JKR's lesson on prejudice

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 180523

> Geoff:
> Alla, I deliberately avoided using the word "prejudice" anywhere in 
> my post. The point I am making is that the boys' reactions is 
matched 
> to what I might call their benchmark perceptions. They are applying 
> the limited views they have garnered from their backgrounds to this 
> situation and what happens is the result of their subconscious 
analysis.

Alla:

Oh, sorry. See was replying to the thread and did not realize that 
there was no word prejudice in your post, but then I do not think I 
disagree with you that much - as I said, sure they do not know 
everything about each other.

 
> Harry has had the idea put nto his head that Slytherin=bad. 
Therefore, 
> because Draco=Slytherin, Draco=bad, a perception which has been 
> heightened by Draco's swaggering entrance and his attempt to
> impress Harry.

Alla:

Well, again Draco is not in Slytherin yet, isn't he? I am only 
talking about their initial meetings before they were sorted.

 
> Draco, on the other hand, can only judge events by the parameters 
> which have been drilled into him. His peers are not as intelligent 
as 
> he is so he is really only getting  input from Lucius. I believe 
has 
> seen little in the way of real love from his father and  has to 
equate 
> everything to the image he has of pureblood superiority. So the two 
> boys are really hostages to their own conditioning and lack the 
> experience or maturity to see through the barriers thay have each 
> erected. 

Alla:

Well, sure. Kids can get bad ideas either from their parents or their 
peers. Draco got them from Lucius. I am not sure what this has to do 
with anything.

But the point which I am still not getting and maybe I do disagree 
with you after all is what conditioning Harry has to overcome?

I keep saying that I am not talking about Harry not knowing all parts 
of Draco's personality. I keep asking what exactly is wrong with his 
INITIAL dislike of Draco. Are you saying that had Harry not had this 
mysterious conditioning, he would have LIKED Draco's behavior? I 
truly do not understand this.

 
> Although, in the strict etymology of "prejudice", they have 
exhibited 
> this trait, bearing in mind that in modern usage, prejudice is seen 
as 
> viewing things in a derogatory and demeaning light - which is not 
> all that the word can mean. It means to pre-judge, to come to a 
> conclusion about someone or something without having the full facts 
> with which to make a true judgement. <SNIP>

Alla:

What was the prejudgment of Draco then? It is not like Draco was 
silent and Harry decided that this kid is bad company, no?

Did Harry decided that Draco does not love his parents? No, he did 
not, since nothing to this effect occurred yet. Harry judged Draco 
based on what he did, that's all. I mean, not judged, disliked him.

Say Harry met Draco at the sorting for the first time and he heard 
Hagrid statement by that time and he then would decide - oh yes 
Slytherins are bad. Prejudice, no argument from me, but I just do not 
see how Harry could have liked Draco initially at all.