HatingDH / FamilyLoyalty

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 177620

> >>Catlady:
> <snip>
> Some people appear to be expressing an opinion that the book is not
> merely not enjoyable to them, but that it is downright evil. Because
> Rowling's portrayal of Slytherin House encourages people to be
> prejudiced against entire groups of people instead of viewing them 
> as each individual. Because Harry casting a Cruciatis Curse without
> feeling guilty or being scolded for it will make some readers think
> that it's okay for them (because everyone is the good guy in their 
> own story) to use any means regardless of law or ethics. And other 
> reasons.
> 
> And a lot of the posts saying that DH is an evil book give me the
> feellng that the poster is saying that anyone who fails to dislike
> such an evil book (such as me) is a bad person. 

Betsy Hp:
As one who thinks the message of the books is evil (though I've 
finally decided it's unintentionally so; JKR is a sloppy thinker with 
a wobbly moral core, but not a horrible person in and of herself -- 
and I'm sure she'll be relieved to hear me say so <eg>) the best I 
can do is assure you (and everyone) that I try very hard to *not* 
conflate the actual books with the readers.

If it helps, my sister, my aunt and my grandmother all read and 
enjoyed DH.  I've told them I disliked it.  I did not go into why.  
For one, I don't want to ruin their reading experience, and for 
another, I don't want to give the impression that I think them evil 
for enjoying the book.

I could not conclude the series without seeing how the story of 
Slytherin matched with propoganda written about the evilness of Jews, 
Africans, the Japanese, or really, any group cast in the role of 
scapegoat and sin eater.  That's why I see this series as evil.  But 
I also realize that those who enjoyed it do so *because* they *don't* 
see the connection.  Which makes all the difference in the world.  
(I've heard arguments about the inherent racism in "The Secret 
Garden", one of my favorite children's books.  I disagree with those 
arguments and so don't consider my love of the book as making me a 
racist.)

> >>Catlady:
> I probably am a bad person, as I read HP for entertainment rather   
> than for moral instruction... <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I know you're being facetious, but I wasn't looking for a moral 
lesson either.  That such a hideous moral was inadvertantly folded in 
with what had become, to me, a boring story about people I cared 
little for is what pushed the series over from a simple personal 
disappointment to an "OMG, it's evil!!" reaction.  (And I will say, 
just because *I* didn't enjoy the story doesn't mean I think no one 
should have enjoyed it.  Just, I didn't.)

> >>Catlady:
> <snip>
> But it seems there are a significant number of people in the       
> wizarding world who think that loyalty to family is more important 
> than loyalty to the Defense Association... <snip> 

> Betsy Hp wrote of the Defense Associaton in
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/177357>:
> << For me it was the loyalty to the group trumping loyalty to your
> family. Any time an organization asks that of their followers, it's 
> a major, major warning sign to me that something twisted is going   
> on. And it's what most repulsed me about the Hitler Youth. >>

> >>Catlady:
> You must be one of the people in the first paragraph of my reply to
> Pippin, immediately above. I hope you apply your principle to real
> life groups of which I strongly disapprove that urge American      
> children to turn in their parents for marijuana possession, but    
> that's a digression. 

Betsy Hp:
I might be and I do. <g>

> >>Catlady:
> The real issue of discussion is, at what point does loyalty to     
> family get trumped?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I think this can be an interesting discussion.  It's not one that the 
series ever entertains though, IMO.  Which is too bad and I think an 
example of us fans deepening what was, in the end, a rather simple 
tale.

JKR could have used Marietta's story (or Sirius's or Regulus's or 
Draco's or Percy's) to explore family loyalty and when (if ever) it 
should be broken and are there right ways or wrong ways, etc., etc. 
She didn't.  Instead it came down to a personal cult allied to 
Dumbledore (and then Harry) that was the deciding factor.  Were you 
breaking to stand with Dumbledore?  Then it's good.  If you were 
breaking to stand against Dumbledore, then it's bad.

Which isn't very helpful as the real world doesn't have such easily 
identified markers of "good side" vs. "bad side", IMO.  So I have to 
stick to a personal rule of thumb that if a group encourages you to 
be disloyal to your family, there's something hinky going on there 
and you may want to rethink joining.

Betsy Hp (from the office *gasp!*)