[HPforGrownups] The Sorting Hat (Was: The permanent problem with Slytherin House)

[Lady Macbeth]

No: HPFGUIDX 99428

Silverthorne  wrote :

Now that I've had *that* rude little awakening...I have to say that I
honestly *do* believe JKR is shooting herself in the foot--if we're to
believe that this *is* one of the absolute criteria the Hat is using for
Slytherin...that means she really *has* set up the House, as a whole, to be
'evil'...no wonder she doesn't understand fans identifyng with it--they
bought into her whole 'Looks aren't everything' thing and applied it even to
the House that it should not be applied to,  if we're following the hats
(her) rules.

Lady Macbeth replies:

But what you're suggesting there is that being pureblood makes someone
automatically "evil".  It's the same argument I have with people who are
quick to label people of any group "evil" just because they fall under the
label of that group.  It should be noted that Slytherins are also, by Hat
traits, cunning and ambitious - both of those words tend to take on negative
connotations with the average person, but neither is inherently "bad" in and
of itself.  Americans pride themselves on cunning and ambition.  (Wait a
minute...I think I just contradicted myself...)

I think what worries Jo about fans identifying with Slytherin house is that
she can't be certain that all of those fans have looked beyond the surface -
would YOU want to hang around with someone who, for all practical purposes,
acted like a total arse to anyone who was different than them, made
prejudices based on name alone, randomly attacked people for no apparent
reason and belittled weaker people?  Probably not.  But, that's what we've
been offered out of Slytherin House, as far as canon goes.  And, with the
exception of Draco Malfoy and his parents, we've no good reason to believe
any Slytherins are even "pretty" or "good looking".

Digging below the surface, however, people start to see themselves.  Some
people use group affiliation as a defensive mechanism.  People LIKED the
Nazis when they first started out, after all - the Nazi party was a
NATIONAL, SOCIALIST party - they promoted better life for the average German
person.  No they didn't want Jews in their country - Jews were (in their
eyes) destroying their country and the morality of the German people.  The
same was said for gypsies, homosexuals, and even people who had abortions.
Salazar Slytherin was not that far off that same mark - he wanted what was
good for the WIZARDING people.  Muggles, especially in that time, were a
THREAT.  Did he honestly have any reason to believe that muggle-born
students wouldn't bring muggle influence to Hogwarts with them?  No.

But, like the Nazi party, Slytherin house has gotten carried away.  It's
spawned leaders like Voldemort who push to the extremes and walk the fine
line between genius and insanity.  It's taken a good but flawed goal and
twisted it into a dangerous mechanism against other people.  People today
can claim to be Nationalists, or Socialists, but they are hesitant at best
to even admit that they see any good in the Nazi party.  The same has
happened to Slytherin house.  It's not a "bad" thing for wizards to be
called "purebloods".  The Weasleys are purebloods.  We all noticed in Order
of the Phoenix that at least one Weasley took his ambition for success to
the point that he alienated himself from the rest of the family.  The Blacks
are purebloods.  The Blacks were notorious for their various goals in
ambition. The Malfoys are purebloods - and not at all lacking in ambition.
But, in their world, it IS a bad thing to be called "Slytherin".

I think that's why Slytherin is a house that Jo would be worried about her
fans emulating - because to do so, we have to read deep into what motivates
a Slytherin, or else be the crappy kind of person they are on the surface.

-Lady Macbeth


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