Yes, that would seem to partly excuse her, but then again there's something to be said for the fact that, as you say, even Neville and Luna are Caucasian and there is not a single character of color to survive the narrative importance scale and end up in the Epilogue.
There is also the fact that, while racial diversity ending up represented in marginal characters only is one thing, characters of color consistently getting slotted into the role of romantic failure is quite another. From Ginny/Dean to Cedric/Cho to Harry/Cho to George/Angelina, the non-White characters are constantly getting picked out of a predominantly White mass of characters and paired up with White characters, only to lose them or their love. And then there's the matter of JKR reportedly imagining that Angelina ends up with Fred, and we don't see hide nor hair of that couple (nor their son, nor even hear a throwaway *mention* of his family) in that Epilogue which made sure to give us details on even the son of Bill and Fleur.
It's a pattern. I agree that it's unconscious, and I also agree that it's a common fault found in many stories, even those written by modern-day authors. I do not, however, think that that makes it okay for this author to write her story in this way and then vocally sell it as a work that conscientiously focuses on the issue of racism and advocates the importance of equality and tolerance.
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Date: 2008-07-07 08:34 am (UTC)There is also the fact that, while racial diversity ending up represented in marginal characters only is one thing, characters of color consistently getting slotted into the role of romantic failure is quite another. From Ginny/Dean to Cedric/Cho to Harry/Cho to George/Angelina, the non-White characters are constantly getting picked out of a predominantly White mass of characters and paired up with White characters, only to lose them or their love. And then there's the matter of JKR reportedly imagining that Angelina ends up with Fred, and we don't see hide nor hair of that couple (nor their son, nor even hear a throwaway *mention* of his family) in that Epilogue which made sure to give us details on even the son of Bill and Fleur.
It's a pattern. I agree that it's unconscious, and I also agree that it's a common fault found in many stories, even those written by modern-day authors. I do not, however, think that that makes it okay for this author to write her story in this way and then vocally sell it as a work that conscientiously focuses on the issue of racism and advocates the importance of equality and tolerance.