JKR's lesson on prejudice (was:Slytherins come back)

[revaunchanistx]

No: HPFGUIDX 180418

> > >>Pippin:
> > <snip>
> > JKR doesn't show us Harry realizing he's prejudiced
> > against Slytherins, because, IMO, she wants *us* to
> > realize that. She wants us to be able to reach that
> > conclusion independently. I agree that Rowling wants
> > us to dislike Slytherins.
> > <snip>
> > It feels lovely, doesn't it, not to think,  just to
> > believe what you're told?
> > <snip>

> Betsy Hp:
> The reason this argument leaves me completely cold is that
> I've long felt more affinity for Slytherin than Gryffindor.
> No one had to *tell* me Harry was prejudiced. I picked that
> up the moment he refused to shake Draco's hand. Actually,
> from the moment Hagrid whispered an obvious lie into Harry's
> ear.

revaunchanistx:
What? Did you miss Harry and Draco's meeting in Madam Malkin's
where Draco oozed prejudice and privilege out of every pore,
saying half-bloods and mud bloods shouldn't be allowed in and
my father is trying to get me on the house team and insulted
Hagrid, Harry's first true friend. You might have also missed
Draco's jab at Harry's second true friend when he told him what
his father told him about Weasleys, not to mention Draco's
introduction of "some wizarding families are much better than
others" or the fact that he was flanked by two hulking bodyguards.
I would not have shook Draco's hand.

> Betsy Hp:
> That Slytherins are treated as the scapegoats and sin-eaters
> of the WW had been apparent to me the moment Dumbledore pulled
> that tacky powerplay at the end of PS/SS. That Draco was stronger
> than Harry ever gave him credit for was apparent to me the second
> time Draco went up against Harry. Or the moment Draco looked up
> at a teacher who'd just physically abused and humiliated him in
> front of the entire student body and still managed to spit out
> defiance through his pain.

revaunchanistx:
At what point are the Slytherins ever a scapegoat or sin-eater,
at the end of PS/SS last minute points had to be rewarded, it
would have been more wrong to ignore what had happened and
not reward points to Gryffindor. It would have shown extreme
favoritism of Slytherin just to let them win. Draco always
tried to get Harry when his back was turned, Harry treated
Draco with the respect he deserved. Harry was the only one
who recognized Draco as a serious threat in HBP. Draco did
not spit out defiance to a teacher who humiliated him. He
told a bitter Death Eater that his father would hear of it,
not very brave of him. Also let's not forget that Professor
McGonnagall stopped him, a lowly Gryffindor, or the fact that
fake Moody (Barty Crouch Jr.) was probably not in Slytherin
(at least canon doesn't say he was) and Barty Crouch Jr. was
very bad; he could be called a "sin-eater"

> Betsy Hp:
> I didn't need to be "taught a lesson about prejudice", at
> least, not in the way you suggest JKR attempted to do so.
> Harry did. And it never happened. Instead, everything Harry
> believed about Slytherin was shown to be true. They *were*
> deserters and betrayers and cowards. As per the books anyway,
> it was my views of prejudice that lead me astray. I kept
> expecting a turn around that never happened.

revaunchanistx:
I don't subscribe to the idea that HP is a massive lesson in
prejudice. My views of prejudice are if a person's views are
slanted towards one way of thinking based on his perceptions
of certain events then he is prejudiced. I was once chased by
a gang of Mexicans, but I don't dislike Mexicans. I was chased
by the Mexican gang because these two white guys I hung out
with was stealing stuff from them in gym class. The white guys
also don't represent the entire race. Not all white people are
thieves.

You have to consider the whole story. To say you had more
affinity with Slytherins from the beginning and then warp
scenarios to fit your Harry is prejudiced theory could be
considered prejudice against Gryffindors or Harry. That
theory throws out logic and shows an ego-centric/ethno-
centric viewpoint that is prejudice.

It is the essence of prejudice.

If you sympathized with Slytherins anyway and saw them
as victims what sort of turn-around were you expecting?
Throughout the books JKR has repeatedly told us about how
the choices we make are truly what defines us, and also
shown us the consequences of choices. She has also showed
us the differences and similarities in the houses, could
Cormac McClaggen, and Zacharias Smith have been in
Slytherin.

Ernie McMillan could have been chosen for Gryffindor.
Hermione was considered for Ravenclaw. Neville would
have made a fine Hufflepuff. The sorting hat sorts
based on the preferences of the Four Founders, it is
an extension of a real person. Who knows? why people
pick the people they do, If you and I were picking a
group of students I might pick all of the rambunctious
ones and those who show a creative side, who knows who
you might pick.

Harry at the end would have been perfectly fine if his son
went into Slytherin, unlike Sirius's parents or possibly
Harry's Grandparents, also I doubt Draco told young Scorpio
that it would be fine to be in Gryffindor. So there is
redemption in one family. Also who is to say? that Ravenclaws
or Hufflepuffs hate Slytherin as much as Gryffindor does. It
seemed to me that Ravenclaws hated them both for winning as
much as they do. It was always beat Syltherin and Gryffindor
in Quidditch for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Just like everybody
hates the Cowboys or now the New England Patriots in Football.
I know Cedric's dad (a Hufflepuff) gloated about it when
Hufflepuff beat Harry and the Gryffindors. Even Sirius in
GOF told Harry not think of the world in evil Slytherin and
good Gryffindor, he should know he was betrayed by his fellow
housemate. There really is no house bias outside of Hogwarts.
In the adult world everyone is shown to accept people as they
are.

> Betsy Hp:
> So, in the end, I think Harry is a naked emperor; a
> character on a hero's journey who doesn't go anywhere,
> doesn't learn anything, and doesn't change his world.
> His biggest accomplishment, I think, was returning the
> WW to its status quo, wrapped in the warmth of their
> comfortable prejudices.  At least, that's how I see
> it.

revaunchanistx:
So in the end, what is Harry the emperor of, he had private
tutelage under the greatest wizard of the age, sacrificed
himself for the good of those he loved, defeated the darkest
wizard of them all at the age of 17, and then longed for a
return to when he was happiest. He only wanted a sandwich
from his friend Kreacher. He didn't establish himself as
emperor, a more ambitious man would have done that. Like
the kings and heroes of old Harry went back to being a
regular man. He didn't seek to be a God or Emperor like
Voldemort. That is Heroic, that is the hero's journey.
Beowulf did not become King after defeating Grendel and
his mother, Frodo went to the White Shores, Sam married
and went back to farming. I don't know what hero's journey
your familiar with but these are the ones I know about.
Please enlighten me as to what happens at the end of yours.

Again the status quo has changed in Harry's family. The only
way the status quo would change on a massive scale like you
want it to is through a regime like Voldemort wanted to
instill, where he would have employed tactics that worked
in Cambodia, Stalin's Russia, and Red China and yes even
Nazi Germany. We could insert any other cruel regime where
going against the state mandated re-education (new status quo)
resulted in death. Is that what you wanted? Also, did you ever
think that maybe the Slytherins like things the way they are
too? Sure some of them probably still cling to blood purity,
and would like things to be that way but it sure is nice that
the "naked emperor" and his new regime didn't follow in the
footsteps of the Khmer Rouge.

On a lighter note, I live in Texas and would hate for my son
to go to Sam Houston State University. See I went to Stephen
F. Austin and they were our rivals. It's sort of a small UT vs.
A&M thing. I don't think of myself as a bad person because of
that bias. It's just fun. Harry grew above that. Ron did not.
I like Ron's point of view.

revaunchanistx