Salazar & Slytherin(was Re: Draco and Slytherin House (was: Harsh Morality)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 121742


Alla: 
I have a feeling that Theo will be Slytherin from core to core, 
just more independent thinker than many and that is what IMO we need 
for Slytherin, someone not to follow the croud.
 
 
Potioncat:
I snipped a very interesting conversation.  Do go upthread and read 
it if you haven't.

Alla, are you saying Theo will be as "bad" as the other Slytherins, 
just more independent or are you saying he won't hold the Pure-blood 
ideology?
 
My thoughts on Slytherin House....taking several steps back and 
looking at this as a work of fiction,  OK?

The author could be writing a story in which part of what she does 
is show the value of courage and the danger of ambition.  She does 
that by having the Gryffindors be kind and good and victorious in 
all they do while the Slytherins are cruel and slimey and generally 
defeated in their efforts. (I'm over simplifying this) 
Or the author could be showing us the dangers of stereotyping a 
group by setting us up to think the Slytherins are all bad, but then 
has someone surprising or several someones show up as not what we 
expected. 
 
And given that most of JKR's characters are teens and teens often 
sort others into groups, this could be what she is doing. After all, 
did anyone expect the Hogwarts champion to come from Hufflepuff?



Alla:

Hmmm, what I meant by Theo being independent is that he will be 
smart enough to think for himself and yes, figuring out that "we are 
better because we have better blood in our veins than some other 
people" may not be the best way to go in life for the decent person.

Him being Slytherin from core to core can mean that he WAS following 
Slytherin ideology before, but decided to reassess his life 
ambitions.

Going to your point about what kind of story JKR writes. I sincerely 
hope that it is the second - the danger of stereotyping. After all - 
the stereotype "Gryffindors are all good" was destroyed quite 
effectively  wasn't it by appearance of Peter (unless you believe in 
good Peter of course, which I don't) in PoA.

But it was done in book 3, right? We already had five books to go, 
so if JKR plans on destroying "Slytherins are all bad" stereotype 
she better hurry up.(NO, I don't think that their ideology is bad 
can be considered stereotype, because IMO it smells very badly) But 
people in that House surely cannot be all idiots who blindly follow 
the path of Malfoys and the likes of them?

That bit about Theo not following the croud on her site gives me 
some hope.

I do think though as I stated a few times that putting 
aside "pureblood ideology" JKR simply dislikes ambition as character 
trait, which if it is true, is a bit dissapointing, because I think 
fo her as a very ambitious lady in a very best sense of this word.

Remember which trait she values the most? Courage, not ambition, not 
anything else, courage.

Again, I think Houses will dissappear at the end, because I simply 
don't see her putting Slytherin on equal footing with anybody else, 
even if they will let go of their "purebloodness' thing.

Just my opinion,

Alla