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Re: just a comment about your rich=bad DomA Send a noteboard - 08/04/2010 05:58:13 PM
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.

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Harry Potter (the entire series) - 06/04/2010 11:00:07 PM 1858 Views
Re: Harry Potter (the entire series) - 06/04/2010 11:29:49 PM 1134 Views
Really? - 07/04/2010 05:41:46 PM 1181 Views
I honestly think it's a combination of the two - 07/04/2010 05:55:18 PM 1061 Views
I'll give you that.... - 07/04/2010 06:11:27 PM 1085 Views
Yeah, I believe she's explicitly said she did that on purpose - 10/04/2010 08:24:47 PM 999 Views
Um...you forgot a book. - 06/04/2010 11:37:27 PM 1120 Views
My bad...much thanks for reminding me. - 07/04/2010 05:43:53 PM 1081 Views
Re: Harry Potter (the entire series) - 07/04/2010 12:26:22 AM 1395 Views
I get where you're coming from - 07/04/2010 06:19:13 PM 1187 Views
That's kind of the point though... - 07/04/2010 08:44:26 PM 1123 Views
This is how I see it too - 08/04/2010 12:43:03 AM 1237 Views
just a comment about your rich=bad - 08/04/2010 02:05:32 AM 1202 Views
Re: just a comment about your rich=bad - 08/04/2010 05:58:13 PM 1201 Views
it was a bit black and white... - 08/04/2010 08:48:05 PM 991 Views
I agree with many of your points. - 07/04/2010 12:44:31 AM 1293 Views
I have to dispute the concept of going "too far." - 07/04/2010 06:32:47 AM 1046 Views
Hm, I don't know. - 07/04/2010 11:08:12 AM 1117 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 1038 Views
Where is this debate? I'd like to read it. - 08/04/2010 05:18:38 PM 1705 Views
I agree entirely about Snape *NM* - 07/04/2010 11:50:00 AM 518 Views
More conversation on Snape. - 07/04/2010 06:01:37 PM 1351 Views
Brief comments on Magic, Dumbledore, and The Epilogue. - 07/04/2010 07:13:55 AM 1387 Views
Re: Brief comments on Magic, Dumbledore, and The Epilogue. - 07/04/2010 06:09:20 PM 1241 Views
The movies are even worse about this. - 07/04/2010 06:15:35 PM 1126 Views
Hmmm.... - 07/04/2010 06:21:40 PM 1098 Views
Oh, that's definitely why they did it - 09/04/2010 06:44:50 AM 1428 Views
how many high school relationships... - 08/04/2010 02:13:48 AM 1089 Views
Re: Brief comments on Magic, Dumbledore, and The Epilogue. - 08/04/2010 03:25:38 PM 1211 Views
Harry Potter and Star Wars have two radically different approaches to this - 07/04/2010 06:13:25 PM 1298 Views
When my son asked for his own set of Harry Potter books, - 07/04/2010 10:26:37 PM 1147 Views
This is assuming of course... - 07/04/2010 11:00:15 PM 1196 Views
yes, that's where parenting gets "complicated" - 08/04/2010 02:16:06 AM 1107 Views
You are taking this a bit extreme I feel. - 08/04/2010 08:51:34 AM 1050 Views
I agree. *NM* - 08/04/2010 06:11:06 PM 471 Views
Re: This is assuming of course... - 08/04/2010 03:30:33 PM 1244 Views
I am the same way with a few books. - 08/04/2010 08:05:04 PM 1086 Views
I was most irritated by the ironic names - 08/04/2010 05:38:59 AM 1213 Views
Re: I was most irritated by the ironic names - 08/04/2010 10:07:40 PM 1631 Views
Sheriff Lobo wasn't a werewolf, either, and Bear wasn't a bear. - 09/04/2010 12:47:48 AM 1053 Views

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