Muggles v wizards redux

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 183242

a_svirn:
In one respect you are. Like the Dursleys you can't do magic. And that
is what makes the Dursleys muggles. It seems to me that you somehow
combine two different issues here. I do not identify with the
Dursleys, who are so thoroughly unpleasant. I do, however identify
with muggles who are non-magical. On the other hand, I do not
identify with wizards who unlike me *can* do magic, but I can't help
identifying with certain witches and wizards whose characters in some
respects at least resemble mine.

Alla:

Right, and just like Dursleys I have two legs, two hands and one 
head. Because this is how it looks to me, you know? The trait that I 
was born with, or not born with is not enough for me to like the 
character, or dislike the character in the book. You said that I am 
combining two different issues here and I guess I am, but that's 
because in my head I cannot really separate those issues and I do 
want to figure it out.

Let me try to rephrase and tell me if I understand correctly what you 
are saying. Basically for you the fact that characters (Muggles) 
cannot do magic is enough to identify with them, even if you do not 
see any pleasant Muggles in the book. I mean, again I know we had 
minor characters but I am excluding them because I know nothing about 
them one way or another. I do not think I even know how nice 
Hermione's parents are.

See I cannot feel that way when I am reading the book, any book. 
There is absolutely no way I can identify with the group of people 
whom I do not know much about, even if they look similar to us.

It reminds me of Slytherin house discussions I had over the years. I 
remember show people argued that just because the only Slytherin 
student we learn about in more details is Draco Malfoy it does not 
mean that there are no good kids in Slytherin somewhere, simply 
because it does not work that way in real life. And of course it does 
not work that way in real life, but I always thought that for me 
Slytherin IS Draco Malfoy, simply  he is the only student about whom 
JKR took care to talk more about. IMO of course.

And same thing is here. Just like Slytherin is Draco Malfoy for me, 
Muggles are Dursleys and I just do not see how I can think that I 
have anything in common with them because they can not do magic same 
way as I do not think I have anything in common with Draco Malfoy 
even if he can do magic.

Magpie:
<SNIP>
But it doesn't matter whether their world is literally my world. I
was transported to this AU I would immediately be a Muggle. There's
nothing to distinguish me from the Muggles in the books because I'm a
person that can't do magic and that's the whole definition of what a
Muggle is. How Wizards feel about Muggles are the way they'd feel
about me. They'd treat me the same way they treat their Muggles.

Alla:

Okay, I guess I can understand the reason if it comes down to being 
afraid treating the same way for the absence of that trait. You think 
you will be treated badly simply because you cannot do magic, right?