Outsider critique? (Was: Snape's abuse)

nrenka nrenka at yahoo.com
Wed Jun 29 17:59:02 UTC 2005


No: HPFGUIDX 131676

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, hells456 <hells456 at y...> wrote:

> Hells:
> 
> I think what Del was saying is that you can't judge one society by 
> another's standards. Whatever our personal views we can't judge the 
> wizarding world by our muggle standards.

This is the crux of the matter, a fundamental issue on which Del and 
others (including myself) will disagree at base.

I think that regarding behavior, it is eminently possible to critique 
actions (and intentions) from any number of moral perspectives, 
including ones which are decidedly *not* those internal to the 
society, including the laws.

One of JKR's major major points seems to be that breaking rules (or 
the laws of the wizarding world) is sometimes Good in the pursuit of 
greater Good.  That's why she's relatively unsympathetic to those who 
toe the strict legal line, even when it leads them away from what 
they should be doing.

Within the story, we are (in my reading) often asked to critique what 
is going on, from a number of different perspectives.  I'll give a 
precis of two characters who seem the most important:

Hermione is the talented outsider come in to make her way in the 
wizarding world.  She thus brings in a moral sensibility not 
necessarily founded in this world--and she has strong objections, 
hence S.P.E.W.  Now I would argue that Hermione is certainly 
committing a number of sins of the crusader, such as inadequate 
consideration of custom and wishes of those she wants to help, but 
nonetheless she's been partially validated by Dumbledore's comments 
at the end of OotP (those about wizards and their lessers).

Dumbledore is an insider to society, in powerful position--but also 
something of an outsider as he's in touch with the Muggle world and 
thus likely various ideas from it that seem lacking in the WW, such 
as human rights.  [Side note: JKR herself takes the International 
Declaration of Human Rights veddy seriously.]  He's a social critic 
in how he runs Hogwarts, speaking against the Dementors, telling 
Fudge he puts too much emphasis on blood, etc.

IMO, a reading which just says "Oh, that's WW practice and Snape is 
just following it so it's okay" ignores the ethical problems of abuse 
of authority and a sadistic personality.  However, flaying him on the 
model of modern (whatever) education ignores the cultural context and 
social approval.

A middle path is, of course, less exciting but eminently possible.  
To completely dismiss outsider critique is to cut off one of the most 
powerful forces for much-needed reform--Voice.

-Nora hunts for her copy of E. O. Hirschmann, "Exit, Voice, and 
Loyalty"






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