Harry Potter - Class prejudice?

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This post is really for those of you out there who have read all of the books, including the most recent one (Order of the Phoenix). This post has some spoilers relating to that book, so if you have not read it then do not read on. I would also like to point out at this point that I am not a Harry Potter obsessive, or even really a fan - although I am quite fond of the books - but this is something which I have given some (reasonably) serious thought to, so bear with me. (NB: all page numbers are for the UK version)


SPOILERS AHEAD!


Alright, now onto my theory. I believe that the Harry Potter books are full of class prejudice, and I can back this up with evidence. Right from the first book, we have evidence of an unpleasantness that eminates from a certain upper-class character, when we run into Draco Malfoy - again - on page 81. "... some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter...
He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but he didn't take it."
If Draco is the first nasty piece of work we meet, then the first nice one is Hagrid. He has a "long, shaggy mane of hair" and a "tangled beard" when he bursts through the door on page 39: hardly a state of affairs even close to the "pale, pointed face" of Draco on page 59. Hagrid's speech is undeniably earthy as well, as Rowling shows through the shortening of syllables in certain words and in the use of the word "yeh" to mean "you"; anyone who has seen either of the movies will no doubt remeber Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid and his superb rendition of the accent in question.
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are two children who Harry gets on well with (although not immeadiately in the case of Hermione, but at least the nature of their relationship before they all defeat the Troll is not as bitter as it is with Draco). They are two down-to-earth children: both Hermione's parents are muggles, and dentists, and Ron's family is not particulary well off despite being a wizarding family through and through.
The teachers are a mystery as far as class is concerned, so little can be read into them.

In book two, we see some very interesting things come to light about Voldemort an his past. Unfortunately I have misplaced my copy, so I can't quote directly, but essentially we learn that Voldemort is an orphan, and that he is (genetically, if you like) half muggle, half wizard - a mudblood. We learn that he changed his name because he despised his father's muggle surname (Riddle). What's more, he doesn't merely call himself Voldemort: he is LORD Voldemort, an affix traditionally only used by nobility, and a sign of social rank. He is incredibly bitter about who he is, and seeks to change himself into something completely different.

In book three, we run into some new characters, most notably Sirius Black and Wormtail. The backgrounds of these characters are mysterious for now, so we must leave them. We also have Prof. Lupin, but the reason for his lack of money is not to do with his class, but more with his being a werewolf, which causes a lot of prejudice against him.

In book four we meet Barty Crouch early on, a man who arrives dressed in an "impeccably crisp suit" with "highly polished shoes." Hardly conclusive evidence, I know, but it transpires that the family has a house-elf, a creature only well-off families can affors to have. His son, also called Barty, is a Death Eater. We also discover, at the end of the book, that the Malfoys, Crabbes, and Goyles are all in the Death Eaters.

In book five, we discover that although Sirius' family was intrinsically evil, he was not - and thus he was rejected by them. Cornelius Fudge is not evil as such, as he comes into line with Dumbledore towards the end of the novel.

Now, I realise that the books are not totally like this: there are the Dursleys, a nasty, middle class family, and Sirius, a loyal and pleasant upper class man. However, there is enough evidence in the books to make me wonder... This is just my skeleton arguement, there are aspects of Harry Potter and class that I have not even started upon yet (like the films, and the accents of the characters therein). Constructive thoughts welcome.

 

Sorry, I don't get your point.

England is the most class-wise divided society in Europe and the last one where nobility is of some importance, so there being characters from different social classes in an English book is something completely normal. Also class prejudice is something normal (not 'sane', 'normal') in any society, so why should all characters be free of it, especially the bad or nasty ones? It would be a problem if Rowling herself were prejudiced and had written her books in according fashion.

As I have already said, I don't get your point. Against what social class is the book prejudiced in your opinion? There are nobles (sort of), commoners and, more controversial, snobs on one side and climbers or petty revolutionaries on the other. Each gets its own portion of fun. What's wrong then?

I assure you I've seen lots more of class prejudice aimed in either direction in basic day-by-day life.

 

I think that your point is this: The nobles are shown as bad guys and the good guys are commoners. But then you seem to go on and say 'well actually some of the nobles are also good and some of the commoners are bad as well' and then you go on saying that the middle classes are also good and bad. So you seem to have made your point and then also countered it.

