It's important to note, that the "rich" in Harry Potter are not only rich. They are people along the lines of what passes for wizard nobility, or at least of that heritage. The Malfoys are an excellent case.
I agree a lot of this is inspired by British culture (history, but also literature like Dickens) and by her Scotish sensibilities too probably, though she had several important characters who had the blood lineage and who were painted very positively - but most of them were either poor or nothing was made of their wealth (eg: Neville, the Weasleys etc.). Only Sirius and Harry were technically very rich, and sometimes Rowling was tempted to show this as a challenge/danger (and source of guilt) to Harry. He had to learn to use his wealth the right way, not to show off or embarass his poorer friends with over the top generosity etc.
Her harshest critic of the wealthy was of course the Malfoys. They treat their "staff" terribly, show off their wealth all the time, use it as a source of power for bribes etc. and they sneer at the poor, even the pure blood ones like the Weasleys who were to them a disgrace to the pure blood.
Let's say her own background (and even her poverty at the time) showed a bit in the way she depicted the mediocre middle-class wannabe bourgeois like the Dursleys and the insanely rich like the Malfoys, offering the poor, struggling Weasleys as her central positive family.
I'm not against it mind you, I found her satirical elements very amusing, but it was a bit black and white... maybe.
Harry Potter (the entire series)
- 06/04/2010 11:00:07 PM
2183 Views
Re: Harry Potter (the entire series)
- 06/04/2010 11:29:49 PM
1425 Views
Really?
- 07/04/2010 05:41:46 PM
1522 Views
I honestly think it's a combination of the two
- 07/04/2010 05:55:18 PM
1348 Views
I'll give you that....
- 07/04/2010 06:11:27 PM
1408 Views
It does seem logical that the series gets more teenager-oriented as Harry grows older.
- 07/04/2010 06:47:57 PM
1373 Views
Re: Harry Potter (the entire series)
- 07/04/2010 12:26:22 AM
1745 Views
I get where you're coming from
- 07/04/2010 06:19:13 PM
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That's kind of the point though...
- 07/04/2010 08:44:26 PM
1408 Views
This is how I see it too
- 08/04/2010 12:43:03 AM
1560 Views
just a comment about your rich=bad
- 08/04/2010 02:05:32 AM
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Re: just a comment about your rich=bad
- 08/04/2010 05:58:13 PM
1527 Views
I agree with many of your points.
- 07/04/2010 12:44:31 AM
1630 Views
I have to dispute the concept of going "too far."
- 07/04/2010 06:32:47 AM
1359 Views
Hm, I don't know.
- 07/04/2010 11:08:12 AM
1414 Views
This is a lot like the argument I'm having with Joel on the CMB concerning original sin.
- 08/04/2010 07:21:39 AM
1341 Views
- 08/04/2010 07:21:39 AM
1341 Views
Where is this debate? I'd like to read it.
- 08/04/2010 05:18:38 PM
2011 Views
I should have put "debate" in quotes. It's about four sentences long.
- 08/04/2010 10:32:43 PM
1335 Views
- 08/04/2010 10:32:43 PM
1335 Views
More conversation on Snape.
- 07/04/2010 06:01:37 PM
1716 Views
His death wasn't very spectacular, but he did play an essential role...
- 07/04/2010 06:45:58 PM
1562 Views
Brief comments on Magic, Dumbledore, and The Epilogue.
- 07/04/2010 07:13:55 AM
1718 Views
Re: Brief comments on Magic, Dumbledore, and The Epilogue.
- 07/04/2010 06:09:20 PM
1555 Views
The movies are even worse about this.
- 07/04/2010 06:15:35 PM
1420 Views
Death doesn't actually happen in slow-motion fit for the cinema screen.
- 08/04/2010 07:24:31 AM
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Re: Death doesn't actually happen in slow-motion fit for the cinema screen.
- 08/04/2010 03:27:09 PM
1402 Views
Harry Potter and Star Wars have two radically different approaches to this
- 07/04/2010 06:13:25 PM
1654 Views
When my son asked for his own set of Harry Potter books,
- 07/04/2010 10:26:37 PM
1436 Views
This is assuming of course...
- 07/04/2010 11:00:15 PM
1483 Views
I was most irritated by the ironic names
- 08/04/2010 05:38:59 AM
1537 Views
Re: I was most irritated by the ironic names
- 08/04/2010 10:07:40 PM
1930 Views
Exactly - it's not as obvious if you're a kid, then it seems clever and it's fun to decode.
- 09/04/2010 01:04:11 AM
1480 Views
