Further Notes on Literary Uses of Magic and Anti-Globalization in Harry Potter

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 168153

> >>dan:
> <snip>
> The DA begins as an educational organization - practicing arts
> forbidden them, all with the purpose of teaching students how to
> defend themselves from dangers they know are real, and many of their
> families know are real, but which the state denies - just as the    
> state denied for decades global warming and so forth. In Harry     
> Potter, the evil of segragation, nationalist chauvanism, racism and 
> extremism, as signified by the DE, sharing as it does elements of   
> all these, all elements practiced in the rest of the witchwizard   
> world to a lesser extent - as demonstrated in the history of       
> creature rights, for example, in OotP - are tackled head on by the 
> students. Their story is the story, again I say, of the raw         
> emotional integrity of youth, which stumbles in its unpracticed way 
> toward verity.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Since montims and Pippin took on the first and third paragraphs of 
this post, I'll tackle the second. <g>

The problem I see with the DA, and with the "good guys" in the 
Potterverse in totality, is their inherent hypocrisy.  They, 
unfortunately, share a lot of the evils you assign (correctly, IMO) 
to the Deatheaters.  Yes, it's a bit more benign, but in some ways 
its very banality makes it more dangerous.

The DA *was* segragated.  No Slytherins were allowed, and no one who 
didn't agree to be completely loyal to Harry (and Dumbledore) was 
allowed.  There was even a certain taint of "Hitler Youth" to the 
ruthless understanding that students would stand against their family 
if need be (Marietta).

Harry is a slave owner.  And he's not only not afraid of using his 
slave, he forces the slave to work against a family he loves.  (Let's 
all imagine Lucius forcing Dobby to help him take down Harry.  How 
would that come across?)  Both Harry and Ron enjoy using magic 
against a powerless squib.  Hermione calls a Centaur a horse without 
a blink.  All three children are easily assuming their roles as the 
elite of their world.

This all occurs after the DA, yes.  But the exclusive and controlling 
nature of the DA foreshadows, I think, the rather distasteful path 
the Trio are heading down in HBP.

JKR does do a beautiful job showing the raw emotionalism of youth. 
But I think she more shows us the *lack* of integrity and the danger 
of hypocrisy, rather than truth, such emotionalism leads to.  (The 
way Hermione deals with her feelings for Ron encapsulates the 
problems with emotional youth, IMO.)

The billion dollar question for me is whether JKR is doing this on 
purpose, or whether this stuff is sneaking in under her radar.

Betsy Hp