 

I would also like to make this point:

All the ultimate good characters diversify all races and social classes. Indeed the only ones who do seem to care about classes are the ultimate bad guys, such as Lord Vodlemort, Lucius Malfoy and Professor Umbridge and even to some extent Cornelius Fudge. If you'll notice, the Order of Pheonix has all sorts of people in it, everyone from Dumbledore, Professor Lupin (a werewolf,) the Weasleys, Mad-Eye Moody, and even Professor Snape. *All* social lines are erased in this case because the good guys know that it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, pure-blood or not, what matters is what you do.

"It is not our abilities but our choices that show who we truly are." -- Professor Dumbledore. In saying that Professor Dumbledore was trying to show to Harry that it doesn't matter who your family is, it's what you decide to do with your life. In the fourth book Dumbledore also points out to Fudge that Barty Crouch Jr, came from a long-line of purebloods and yet look what he made of his life.

I suspect that you were trying to say that J.K. Rowling displays a prejudice towards the upper class in her books (since it CLEARLY can't be lower class) but in my opinion she attempts to do the exact opposite and teach tolerance for all races, nationalities and social classes. If in her books it often seems that the upper class people are the bad guys (and the predjudiced ones) it is because throughout Britain's history (no offense to anyone here I'm talking like 1800s) many of the British people felt that they were better than the rest of the world simply because they were British. And what about the ancient beleif in nobility? So many nobles felt that just because their blood was more "noble" that made them better than the common working man. Yet if you think about it, the only reason they are noble is because their great ancestors did something heroic or else bribed the king. (Something that J.K. Rowling REALLY illustrates in her books, especially the Order of the Pheonix)But I feel, (as I'm sure J.K. Rowling does too) that many of the British people have learned from this mistake and come to realize that it is people's choices that make them good or bad.

Here is another point, in many places where Lord Vodlemort is talking about how there is no good or evil, only power and those too weak to seek it -- did anyone notice that Hitler said almost the exact same thing in his speeches? He constantly spread the idea that the Aryans (cough -- purebloods!) were the better race and that all the races must be crushed into dominion. . . hmmmm sounds familiar doesn't it?

As I said, I'm not sure if you were trying to say that J.K. Rowling is predjudiced against upper classes but I very much feel that she does the exact opposite in her books in trying to show to the world that it really is people's choices that show who they truly are -- NOT their heritage.

 

There are unlikely to be too many bad 'commoners' as Voldemort is only really interested in pure-bloods and they are all amongst the wizarding aristocracy. Any non pure-blood that works for Voldemort is either being used against their will or is not going to last too long.

The Dursleys don't really count as they are muggles and live in a completely different world. And they aren't really evil anyway, just scared.

 

The whole setting of the story in a pseudo-elite typical British school, where pupils are seperated into "clubs" screams for aristocracy and snobbism. The only thing missing is saber-fights to get scars on the cheek.

The whole "pure-blood" issue might be a pladyoer versus social-darwinism ? Set in the homeland of social-darwinism ?

 

Well, that "houses" is related to student organizations in my view. Sure, it is one of the typical relicts of feudal times, which are often found in the UK. It belongs to the typical stereotype of an English school, were "class-distinction" is found and breeded (sp ?). The whole British school system with its prominent public schools and it's organization is, in my view at least, one of the reasons why "class-thinking" in the UK could survive that long. That means that class-conscient people are expected in the scenery.

And the description of Voldemort in one of the above posts indicate that his a product of those "houses" which went to the extreme. As it predominantly were student-organizations, which spread the social-darwinistic thought, Voldemort would be a typical member of such an organization. Because he seemingly puts "class-thinking" to a certain level.

 

Yes, membership of the houses is more or less random (or hat-selected). But still it's the principle of building competing groups. As there is no other similar school, competition can only be in inside the school, between those groups. But membership to this house is obviously lasting lifelong.

But the model those houses are based on, is obviously "elitist school-associations". The most notorious versions are still existing in France. But the UK has them traditionally too.

Silverwolf86 points out, that Lord Voldemort represents the typical member of a sudent-association with the according notorious views. (I don't know the specific word in English, but I am sure there is one for a certain but formerly common kind of "student-association". Sadly en vogue again, nowadays). So, closing of the cycle. Platypus sees a class-prejudice. This is because most evil-characters are made after the role-model of a student-association member, with a certain sense of "class".

Actually, the reason is evident, everythin has to be connected to the school, so a "school-evil" is needed for the story.

"Fraternity" maybe ?