I think I also get now why all these people(you too, if I'm not misinterpreting?) are so wary of JKR, because she never exactly makes clear whether she *realizes* that her Gryffindorish characters think this way, or whether she, too, thinks that Slytherins represent All What is Evil and should be accordingly punished.
Yes, I think that's a great way of putting it. I can't say how JKR really feels about it at this point or anything. In the books right now it seems like there's been plenty of groundwork laid to push everyone to overall unity etc. (which would not only involve the Gryffindors looking at themselves but the Slytherins having to do that as well). But other times it does sound like it's just Slytherin (or the ones we know) are everything evil and must be punished and that, to me, is no kind of happy ending or victory because of course that's not the way it works. It doesn't even get rid of the bad qualities Slytherin has because there will just be some other group to rise up and get persecuted. The idea that the bigotted kids couldn't possibly learn their beliefs are wrong logically and become better people is pretty hopeless. If we have to wipe them out you really are just edging closer to Voldemort's ideology.
Then there's also the question in our wider world, I think, where because Slytherins are so often connected to racism it's difficult for people to discuss. If you don't just label it evil you run the risk of possibly being considered racist yourself etc. Many people don't seem to want to look at exactly why bigotry is bad and where it comes from and why people have beliefs like that. You're just supposed to consider it bad and impossible for good people to understand and having nothing to do with you.
I'm sure at other periods in history there were other belief systems that were just the same, ones that today we might consider good. That's why I think I've said in the past that one of the weird things about the Slytherins is while there are some things about them that are obviously supposed to flash NAZI there are plenty of other things that seem to flash JEWS, or certainly would if they were in a 13th century text or thereabouts.
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Date: 2004-11-02 03:34 pm (UTC)I think I also get now why all these people(you too, if I'm not misinterpreting?) are so wary of JKR, because she never exactly makes clear whether she *realizes* that her Gryffindorish characters think this way, or whether she, too, thinks that Slytherins represent All What is Evil and should be accordingly punished.
Yes, I think that's a great way of putting it. I can't say how JKR really feels about it at this point or anything. In the books right now it seems like there's been plenty of groundwork laid to push everyone to overall unity etc. (which would not only involve the Gryffindors looking at themselves but the Slytherins having to do that as well). But other times it does sound like it's just Slytherin (or the ones we know) are everything evil and must be punished and that, to me, is no kind of happy ending or victory because of course that's not the way it works. It doesn't even get rid of the bad qualities Slytherin has because there will just be some other group to rise up and get persecuted. The idea that the bigotted kids couldn't possibly learn their beliefs are wrong logically and become better people is pretty hopeless. If we have to wipe them out you really are just edging closer to Voldemort's ideology.
Then there's also the question in our wider world, I think, where because Slytherins are so often connected to racism it's difficult for people to discuss. If you don't just label it evil you run the risk of possibly being considered racist yourself etc. Many people don't seem to want to look at exactly why bigotry is bad and where it comes from and why people have beliefs like that. You're just supposed to consider it bad and impossible for good people to understand and having nothing to do with you.
I'm sure at other periods in history there were other belief systems that were just the same, ones that today we might consider good. That's why I think I've said in the past that one of the weird things about the Slytherins is while there are some things about them that are obviously supposed to flash NAZI there are plenty of other things that seem to flash JEWS, or certainly would if they were in a 13th century text or thereabouts.