It's optimistic of you to view the ambiguity of the text as respect for the intelligence of readers. I'm not sure thats present, unfortunately; the constant adverbs explaining how characters talk, the cinematic feel to the novels and the heavy-handed moralizing that runs throughout make it seem like she wants to shut down avenues of interpretation.
Wizards are very much controlling their society. Centaurs are relegated to reservations. Giants are isolated and marginalized. Wolves are a more complex case because the metaphor taps issues of disability as well as culture and ethnic society. But I don't think anyone is advocating equality and tolerance for these groups. There might be a few exceptions who manage to eke out a living, like Hagrid and Lupin, but mostly, these strange creatures are dangerous, and you should avoid them.
Hermione would be likely to advocate wands for goblins and elves? Maybe. I don't know that Harry would be, though. He seems pretty comfortable with cheating Griphook, although his conscience squirms. But JKR in interviews seems to view his conduct here as fundamentally honorable, so I think that squirm of conscience is meant to indicate his great nobility and purity of heart - he can condescend to tolerate, barely, even a goblin - and not a 'wrestling with a being so other' he is genuinely challenged.
It would be nice if kids took from this a message of tolerance, but if they do it will be by reading against the book, not by reading the book! I'd love to see an analysis of these books that offers a positive moral message, but it's hard to find one that is rooted in the text.
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Date: 2016-11-14 07:32 pm (UTC)Wizards are very much controlling their society. Centaurs are relegated to reservations. Giants are isolated and marginalized. Wolves are a more complex case because the metaphor taps issues of disability as well as culture and ethnic society. But I don't think anyone is advocating equality and tolerance for these groups. There might be a few exceptions who manage to eke out a living, like Hagrid and Lupin, but mostly, these strange creatures are dangerous, and you should avoid them.
Hermione would be likely to advocate wands for goblins and elves? Maybe. I don't know that Harry would be, though. He seems pretty comfortable with cheating Griphook, although his conscience squirms. But JKR in interviews seems to view his conduct here as fundamentally honorable, so I think that squirm of conscience is meant to indicate his great nobility and purity of heart - he can condescend to tolerate, barely, even a goblin - and not a 'wrestling with a being so other' he is genuinely challenged.
It would be nice if kids took from this a message of tolerance, but if they do it will be by reading against the book, not by reading the book! I'd love to see an analysis of these books that offers a positive moral message, but it's hard to find one that is rooted in the text.