Sadism or not ? McGonagall and her punishments

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 186656

> a_svirn:
> > I would agree with your every word if I found Parvati behaviour
> > objectionable. Since I don't, it is McGonagall's behaviour I am objecting 
> > to.
> 
> Shaun:
> 
> Fair enough - but I do find Parvarti's behaviour objectionable. Hogwarts has 
> a school uniform. She's violating the rules concerning uniform, and so it's 
> entirely appropriate for a teacher to reprimand her for doing it. Now I come 
> from a cultural background where school uniforms are normal, I wore one from 
> the age of five to seventeen, and every school I've taught in has had a 
> uniform. I'm generally speaking in favour of uniforms - but only if they are 
> properly enforced. If they are not going to be enforced (and that means 
> students facing some sort of sanction if they break the rules) they become 
> pretty useless. If they are enforced, they are useful in many cases.
> 
> The fact is Professor McGonagall is responsible for ensuring the students in 
> her class follow the uniform rules. Parvarti was not. That's not appropriate 
> behaviour and it's entirely appropriate for a teacher to address it.

Magpie:
I don't see anything in that exchange that indicates McGonagall's addressing any sort of school uniform issue. Parvati's wearing a hair clip on her plait. I'm not convinced girls are not allowed to wear ornamental hair clips. It doesn't seem any more elaborate than Luna's cork bottle necklaces or radish earrings.

The way I read the scene McGonagall is simply supposed to be nervous herself and wants the kids to look like she wants them to look like for the foreign visitors--namely, serious. So Ron gets told to straighten his hat and Parvati gets and insulting "Take that ridiculous thing out of your hair." Nothing about any uniform code not allowing ornamental barrettes. She wants her to remove it because it's stupid-looking and she doesn't want it making an impression on her.

I think her reaction to Neville is written to show the same kind of personal irritation too, actually. Sure Neville's done wrong by writing down the passwords and not noticing that they'd been stolen. But I still see McGonagall taking out her frustration and fears on him by humiliating him (she does set him up for constant humiliation for as long as the punishment lasts). I think McGonagall has a pretty consistent pattern of not caring about rules when it benefits her and the kids pick up on that.
 
-m