The theme, was Re: Ginny hexes / kinds of bigotry /etc

[pippin_999]

Nora: 
> Yes, but it hasn't been nearly as strong a theme throughout the 
> books.  We get the setup for the house-elf situation with Dobby in 
> CoS, we get more revelations about the system in GoF with Hermione's 
> opening crusade, we have Kreacher at the middle of a plot, we have 
> Dumbledore making explicit references to the destruction of a false 
> representation of wizardly comradery with house-elves, and we have 
> the house-elves as significant players in the plot several times.

Pippin:
I don't see each kind of intolerance being presented as a separate issue. 
All forms of intolerance are  shown as cowardice. The characters fear, 
as well they should, the potential for violence in  their fellow beings, 
and they want a magic formula which tells them who they can trust. 
They've put this desire  into action with the House Elves. 

But even the magically bound House Elves aren't safe. Three out of the four 
named  Elves failed their masters, and the other one was blamed for  doing 
so. The wizards, like Voldemort, cannot escape the fear of those whom 
they've enslaved and mistreated. The only real way to manage the potential 
for violence is not to give people reason to use it -- which means, 
paradoxically, allowing those whom we fear their freedom. 

If there is a signifier of trustworthiness in JKR's world, it's courage.
But courage, like magic, though it usually shows itself at a young age,
can blossom later in life, or it can wither if unsupported. 

 Nora:
> I don't see that much evidence pointing to werewolf oppression, which 
> shows up first in PoA and does raise its head at least a little many 
> times that Lupin is mentioned.  But his page time from PoA on has 
> been pretty minimal.  I know it's supposed to be the grand motivating 
> issue for Lupin's extreme eeeevil, and if that happens (if) maybe it 
> will make more sense in retrospect.  Not betting on it.

Pippin:
If Lupin's treachery is supposed to come as a surprise, then JKR has to
indicate the motivation for it without giving him away. That means
she has to explore it through other characters.  If you are right, and
Snape's grand motivation is racism, then she's done the same thing
with him, because Snape's racism barely raises its head.

Nora:
> No, because you can't do what he does with Muggles.

Pippin:
?!!! ::boggles:: Of course you can. Or are you saying  there aren't
any Muggle dictators in JKR's world.

Nora:
  But I'm still  thinking of his reaction to his heritage, finding out it 
was *Mummy*  who was magical and the like.  I don't think we can just go "Oh, he 
wanted power and he'd look for it any which way"; I think his 
knowledge of and conception of his heritage has shaped his specific 
actions, and in a way which speaks to some degree of True Belief, not 
just expediency.  Hence picking Harry as the threat, the 'boy like 
him'--that only obtains if he does believe in those criteria, after 
all.

Pippin:
Huh?
I thought Dumbledore said just the opposite, that if Voldemort had
True Belief in the pureblood philosophy, he'd have thought Neville, 
being a pure-blood, was more likely to have the power to vanquish
him.  Voldemort shows he understands that the pureblood nonsense
is just that, by going after Harry.

Pippin