"Pygmies" as a Fictional Fantasy Race

[LisztesFerenc]

Besides the fact that "DRUMPFV = VOLDEBORT" has less critical thinking applied to it than that theory where all the Ed, Edd, n Eddy kids are actually in purgatory, Rowling's story is by no means a political one. It is a children's novel about children that team up to fight a bad guy that wants to harm others. It is because the series has such little political complexity that it is so easy for it to be compared to politics of varying eras. Either way, it doesn't really matter what Rowling says on the matter, if we're to be analyzing her work.

  I'm pretty sure Rowling saying in as many words "I wanted the book to explore political themes" is kinda relevant to whether or not Harry Potter is political. "Don't always trust the established media, especially those with close connections to the state" and "Reject White Power and similar movements" are political statement. Not the most complex political statements, and they are presented rather blatantly, but that doesn't stop them from being political themes and therefor Harry Potter being political.

[QuackKing]

  I'm pretty sure Rowling saying in as many words "I wanted the book to explore political themes" is kinda relevant to whether or not Harry Potter is political.

Not really. It doesn't matter what Rowling said on the matter of her book's politics, because the interpretation of it is entirely separate of her intent.

[Tamhansen]

Not really. It doesn't matter what Rowling said on the matter of her book's politics, because the interpretation of it is entirely separate of her intent.

So what you're saying is: What the writer meant the book to be about is irrelevant to what the book is about?


Hmm, that puts a whole new light on George Orwell.

[Blythe]

There's an entire line of critical thinking theory about an author's intent, personal history, beliefs, and their literature.

QuackKing, I get the impression your views might align somewhat with Roland Barthes's views, where he argued against using an author's personal history and belief systems when critically evaluating a work, that it imposed limitations on that work.

[QuackKing]

So what you're saying is: What the writer meant the book to be about is irrelevant to what the book is about?

Yeah. There is no reason to try and tie a work to its author since it limits interpretation of the work by itself.

QuackKing, I get the impression your views might align somewhat with Roland Barthes's views, where he argued against using an author's personal history and belief systems when critically evaluating a work, that it imposed limitations on that work.

Yeh.

[LisztesFerenc]

Not really. It doesn't matter what Rowling said on the matter of her book's politics, because the interpretation of it is entirely separate of her intent.

  Even if you want to seperate the issues, that just makes what you said wrong in two ways. You're wrong that Harry Potter can't be expected to be political because the author said it is, and you're wrong that Harry Potter can't be expected to be political becuase it is there, it can be interpreted very easily. The obsession with pure blood has obvious parralels to real life racial suprememcy ideologies and the distrust of the state run media is...well that's not even parralels, it outright says don't always trust it, which is a political statement.

  You can make a reasonbly convincing argument that books 1-4 lack political commentary. Government incompentence starts to emerge in book 3 mostly, but once you reach book 5 arguing there no political themes to Harry Potter is about as convicing as arguing there's no witchcraft in it.

[TheGlyphstone]

As an aside, it's odd to try and make a real-world analogy to Harry Potter by saying Drumph=Voldemort. I'd think a better comparison would be someone like David Duke or Richard Spencer - you know, actual avowed racial supremacists.

[Missy]

As an aside, it's odd to try and make a real-world analogy to Harry Potter by saying Drumph=Voldemort. I'd think a better comparison would be someone like David Duke or Richard Spencer - you know, actual avowed racial supremacists.

So Trump is liek what, petigrew?

[TheGlyphstone]

So Trump is liek what, petigrew?

If we have to pick someone...Scrimgeour or Fudge, I guess. More concerned with public opinion than actually getting the job done. My first thought was Umbridge, but for all his manifest faults Trump lacks the sort of petty gleeful cruelty to be a good Umbridge.

[LisztesFerenc]

If we have to pick someone...Scrimgeour or Fudge, I guess. More concerned with public opinion than actually getting the job done. My first thought was Umbridge, but for all his manifest faults Trump lacks the sort of petty gleeful cruelty to be a good Umbridge.

  Wasn't Scrimgeour actually doing stuff? I got the impression he was competent, but by the time he was given control Voldermort and the Death Eaters had had such a head start in preparation that it was a loosing battle. He did want Harry to be seen at Ministry to reassure people, but PR and public opinion are important during a war, I don't think that was intended as evidence that Scrimgeour was more concerned with public opinion than actually doing things.

[TheGlyphstone]

  Wasn't Scrimgeour actually doing stuff? I got the impression he was competent, but by the time he was given control Voldermort and the Death Eaters had had such a head start in preparation that it was a loosing battle. He did want Harry to be seen at Ministry to reassure people, but PR and public opinion are important during a war, I don't think that was intended as evidence that Scrimgeour was more concerned with public opinion than actually doing things.

Sorry, wrong person. I was thinking of whoever replaced Scrimgeour as Voldy's puppet minister...Thickney, was it?

[Meatboy]

I only wanted to avoid offending any pygmies (or anyone related to them) in this community.

This spontaneous reaction was rather unexpected.

Nonetheless, I thank you all for your responses and have decided to go with my world-building idea which I will soon be posting.

However, I must also tell you that my work will not have a Trump analogue although it will have a Duterte analogue which some may find offensive.

[Skynet]

I only wanted to avoid offending any pygmies (or anyone related to them) in this community.

This spontaneous reaction was rather unexpected.

Nonetheless, I thank you all for your responses and have decided to go with my world-building idea which I will soon be posting.

However, I must also tell you that my work will not have a Trump analogue although it will have a Duterte analogue which some may find offensive.

From my limited knowledge, Duterte is beloved amongst extremely right-wing Filipinos, whereas a substantial portion of disenfranchised people (Muslims, sex workers, drug addicts, rape victims, etc) are being persecuted by his administration. The only people who would be offended by this are the type of people who defend dictators.

[Meatboy]

Well, what can I say, I'm not exactly fond of dictators. I'm not going to hide that.