Yes - thanks for your comment. Rowling's unexamined assimilation of 19th-century mores (my thesis here) does not explain all the flaws of her novels. Her extreme determinism does seem more Calvinist to me. One question I still have is: to what extent is Rowling even aware of the somewhat hateful messages that come through so strongly in these books? I do think it's possible she's not aware at all; she truly seems to think she's written different books!
Another point, of course - and I tried to address this a bit, but could have gone into greater depth - is that the great Victorian novelists had a coherent worldview with some positive aspects. In Dickens, it actually is okay to advance socially to some degree, provided you are not a hypocrite and do not forget your roots. Most people are good, regardless of their origin, and all people deserve humane treatment. Rowling is not like this at all. In her universe, some people deserve to be put in their place, just as you say. And you can tell who those people are by what a *hat* says about them when they are 11 years old!
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Another point, of course - and I tried to address this a bit, but could have gone into greater depth - is that the great Victorian novelists had a coherent worldview with some positive aspects. In Dickens, it actually is okay to advance socially to some degree, provided you are not a hypocrite and do not forget your roots. Most people are good, regardless of their origin, and all people deserve humane treatment. Rowling is not like this at all. In her universe, some people deserve to be put in their place, just as you say. And you can tell who those people are by what a *hat* says about them when they are 11 years old!