Episode 9 and 3/4 – Because, Duh.

Comments

1. 

   Cyndi Morris

   11/02/2015

   Reply

   I am always impressed with how even the most bigoted characters (Dursleys and Malfoys) are actually not anti-black racist. The Dursleys turn to Kingsley as an authority and Malfoy has no issues with Zabini. They do sort of seem to be living in a post-racial world – who’d have thought?
   On the other hand, I think a lot about the parallels between anti-muggle or anti-wizard sentiment and the biases we know – racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. The Dursleys want to beat the magic out of Harry, not unlike some homophobic Christians raising kids who turn out to be gay. They fret about the perception that anyone in their family could be "like that" and closet that part of their family away. (Quite literally for Harry under the stairs!) The Malfoys’ obsession with pure blood feels like an analogy to racism and the "one drop rule". Mudblood has strong parallels to the n-word.
   The treatment of house elves is more troubling when I go looking for racial parallels. I really don’t like how even all of our good guys (except Hermione!!!) go along with the standard order. And, the portrayal of elves as liking things the way they are harkens to the "happy slave" narratives and makes me uncomfortable. (Plus, I think there’s a little antisemitism in the goblins and their obsession with banking.) I don’t really know what to do with my feelings about this.

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