Individual issues and JKR (was Re: Snape and the "Chosen One" )

[quigonginger]

No: HPFGUIDX 153337

> > > Lupinlore:
> > > Yes, it most certainly is.  Snape is an abuser of children, 
IMO, 
> > > over and out.  And if JKR does not deal with that, then she 
will 
> > > have failed in a reprehensible manner that leaves her books 
good 
> > > for nothing but mulch.
> > 
> > Leslie41:
> > I predict a nicely mulched garden in your future, and an 
extremely 
> > disappointed and horrified Lupinlore.
> >
> 
Lupinlore again:
> Then, as I say, JKR will have failed in an abominable and 
> reprehensible manner by approving of child abuse.  I won't really 
be 
> disappointed, as I rather expect her to fail in such an abominable 
> and contemptible fashion.  But, as you say, gardens do need mulch.
> 
> But how do you expect things to end?  What do you think would be 
> appropriate?  Surely you don't think that the Dursleys, Umbridge, 
and 
> Snape can go unpunished for their reprehensible crimes against 
Harry 
> and the series will still have a moral leg to stand on?

Ginger:
We all have our issues, soapboxes, morals and things of that nature.  
We don't all agree with each other, nor can we expect that JKR will 
agree with each of us on all things.

My personal soapbox, about which I posted here before HBP was JKR's 
treatment of "inbred" people.  I *do* hate that term.  Hasn't someone 
come up with a politically correct term for that yet?

The responses I received indicated to me that most people have the 
same prejudice as JKR.  It's an issue to me because my family tree 
resembles a phone pole.  I am not stupid, nor are my sisters, one of 
whom has a PhD, and the other of whom is almost done getting one.  
Yet people repeatedly put inbred people down as though we are 
automatically stupid and deserve to be treated badly because of our 
blood, which IMO, is no different that treating someone badly because 
of their race.  We can't choose our ancestors.  There's no reason a 
person should be ashamed of one's background, race, religion, gender, 
or other identifying features.  One should only have to be ashamed of 
one's actions, if said actions are bad. 

JKR has shown that her feelings on prejudice, in general, are in tune 
with mine.  I think it has been made clear by her use of Muggle-borns 
and half-bloods in the series.  I fully expected her to straighten 
out the misconception about inbred folks in HBP or book 7.  I didn't 
think she'd let this sort of prejudice stand, let alone feed into it.

As you can see with HBP and her protrayal of the Gaunts, she not only 
believes the stereotype, but perpetuates it and encourages it.

Was I disappointed?  You bet your sweet bippy!  Apparently JKR thinks 
that there are things in the world that need her attention more than 
a mere prejudice that is still socially acceptable.  She is behaving 
according to her time.  CS Lewis was horribly gender biased.  It was 
the accepted standard of his time.  I still like Narnia, although I 
have to read it through a very thick filter. (Don't get me started on 
the theoligical difficulties I have with it- I completely ignore that 
aspect.)

The same holds true for HBP.  I read the portrayal of the Gaunts with 
anger the first time.  Now I just filter that out.  

If JKR doesn't address your issues to your standards, it probably 
means that there are issues that are more important to her than 
sadistic corporal punishment (Umbrigde and her quill), emotionally 
hurting a child (Dursleys) and being snarked at (Snape).

In the end, it comes down to how much we expect others to agree with 
us.  I like the books enough that I can ignore a very personal dig 
and enjoy the rest.

You may not be able to do that.  I don't know your past any more than 
you know mine, but we all have those things that have caused us grief 
in our lives.  Our lives are not each other's nor are they JKR's.  
Her agenda in life is her own.  We can't all expect her to change for 
each of us, no matter how right we think we are (and I do think I'm 
right!), nor can we expect that her soapboxes will be our soapboxes.  

We all tend to look at life through a filter of our experiences.  I 
am particularly sensitive to the inbred issue; you to the abuse 
issue.  We see our issues in places others may not, or may not be 
bothered by them.  This is not to say that they are important, just 
that others have different views and priorities.  I consider Snape a 
very low priority in the grand scheme of things, as JKR considers the 
inbred issue low in hers.  At least you still have a chance with your 
issue.  I think JKR has closed the door on mine.

That's fine.  They're her books.  I can choose to read them or not.  
You can choose to mulch your garden (although it would be nice if you 
gave them to a library so that others who have different priorities 
can enjoy them).  Either way, we can sit here and type paragraphs 
about our pet issues, but if others are unwilling to see our side of 
things, it makes no difference in the end.  And I don't think JKR is 
listening ;)  

Whether, for your own sanity, you choose to have nothing more to do 
with the Potterverse is a personal decision.  If it is truly in your 
best interest to put the books aside and not have anything more to do 
with all things Potter, I hope you do, for your own peace of mind.

Ginger, who has been really restrained on her soapbox issue but just 
wanted to have a say on it.  I don't expect others to agree, and I 
promise (raises right hand), now that I've had my post-HBP say on the 
matter, I will not pound the point unless this generates a thread, in 
which case, I will only clarify my position if asked, and not repeat 
myself ad nauseum (lowers right hand, and wonders if this is also a 
form of prejudice that a lefty like me is expected to raise the 
favoured hand of the predominant population, but decised to let it 
go).