Muggles v wizards redux

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 183223

Alla:
> So I guess the question is what are the reasons for you to identify 
> with muggles in Potterverse? See for me, I do not see anybody in 
> muggle world whom I can like or sympathize with, therefore I just, 
I 
> guess cannot care for them that much. I mean, we see Dursleys and 
> whom else? I guess we have Hermione's parents and those poor people 
> that DE terrorize, but they are so minor characters that I am not 
> sure that this is enough for me.

Magpie:
For me, I guess that's the reason. Because the Muggle world is my 
world, so I know there are people with whom to sympathize, and I wind 
up being sort of indignant that "we" are always being shown as such 
nothings whenever we're onscreen. Because we're not. I do also hate 
things like memory charms, but I think in this series it became so 
relentless I started arguing against the assumption that Muggles are 
idiots. Like, in the first book the Dursleys as individuals suck, and 
it seemed back then that JKR had some ideas towards magic being 
almost a metaphor for being an interesting person or "different." But 
then it clearly became just about blood with wizards sharing all of 
the Muggles' bad qualities only still seeing them as inferior. Also 
in the first book when Hagrid is saying, "Aren't they cute?" to 
Muggles it's obviously Hagrid being ignorant about Muggles, but over 
time it was more conflicted. Wizards didn't know about Muggles and 
were comically ignorant--but at the same time they did know enough 
about Muggles that they could manipulate them at will. Either Wizards 
can do everything so much better than Muggles of course or if they 
can't it's about how they just zap the Muggle into brainlessness so 
they're still more competent.

So I guess after a while it felt like the books just shared this 
condescending attitude towards Muggles that really seemed to mirror 
the Wizard's own contempt. Like it wasn't a metaphor, it was just 
agreeing that Muggles are foolish and unimportant--and Muggles were 
anybody who wasn't lucky enough to be in your group. They just got it 
coming and going. It's hard to put my finger on, but I guess 
eventually it just felt like the appeal was in the idea of people 
being born with magic being superior. 

I probably didn't say this well, but that's because like I said, it's 
hard to put my finger on. I think another story could make me fine 
with similar things, but there's something in the way it is here that 
makes me take the Muggle's pov. I wind up thinking how Muggles have 
science and science is awesome--Muggle pride! I guess, like I said, I 
don't think it's always consistent. Wizards always come out on top 
unless they're supposed to look good by being the victim of Muggles.

-m