Compassionate hero (WAS Re: Appeal of the story to the reader)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 175978

> >>Magpie:
> > <snip>
> > The good guys have social power in the books, and they find it   
> > vulgar. They are not racists themselves (many readers find them   
> > bigoted, but it seems like the text says they aren't). 

> >>Nora: 
> There's Fudge, as well (comments Dumbledore makes about his        
> valuation of blood, and comments Molly makes about those who have   
> an interest in Muggle things being passed over), although, to be   
> slightly snide, I can already see how those references can and will 
> easily be tossed onto the "token reference/JKR is trying but        
> doesn't convince me that it's really a problem/etc." barge.

Betsy Hp:
Rather than tossing scenes onto the "please ignore" barge, I'd 
instead question then, the scenes where the "good guys" use magic to 
frighten or "prank" muggles.

This is actually a big reason I sort of squinted at DH when Voldemort 
started down the "down with Muggles" path.  Our heroes were walking 
that path themselves, so it was odd that this was supposed to be 
something that differentiated Voldemort from Harry and co.

Now of course when we get to Muggle-*borns* that's a bit different.  
It's been well established that this is a form of bigotry that's 
*wrong*.  But it still doesn't excuse or remove the "good" bigotry 
that our heroes indulge in. The one that I agree with Magpie is in 
the text without the author apparently noticing.

> >>Nora:
> The good guys have a certain amount of social power, but it's
> certainly not unquestioned, given the ongoing conflict with the
> Ministry, and Lucius Malfoy on the Board of Governors; it takes his
> own spectacular incompetent idiocy (threatening other members) to   
> get himself removed.

Betsy Hp:
Yes.  *Waaay* back in CoS.  Since then the Board (who is on the 
Board, I wonder?) seems to pretty much follow Dumbledore's lead.  And 
in fact we get a moment where Draco brags about family connections 
that the Malfoy's don't actually have, but Neville Longbottom's 
family does have (OotP).

We're also told, several times in fact, that the only reason 
Dumbledore is not the Minister of Magic is because he's *chosen* not 
to be.  A fact I think we're supposed to admire him for, oddly 
enough, though I don't.  Since he's chosen to do nothing about it, 
it's rather rich of Dumbledore to sling stones at his society's short-
comings.  If he really wanted the attitude towards Muggleborns to 
change maybe he should have taken a look at the actions of various 
Muggles throughout history and followed their example.

Betsy Hp