Hermione's Hypocrisy?(long)

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 129174

> 
> >>Betsy:
> <snip>
> >But I think Hermione is trying, and I also think that empathy is 
the 
> thing that comes very hard to her.<
> 
> >>a_svirn:
> >Is it though? I seem to remember a number of occasions when she 
> experienced no difficulty empathizing.<
> <snip of examples>
> 
> Betsy:
> Not on the first level, no.  Just as a refresher course, here is 
> Sophierom's three levels of empathy (see message 129070).
> >1. I try to step into your shoes, as it were; I ask myself how I
> would feel if I were in your position.
> 2. I step back and try to understand how YOU actually feel in this
> situation.
> 3. Finally, I ask, WHY do you feel the way you do?<
> 
> In the examples you listed, I think once Hermione figured out how 
> *she'd* feel in that situation, she had a pretty good grasp on how 
> the other person was feeling.  <snip>

a_svirn:

Can't agree with you here. She certainly tries (and succeeds) to 
understand how do Hagrid and Remus actually feel. What does it mean 
for them to be a half-giant and a werewolf. This is step two: "I 
step back and try to understand how YOU actually feel in this 
situation".


House-elves have such a different way 
> of looking at the world, they demand the second level if one has 
hope 
> of understanding them.  Hermione, in my opinion, has yet to reach 
> that level.
> 
> 
> >>a_svirn:
> <snip> 
> >Because you see, SPEW is not about elves it is about Hermione's 
self-
> justification. In itself her need to justify herself is not such a 
> bad thing. She was struck by realisation that she with her fine
> principles had actually benefited from the slaves' labour...
> <snip>
> >She needed something, anything to reconcile her consciousness 
with 
> the continuing use of slaves. So she devised SPEW.<
> <snip>
> 
> Betsy:
> This strikes me as too cynical.  I think Hermione came to the 
> conclusion that her refusal to eat, or her leaving Hogwarts would 
> change nothing. (Which is correct.  She's a no-name muggleborn;
> who'd care if she starved or left?) Hermione wants to bring about 
> change.  She thinks SPEW is the way to do it. Period.

a_svirn:
So you think that if a pureblood, say, Ginny started SPEW she would 
be more successful? Somehow I doubt it.