Nel Question #4: Class and Elitism

[northsouth17]

No: HPFGUIDX 125726


 a_svirn:
<snip>
> After all most of us can't help but identify with Muggles – a
> fact that makes muggle/wizard relationship far more interesting
> topic than "magical brethren". Although JKR understandably 
> prefers us to focus on the magical part of the specter, since 
> that way we won't dwell on the fundamental inequality of the 
> Potterverse. 

I wonder if Harry's hatred for the Dursleys is meant to protect him - 
and us - from this inequality. When Harry leaves the Muggle World for 
the WW, he does it without a single look back, and of course he has 
absolutely no reason to, and this way he has no cause to dwell on 
these issues - and to some extent, neither do we since there's just no 
sympathetic Muggle characters for us to feel sorry for. 

Actually, I think that's not strictly ture. We have Petunia - who 
might not be quite sympathetic, but jealousy of Lily's magical 
powers, right back in PS, is very clear and sympathetic. Perhaps the 
Dursleys' harsh treatment of Harry is to some extent to distance 
themseleves from him, thus saving Dudley from reliving Petunia's 
jealousy when Lily turned out to be a witch. If Dudley had looked at 
Harry with anything short of total disdain, he could well be jealous 
of his powers. As it is, it's just another nasty trait of Harry's.

(Hermione has all the problems Harry avoids by being from a 
dysfunctional family. But they're never dealt with except very 
barely "Prefect is something they can understand".)

<snip points 2 and 3>
> 
> 4. Harry is not a member of elite in Hogwarts. But there is no 
> denying that he is a "DD's favourite boy", and that DD is not shy 
> when it comes to playing favourites. 

I'm not sure Hogwarts has much of an elite, but this might be because 
Harry doesn't notice it - because he is part of it, if it exists. 
He's an older student, he's the star of the Quidditch team, he's not 
quite popular, but he's not an outcast either, and beyond that he is 
Harry Potter, who shows up in every end of term speech. 

Overall though, I think the general "popularity" issues within the 
school haven't been touched on. Slytherins are maligned (by the text) 
but not necessarily seen as inferior. Hufflepuff were, a bit, but we 
have strong Huff characters like Cedric, Zacharias Smith, Ernie 
Macmillan and Susan Bones. So I'm not sure what the elite at Hogwarts 
is. It's not the Houses (much), not the prefects, not popularity, not 
academic. Athletic, perhaps. 

<snip>

Northsouth