Goblins, British school children and sterotypes ( was, Re: Muggle Parents and

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 184063

> Potioncat:
<SNIP>
>> But something Alla said struck a chord, and I was working on a 
> carefully written post about her comments and how stereotypes come 
> about. You know, those sort are sneaking double-crossers and that 
one 
> just proves it! Can't trust any of them. I was even going to share 
a 
> personal experience I've had and my efforts not to resort to 
> xenophobia.
> 
> Good thing I didn't because you never know when a stereotype will 
> jump up and smack you. Take a look. <SNIP>
> 


Alla:

LOL, I know what you are talking about and I snipped your example of 
your other stereotype, I guess, but I was talking more about writer 
for the purpose of literary economy giving us one representative of 
the entity and wanting us to judge the entity as whole on that 
representative.

Of course it can be a set up, and author can pull the rug from the 
reader's foot. You thought that they are all the same? Goblins, 
Slytherins whoever, here you go, not so at all.

What I was at least trying to say that I did not see pulling the rug. 
I mean, I saw it to a degree with former Slytherins - who fought 
against Voldemort, but nothing with Slytherin students, who 
experienced change IMO ala Malfoy but no drastic reversal and 
especiallly not from Goblins.

What I am trying to say that I believe that Griphook is a shortcut to 
how we meant to view Goblins. I mean, not that anybody has to, but I 
do. If for some readers he is a clever red herring, okay, but I would 
like to see to what exactly he is a red herring. To the mindsets? 
That we cannot judge the entity, nation, group of people by one 
representative? Okay, again, sure, of course we cannot in RL, but in 
fiction? JKR cannot really give us many goblins in the story where 
they are secondary characters, so I feel she gave us how one behaves.




Pippin:
Bill doesn't think they're going to double cross him -- he's been
working for them for years. I've worked in the banking business
myself, and I can tell you that, while not all bankers deserve their
customers' confidence, they generally work very hard to keep it. When
people lose confidence in their bankers, they sock their money in a
mattress instead. People have been stashing their valuables at
Gringotts for centuries, so I think the Gringotts goblins are
generally okay.



Alla:

Hmmm, I meant that they will double cross him in the personal 
relationships, if they find that he has something that belongs 
allegedly to them, not as employer/employee. I am sure they have 
worked hard to keep their customers trust. I am disputing that they 
have the real friendly relationship with Bill, which will stop them 
from taking advantage of him. And that to me goes back to as far as 
there can be friendship between humans and goblins.

If somebody is my friend I do not make those qualifiers. I trust my 
friend unconditionally. I will do basically anything for my friend, 
as long as I do not consider it immoral or illegal, and expect my 
friend to do same for me. Somehow I am not buying that Goblins will 
do so for human, any human. I am sure they value Bill as valuable 
employee though.

JMO,

Alla