Muggles v wizards redux

[lealess]

No: HPFGUIDX 183244

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

Essentially, it sounds as though you are taking the HP world on its 
own terms.  If HP only shows only stupid or cruel Muggles, then they 
represent all HP Muggles for you and you don't have to feel anything 
for them aside from your normal response to stupid or cruel people.  
You don't try to fit the fiction of the books into larger real 
life.   I realize I may have misinterpreted, though.

Taking the books on their own terms, "If you want to know what a 
man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his 
equals."  If we agree that Muggles are inferior to Wizards because 
they do not possess magic or even the knowledge that magic exists, 
then all Wizards who come into contact with Muggles in the books come 
out very poorly (and I'm including Hermione and Ron in this).  The 
mistreatment of various "inferiors" forms the basis of my dislike for 
certain aspects of Rowling's Wizarding society.  In fact, both the 
assumption of superiority and rush to judgment about others' 
inferiority repel me, and always have, even before I began reading 
the series. 

So, I came to the books with that prejudice, and was discouraged to 
realize that, within the books, certain wizards are generally correct 
in abusing creatures unlike them.  Within the books, the weak are 
often at the mercy of the strong.  Off the top of my head, wizards 
are never called into account for abusing inferiors, with the notable 
exceptions of Sirius Black, who, of course, made the statement quoted 
above, the Gaunts, who were asserting their superiority over an 
equally-reprehensible Muggle, and Dumbledore's father, who was, of 
course, taking revenge against evil Muggles.  Generally, however, 
it's OK to accept, if not outright enjoy, seeing the less powerful 
compromised.  In fact, abusing the less powerful is a lark!  And so 
what if secrecy is compromised?  Look at the Quidditch World Cup.  
The Ministry and the Death Eaters had a jolly time, between the 
memory spells and the terror.  Magic is might.

In real-world terms, Rowling has explicitly brought our Western 
society's history into the books.  Thus, Wizarding prejudice is akin 
to Nazi beliefs and House-Elf slavery is an allusion to real-life 
slavery.  Being human and capable of abstract thought, I naturally 
extend this analogy.  In our real world, those who feel entitled can 
subject those with less power to condescension, insults, dangerous 
practical jokes, fraud or hoodwinking, episodes of terror, 
uncontrolled verbal or physical assault, physical injury, 
brainwashing, and torture, among other evils.  They can hide children 
away or raise them to feel superior.  All of these things are 
extrapolations of things Wizards did to Muggles in HP.  None of these 
things made Wizards appealing, no matter how unappealing their Muggle 
victims.

So... it isn't so much that I identify with the Muggles in the story, 
but more that I identify with the pre-judged and put-upon underdogs 
in any story.

> 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?

Answering for myself, when I was in the story, I was in the Wizard 
mindspace.  I identified with Wizards and my imagination soared with 
their powers and problems.  Then, being vicariously part of this 
society as I read, I began to see the contradictions in it.  Just 
because I was part of this world did not mean I checked my critical 
faculties at the acknowledgements page.  But I did bring my real 
world to the reading, and I did come back to the real world after 
reading.  It's inevitable that a mash-up occurred.

Called upon to stretch my imagine, I realize that if I were 
transported into this fictional universe for real, based on the 
actions of Wizards in the books, I am pretty sure I would be 
mistreated somehow, regardless of what kind of Muggle I am.  If I 
were magical (since I'm using my imagination), I don't think I'd be 
very pleased with other Wizards.

Hope this makes sense,

lealess