Deathly Hallows Reaction - Could do Better, Sorry

[horadesiesta]

No: HPFGUIDX 172638

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at ...> wrote:
>
> > >>Betsy Hp:
> > > <snip> 
> > > JKR apparently looks at the world around her and thinks, "I 
know 
> > > in my heart that a quarter of the people out there are evil, 
half 
> > > of them are okay, and there's one quarter that's 
just            
> > > unquestionably good." 
> > > It's an ugly view of the world in my opinion.  And it 
cumlminates
> > > in a rather ugly book with a rather ugly message.  
> 
> > >>Shagufta:
> > > So you think the world is made up of good people and only good
> > > people? This world of ours where murder and torture and 
terrorism
> > > are a sad reality - this world is made up of good people?
> > > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> I think it's impossible to decide someone is going to be a terroist 
> and a murderer at age eleven.  Unless they're a sociopath of some 
> sort, and I believe that's pretty rare.  Or at least, should be 
rare 
> enough to not make up a quarter of a school's population.  (And 
then 
> some.  Ravenclaw is a fairly questionable house too. And Hufflepuff 
> ain't great.  Really, it's the golden Gryffindors who everyone else 
> should fall before and worhip.)
> 
> However, that's not how JKR sees it.  Some (few) people are good, 
> some are bad, and that can easily be determined by a magical hat at 
> age eleven.  And once that determination has been made there's no 
> need to look at actions.  If a Slytherin throws a Crucio or 
Imperius 
> at someone, well, he's Slytherin so what do you expect.  If a 
> Gryffindor does the same, well he's Gryffindor so there's a noble 
> purpose behind it.
> 
> Oh, and of course, once the Sorting is done, that's it.  There is 
no 
> hope for change.
> 
> > >>nightmasque@ writes:
> > I don't think that was the point at all. I think the
> > point Betsy was making was that it was simplistic of
> > Rowling to divide the good and bad people into
> > Gryffindors and Slytherins respectively; to use your
> > analogy, it would be like saying all Slytherins are
> > terrorists, and all Gryffindors are defendors of
> > liberty and freedom and all that good stuff.
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Yes, that's it exactly.  Basically JKR is showing us that not only 
> *can* you judge a child as to how good a human being he or she is 
at 
> a young age, you *should* judge them.  Oh, and they can never 
> change.  Actions don't matter.  (The rare exceptions are only there 
> to prove the rule.)
> 
> > >>nightmasque@:
> > This however is slightly mitigated by the otherwise
> > atrocious epilogue, when Harry doesn't seem to mind if
> > his son is sorted into Slytherin. But one paragraph
> > does not alleviate an entire book's / series's ugliness.
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Harry's son James didn't learn his "Slytherin is bad" attitude in a 
> vacuum though.  So there's commentary on the 
commentary.  "Slytherin 
> is okay ::wink, wink, nudge, nudge:: except for how it totally 
isn't."
> 
> Betsy Hp
>
 Clara adds:

"Hat say anything interesting?" asked Harry, taking a piece of 
treacle tart.
"More of the same, really... advising us all to unite in the face of 
our enemies, you know." 
(HBP, ch 8, Snape Victorious)

Well, even the Sorting Hat wanted it to happen, and I was sure that 
it would, to underline DD´s message to Harry that your choices are 
what counts in life. A good lesson for the children, too, no more pre-
destined baddies in Slytherin. All are capable of redeeming 
themselves by their actions. Hope for all of us there.

Except... it didn´t happen.
IMO, JKR missed an opportunity to change the Wizarding World´s age-
old prejudices by uniting the four houses.
 
Instead, we learn that some houses are more equal than others.
 
And since when can Harry use Unforgivables with impunity? 

Slytherin uses Unforgivable Curse = just shows how evil they are.
Gryffindor uses Unforgivable Curse = totally justifiable. 

Clara, disappointed with the "Once an evil Slytherin, always an evil 
Slytherin" subtext. Along with other facets of the book.