On Children and the "Other" (was:Re: On the perfection of moral virtues)

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 169796



> Alla:
> 
> Sure, JKR said that they are not all bad, I doubt all kids in 
> Slytherin are. But why would Harry NOT think that they all share 
same 
> beliefs, which I think he will outgrow if the only ones he 
interacts 
> with are Malfoy and his goons?
> 
> If Slytherins who are not evil exist, and they certainly should be, 
> maybe JKR had a reason to not show them?

Julie:
The reason JKR hasn't "shown" them is because Harry hasn't SEEN them. 
And Harry is our filter, thus we haven't seen them either. Harry's 
only had direct interactions with a few Slytherins, mostly Draco and 
his friends. He's judged the whole House by the few with which he's 
had those interactions. 

As for why Harry would NOT think that they all share the same 
beliefs, he would and does as he's been portrayed so far. And that 
attitude isn't unusual for a teenager. Teenagers are natural clique-
formers and joiners, and readily accept an US versus THEM philosophy. 
Whether it's the Jocks versus the Geeks, the Cheerleaders versus the 
Goths, or the Gryffindors versus the Slytherins, it is all about 
US=everything good and worthy, and THEM=everything bad and unworthy. 
Each side views the other side with extreme prejudice, looking no 
further than their own stereotypes and expectations.

Then high school school ends and we grow up. At least, most of us 
do ;-)

That's the point I think Lizzy is trying to make, that part of 
growing up is looking past your own biases and expectations and 
really SEEING others for who they are, not for what they look like, 
what school group (or House) they belong to, what sport they play or 
don't play, what car they drive or how nice their clothes (dress 
robes) are, etc. 

As you point out above, JKR has said Slytherins are not all bad. 
Which means that pretty much can be taken as fact. One excellent way 
of showing Harry maturing into a man of fairness and strong 
principles would be for Harry to recognize that fact. And not 
necessarily by waiting for a "good" Slytherin to come to *him* and 
change his perceptions, but perhaps by reevaluating his perception 
first and then seeking out that good Slytherin--or two, or four. If I 
were Harry's mother, that is the kind of thing that would make me 
proud, not how many Quidditch games he can win or how many "O"s he 
can get on his Owls. 

Julie