JKR's lesson on prejudice

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 180488

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" <dumbledore11214 at ...> 
wrote:

Alla: 
> Well, the initial argument was that you spotted right away that Harry 
> was prejudiced to Draco, no?
> 
> And since I agree with revaunchanistx completely, that is what I am 
> wondering about.
> 
> You agree that that tiny little thing in your opinion ( or tiny 
> prejudiced pureblooded bastard in mine) was saying all the wrong 
> things, yes?
> 
> I say he was saying all prejudicial things to the core (spotting 
> prejudice and privilege - LOVE and will have to adopt this 
> expression, hehe). So, where do you get that Harry was prejudiced 
> towards Draco? I mean if you say he disliked Draco after his speeches 
> Harry's parents, Harry's first true friend and Harry's second true 
> friend, I will surely agree with you.
> 
> Harry disliked Draco very much after he heard what Draco had to say 
> on  the subject.
> 
> What I am wondering is where you see prejudice in Harry's dislike of 
> Draco?
> 
> I see prejudice in calling Harry's dislike prejudice.
> 
> Oh, and of course I see nothing wrong in being prejudiced towards the 
> fictional character, God knows I was told that I am prejudiced 
> against Slytherins myself many times, LOL and I see nothing wrong 
> with it. I mean I happened to think that they deserved and especially 
> Draco deserved all I thought about them and more, but even if I was 
> prejudiced against fictional character so what.
> 
> But if you are saying that you spotted right away that Harry was 
> prejudiced against Draco, that argument I am not buying.
> 
> I think Draco earned every bit of dislike from Harry by insulting 
> everybody whom Harry liked under the moon in undeserving, prejudicial 
> way.
> 
> JMO,
> 
> Alla

Geoff:
>From my perspective, I think this is a case of six of one and half a 
dozen of the other. The more I go back and read the initial contacts
between Draco and Harry, the more I see the results of their 
pre-conditioning. The more I lament the outcome.

Very recently, I said on a different thread that I spent some years teaching 
11 year olds; I worked with 11-16 boys until the school became a 13-18 
mixed comprehensive, Eleven year olds see the world in black and white 
terms and they usually have their own set of values covering that situation,
which, in many cases, are derived from their backgrounds.

Draco is an only child who has only had contact with others such as 
Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle of whom I get the impression that 
they are bit short in the upstairs department and generally do as 
someone else tells them. Lucius has been brainwashing Draco for 
eleven years. 'You are a pureblood and superior. Muggle-born folk 
and half-bloods are beneath us and contemptible'.

Harry has only recently been introduced to the Wizarding World. It is 
a place of surprises and magic (in the non-magical sense!) and he has 
new friends - Hagrid and Ron - who treat him with kindness and even 
a bit of awe. 'You are Harry Potter. Wow.' Add to that Hagrid's warning 
of the perils of Slytherin and sme of Ron's gloomy comments and we 
have our two little friends on track for a collision course.

So when Harry and Draco first meet, anything the other says is put
against the black and white value scale which they have worked out 
in their heads. If the other says anything which doesn't match the 
scale, hackles are raised, warning bells sound 'do not trust this 
person. Do not be friendly.'

Unfortunately, the opinion which the two lads hold for each other is
allowed to  become entrenched from this point on and it is not until 
later in their school career - perhaps too late - that they begin to 
see that the black and white is actually grey. Harry sees Draco's 
exposed fears in Myrtle's bathroom and on the tower in HBP while 
Draco sees another side of Harry in the Room of Requirement in DH.

But they haven't the time to stop to look at what this could mean for 
their relationship. There is too much from the past to be worked 
through in the time available before Voldemort moves on Hogwarts.

I feel sorry for both our protagonists. Both have been given very 
distorted views of the Wizarding World. At times, both have behaved 
badly towards the other. I like to think that the nod at the railway 
station in 2017 is a quiet indicator that, somewhere along the line, 
a truce line has been reached. Sadly, that may be left to our own 
imagination or to fan fiction.....