[HPforGrownups] Slytherins as evil stereotypes WAS: Re: Slytherins as Jews

[terrianking at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 173694

 




In a message dated 7/29/2007 3:09:28 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
ceridwennight at hotmail.com writes:

Slytherins in general are given the stereotypical traits associated  
with undesireable groups. They have some tendency toward aristocracy  
in a world where there is no wizarding nobility. They are ambitious in  
a negative way. They are cunning, so may well cheat or embezel (sp?)  
you. They are big talkers who can't "walk the walk". They are  
betrayers, Judases, as Pansy Parkinson was when she pointed to Harry in  
the Great Hall. They prefer to save their own skin if given the  
opportunity. They are secretive and they plot against others. They  
oppress when given the chance. Every trait that is negative is heaped  
on the Slytherins. This has happened via stereotyping for  millenia.

One problem with this is, they didn't change and weren't  redeemed. Not 
singly, not as a house. All of those stereotypical evil  traits and 
physical markers were reliable signs that these guys would  never be 
good. If you see these physical markers, or perceive any of these  
traits, you can be sure that the people who have them are bad. At  
least, for children who have not experienced as much of the world, this  
could reasonably be a conclusion. IMO, of  course.



Robert:
 
Possibly, if the child is getting it's look at the world only through the  
Harry Potter books. My daughter isn't. She knows this is a story and just  
pretend. She has also seen intolerance in the real world and knows that even a  
magic wand won't make it go away. She knows that the only way to deal with it is  
to stand up to it and not let it stop you from doing what you want to do.
She also knows that not all people are intolerant, only a small minority  and 
they have been around for a long time and will be for a long time to come.  
(She was shocked to learn the bombing of a church in Alabama that killed four  
little girls happened when her grandmother was a teenager.  Waaaay back  then!)
Like it or not, the pureblood belief is not going to go away anymore than  
the prejudices of the real world will. There are always going to be people who  
will teach the message to their children and the children will either believe 
it  or reject it as they grow up. 
It would be wonderful if the WW overcame evil and became an  enlightened 
society, but JKR, a supporter of Amnesty International,  understands it might die 
down for a while, but it will come back eventually. 
Maybe all four houses didn't stand together, but as others are stressing,  
these are children still under the influence of their parents. Staying behind  
and fighting against the Dark Lord, whom many of their parents support, would 
be  condemning their families to retribution. No one was absolutely certain 
Harry  would win. Besides, I like to think a few of the Slytherins came back in 
with  the villagers, among the "friends" of the students from other houses who  
stayed to fight. Snape and Lily were friends for a long time. There might 
have  been others during Harry's time who stayed friends despite being questioned 
or  challenged about it. For all we know, Zacharias Smith might have come 
back,  too.
 
Robert, going back to lurking before he gets kicked out of lurkdom.