and
Ravenclaw discriminated on the basis of ancestry, it's seems pretty
obvious that they did disciminate, just as Slytherin did.  Does that
mean that all students except Hufflepuffs are doomed to be horrible,
disciminating people?  Well, according to you...


Nora again: 

> 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.

I don't remember any evidence that says all Slytherins share this
ideology.  Nowhere does Slytherin say he wanted only those who
respected only purebloods.  He simply wanted purebloods.  I think it's
very possible that there are ambitious, pureblooded wizards who were
sorted into Slytherin on the basis of these two qualities but who do
not share the idea that this makes them superior to their classmates.
 We can't judge everyone by the company they keep, especially when
said company is forced upon them by the sorting process.

That said, what the founders wanted and how the hat currently
interprets those ideas seem to be quite different.  Tom Riddle ended
up in Slytherin house, despite his mixed blood.  Neville Longbottom,
who has hardly shown any magical ability, much less accomplished brave
deeds in his first ten years of life, ends up in Gryffindor, as does
Ron, who also hasn't shown any signs of heroism yet and doesn't even
have any parental brave deeds to gain him acceptance.  Hermione shows
obvious signs of intelligence well before being sorted, and yet ends
up in Gryffindor rather than Ravenclaw.  

Perhaps the current Hogwarts students aren't really as closely tied to
the ideologies of their house's founders as some think?

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. :)

Does removing the label of a bottle change the poison inside?  Getting
rid of Slytherin House won't change the problem.  Sure, the truly
prejudiced might have to work a little harder to find those who share
their ideology.  But find them they will.  The problem of prejudice is
much more deeply rooted than some silly school label, and will be much
harder to kill than simply eliminating a house.  Not only must the
Houses themselves be eliminated, so must the idea of categorizing
people based upon singular traits, and judging people based solely on
a label bestowed at the age of eleven.

-Corinth