Children are asked to look down on ordinary human beings – because the only non-wizards we actually see in any depth are Harry's loathsome aunt, uncle and cousin. And every book begins with a reminder that Harry is not an ordinary boy. He is special, set apart, not like any of his family or neighbors. This is actually quite a contrast with Lewis, as we can see if we look in greater depth at some of his characters.
Okay yes, that is very problematic. The distinctions that Rowling draws between the wizarding world and the muggle one definitely point to a bias against those that are not marked out as special by the author. In HP there is an impression of looking down on the muggles, and the removal of agency from those in the non-favored class.
However, one of the things that I think that you're not incorporating into this essay is that Lewis *does the exact same thing*. One of the things that struck me when I reread Prince Caspian and watched the movie again was that the talking animals and other Narnians apparently need a Son of Adam/Daughter of Eve to rule over them. NEED. Apparently there is some sort of special cache that comes with being human that is different from that which comes with being a person. Because the Narnians are clearly people, but in Lewis' eyes, they should not be allowed to govern themselves, they need someone else to do it for them. In TLTWTW, this distinction is enough to make the Pensieves Kings and Queens, because they are the first humans to arrive there. While you can argue that they aren't marked as special or different in our own world, in Narnia? They are. That humanity sets them apart, sets them above. In PC this humanity also seems to be one of the main reasons that Caspian is made king. Not for his experience (because if you'll remember in the book, he's a fairly young boy) or because the Narnians seem to think that he is the best one to represent their interests, but because he's a human. We see this in the founding of Narnia too, where the cabby and his wife are asked to become King and Queen because they are human. In Narnia humanity is a trump card.
It's true that in the Narnian books, not all humans are good. However, in HP, neither are all wizards. It doesn't prevent either from being part of a class that the author is privileging.
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Part 1
Date: 2009-05-22 05:48 am (UTC)Okay yes, that is very problematic. The distinctions that Rowling draws between the wizarding world and the muggle one definitely point to a bias against those that are not marked out as special by the author. In HP there is an impression of looking down on the muggles, and the removal of agency from those in the non-favored class.
However, one of the things that I think that you're not incorporating into this essay is that Lewis *does the exact same thing*. One of the things that struck me when I reread Prince Caspian and watched the movie again was that the talking animals and other Narnians apparently need a Son of Adam/Daughter of Eve to rule over them. NEED. Apparently there is some sort of special cache that comes with being human that is different from that which comes with being a person. Because the Narnians are clearly people, but in Lewis' eyes, they should not be allowed to govern themselves, they need someone else to do it for them. In TLTWTW, this distinction is enough to make the Pensieves Kings and Queens, because they are the first humans to arrive there. While you can argue that they aren't marked as special or different in our own world, in Narnia? They are. That humanity sets them apart, sets them above. In PC this humanity also seems to be one of the main reasons that Caspian is made king. Not for his experience (because if you'll remember in the book, he's a fairly young boy) or because the Narnians seem to think that he is the best one to represent their interests, but because he's a human. We see this in the founding of Narnia too, where the cabby and his wife are asked to become King and Queen because they are human. In Narnia humanity is a trump card.
It's true that in the Narnian books, not all humans are good. However, in HP, neither are all wizards. It doesn't prevent either from being part of a class that the author is privileging.