Changing the WW (was Snape's abuse )

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 131736

Lupinlore:
> I think the effects of the war with Voldemort would be the only 
> realistic catalyst for change in the WW.  Even Dumbledore, after
> all, seems to accept the corruption of his society as something he
> cannot change (witness his toleration of Snape).  Perhaps the war
> will force the WW to make new alliances and shift its attitudes in 
> order to survive.  Perhaps the "anti-werewolf legislation" for 
> instance, will become a point of contention, and the status of the
> House Elves be a major point.

Jen: Dumbledore did not choose to go the route of entering the 
formal political structure to pursue social change. But he is the 
strongest individual advocate for change in the WW through his post 
as headmaster. No one else holds the power he does to shape the WW 
of the future. 

The largest population of House Elves in Britain employed safely at 
Hogwarts? Check. The largest herd of centaurs safely ensconced in 
the Forbidden Forest? Check. 

Rare beasts such as the unicorns find safety at Hogwarts. 
Unemployable members of the wizarding world find opportunity. And 
most important of all, ALL witches and wizards are welcome at 
Hogwarts regardless of heritage.

Dumbledore does not accept the 'corruption of his society as 
something he cannot change,' it's just that his methods are gradual 
rather than apocalyptic in nature.

Lupinlore:
> Part of it may be a cultural thing.  The Potter books are set in
> the tradition of the British public school story.  There is no
> equivalent to that in the American literary tradition.  I suppose
> the Horatio Alger stories are similar in some ways, but they are
> much more positive and lighter in tone than the Potter saga has
> turned out to be.  To an American audience, portrayal of a world 
> like the WW often is a signal that social change (or at least 
> institutional change) will be a major theme of the story.  I don't
> know if that is the same in other countries.  Perhaps to JKR the
> social change theme doesn't seem as obviously inherent in the
> setting.  And maybe I'm just full of it.

Jen: Social change as a possible major theme didn't strike me until 
reading MAGIC DISHWASHER on this site. I certainly didn't read the 
first four books as anything other than the Hero's journey mythology 
set in a unique environment. But in a very subtle way JKR is 
advocating the most crucial change of all---inside each person is 
the capacity to choose good over evil, right over easy. This is the 
basis for true social change, much more than a forced political or 
legal change within a cultural system. Granted, sometimes the forced 
change has to come before individual change evolves, but starting 
anywhere in the system can have a significant effect.