A Fully Realized World (Was: Re:Harry's Seclusion and the Weasley Suspicion)

[curlyhornedsnorkack]

No: HPFGUIDX 123671



reply to "meriaugust" <meriaugust at y...>, message # 123468

> Meri wrote:
>
> I would agree that there are some unsavory parts to the WW, just 
> like there are some unsavory parts to the real world and IMHO JKR 
> did this on purpose to make parallels between the RW and the WW in 
> order to make her world more understandable and accessible. The 
> example of the gnomes is similar to how Muggles would treat a 
> household or garden pest, in fact it is more humane that most 
> Muggle treatments for mice, ants, etc. 


Snorky wrote:   
Yes, except that gnomes appear to be at least as intelligent as
monkeys (walking with heads down because they know they are losing
their homes, carrying their sacks away on sticks.)  |:,(


>Meri wrote:
> This (the treatment of the mandrakes) could be seen as a parallel of
>animal testing (something  I am against) but is also a bit of a fuzzy
>area, seeing as mandrakes are techinically plants, and most people
>don't feel much compunction about cutting up, say, a carrot for their
>personal benefit.
 
Snorky wrote:  
Don't read this answer unless you don't mind silly asides - I'm making
my point at the end of this message.  Real plants may have feelings. I
know some that close quickly when you touch them. Perhaps someone can
start a campaign to eat only inorganic  materials:)


> Meri wrote:
> ...And as for the example of the Muggles being memory charmed, Mr. 
> Roberts and his family were being memory charmed to make them
forget 
> about being attacked and levitated by the DEs, but I am as sure as
I 
> can be that the Obliviators were being as careful as they could when
 > modifying their memories. ...
 
Snorky wrote:  
True, but they are still risking harm to muggles for a game.



> Meri wrote:
> ...Anyway, all of these examples serve to make the WW more like our
> RW. ...

Snorky wrote:  
All very good points, and well argued. The problem is that so far,
except for Hermione who is from the muggle world I haven't noticed
philosophers and gadflies who arguing against the practices I
mentioned.  Dumbledore knows this crassness (lack of ethics?) is 
going to haunt the wizards during the fight with LV because in their
lack of thought they have alienated intelligent creatures,  but I
don't see evidence that Dumbledore  has started to think about the
manifestations of thoughtlessness in his regular world. It seems
obvious from Dumbledore's comments in OOTP that the wizarding world's
lack of introspection(thoughtlessness?) will be a big theme in
the last two books. Of course, since our point of view is almost
always Harry's, and he's a bit oblivious to what's happening around
him at times, we might not know about the WW's gadflies. I hope I
didn't anger you- my sarcastic side gets the best of me sometimes. 
The thought had been nagging at the back of my mind for some time-
that there is something we aren't seeing about the WW world, and 
maybe something we're not seeing about our own. Perhaps we are
supposed to start seeing what we are willing to let by and compromise
to live our comfortable lives. Or (because I love conspiracy theories)
something more even more awful is going on - hence, my human
sacrifice 
comment.

PS: I've been meaning to read Don Quijote. Now I'll start looking 
into it in earnest.