JKR's intent

[prep0strus]

No: HPFGUIDX 178795


> Pippin:
> If the reader doesn't notice that two of the Irish chasers at the QWC
> are female, does that mean that JKR failed as a writer, or that she
> succeeded in showing how an unconscious  assumption that star
> athletes are male can waylay a reader even if the reader wants 
> and expects to see female Quidditch players?
> 
> If the unconscious assumption that Slytherins are evil captures the
> imagination and distracts people from the text which explains 
> why the Slytherin banner is not there, is that JKR's failure, or her
> success in illustrating how prejudice works?
> 

Prep0strus:

This comparison is flawed, and on two counts.  

The assumption of star athletes being male is one that comes from the
real world.  People are bringing their biases with them into the
story.    Slytherins are created by JKR.  Any assumptions we have of
them come from HER writing, from the world SHE created.  So, she has
created the prejudice (if it exists at all), not reflected one that
exists in the real world.

Second, in your first example, JKR shows the other side.  She reveals
that there ARE female chasers, right in her text.  The world may
assume athletes are male, but she shows us they are not, in the text.
    It is the exact opposite with Slytherin - it doesn't matter if she
gives a reason why Slytherins aren't there - reasons are easy to come
up with.  What matters is that they're not there.  And they're not
shown in the battle (whether we might assume any are there or not).

In fact, your entire example pretty much shows the exact opposite of
what you are trying to say.  The real world assumption about athletes
JKR turns around within her text and shows that it is not true.  The
fake world assumptions about Slytherin, which do not come from real
life experience, but from reading the book, she does NOT refute (well,
I'm sure for some people she does, but obviously not for many of us),
and certainly not in as obvious-yet-nonchalant way as having
professional female chasers.

If JKR wanted to show Slytherins as equal to other members of society,
or even as a morally neutral group, yes, she failed.  The fact that we
have this discussion supports the failure.

(I once saw a poll that asked if George Bush was a uniter or a
divider.  50% said uniter.  50% said divider.  The humor there is
delicious, and the results of the poll obviously show something
entirely different from the straight numbers.)

We are not having a discussion about whether JKR showed that athletes
can be male or female, because she clearly showed that they are.

We are having a discussion over whether Slytherins are equal - the
prejudice she created, and then failed to refute.

Of course, it doesn't bother me as much as some, because now I believe
it was never her intent for them to be equal.  I think she did a weird
job showing us that maybe they were going to be equal, and then not
following through on that, because in the end that wasn't really the
point. 

~Adam (Prep0strus)