Shades of Grey/Good Slytherin

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 131497

Juli wrote:
> It seems to me some fans tend to see the characters in Harry
> Potter as either all black or all white (i.e., all good or all 
evil). I
> find it interesting when JKR has gone to such lengths to create
> shades of grey in her characters--Snape, Peter, Sirius, Dumbledore,
> Hermoine, Lupin, etc, etc, straight on to Harry himself. In fact, 
> without those shades of grey I don't think the HP series would be
> anything more than another run of the mill children's fantasy
series,
> if it even got beyond the first book or two. 


Alla:

Juli, I of course can speak for myself only, but  it is not  that I 
see characters in JKR's world to be black and while, but I do think 
that JKR beliefs system is much less grey than  many fans tend to 
think. I am prepared to eat my words, of course.

I asked that question earlier, but I will ask it again.

Do you have any doubt that Dumbledore's side is  GOOD side and 
Voldemort's side is BAD side?
Now, sure characters who inhabit both sides could be grey, but I do 
believe that lines are drawn quite clearly and for example 
philosophy 
of "pureblood" superiority is drawn as philosophy of bad guys.

 
> >>Neri:
> >And the whole mistrust argument doesn't really hold water, IMO. 
> Wouldn't it be the Muggle-born wizards who were the most 
vulnerable 
> to muggle persecution, not having magical teaching in how to 
control 
> their magic and how to hide or protect themselves?<
> 
> Betsy Hp:
<SNIP>
  Yes, muggle-born wizards were in 
> more danger than pure-bloods.  But muggle-born wizards also had 
the 
> strongest ties to muggles.  They had their feet in two different 
> worlds and therefore were more likely to become traitors.


Alla:

Betsy, wasn't your initial argument that Salazar was somehow 
RATIONAL in not trusting muggleborns because he was saving his 
fellow wizards from muggle persecution.

I say ( hopefully it is the same what Neri says) that it does 
not hold water  because  those kids were also wizards, who were most 
likely to fall under the  threat of persecution.

If I misread you, could you clarify please?

Salazar may have thought that muggleborns would become traitors, but 
it does not mean that he was somehow justified in such thinking. 


> >>Neri:
> >Salazar was apparently ready to let them burn because they 
weren't 
> pure enough.<
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> They weren't *trustworthy* enough is how I'd see it.


Alla:

OK, let's rephrase Neri's sentence. Salazar was apparently ready to 
let them burn because " they weren't trustworthy" enough. Somehow I 
don't see how it makes Salazar's ideas sound less horrible.


Potioncat:
Well, if she goes with the Ambition as Bad, you're right. And we all 
have to remember: no real child was actually harmed by being sorted 
into Slytherin. Either way, I can't wait!


Alla:

Yep, I agree with you, Potioncat, I absolutely do. I think that both 
paths are equally possible, but I am more inclined to think of "A 
few 
good Slytherin" scenario, not all of them. Although I most certainly 
can see Theo  and /or Blaise among them.


I cannot wait either.

Alla.