Hogwarts : A History (New Edition)
written by Shakira Marvolo Riddle
This book is rich with detail about the history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. " Hogwarts: A History, also known as Hogwarts, A History, is a book concerning Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and its history that was written by Bathilda Bagshot. This Book is Complete and Unabridged.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
8
Reads
9,725
Multicultural wizarding society
Chapter 7
The wizarding community of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is multicultural. Both students and teachers are from different backgrounds, races, cultures and nationalities. The author emphasised the idea of diversity, which involves social integration and unity, and offers a stronger sense of cultural identity or validity. The main eight minority characters include: Cho Chang, Dean Thomas, Blaise Zabini, Lee Jordan, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Angelina Johnson and the Patil twins. They are almost invisible in the course of the stories, but what is
35 more important, they are not victims of racial prejudice and their abilities and roles in society have been appreciated. Being the object of Harry’s affection, Cho Chang appears very often throughout the series. She is a pretty girl of Asian background, with long, shining dark hair. As a member of Quidditch team, she is the only girl representing Ravenclaw house in this wizarding sport played on broomsticks. Harry Potter were enchanted with her intelligence, bravery, and charm. He asked her to the Yule Ball, but unfortunately someone has already invited her. At some point she began to return Harry's feelings; however, their acquaintance did not turn into a serious relationship. Dean Thomas is depicted as a dark-complexioned boy of African descent: “Thomas, Dean,' a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table” (Rowling, 1997, p.122). He shares his dormitory with Harry Potter and is shown as a boy with artistic abilities. Dean made a banner "Potter for President" and painted the Gryffindor lion underneath. Another black character is represented by Angelina Johnson, who is a tall girl with long black hair introduced as an excellent player of Quidditch team. Furthermore, Lee Jordan is identified as: “a boy with dreadlocks” (Rowling, 1997, p. 71), which probably indicate that he is also of African origin. He is the notable commentator of the Quidditch game and the owner of a giant spider, which may refer to his exotic origin. The last black student of Hogwarts is Blaise Zabini. He is extremely arrogant, which is connected with the fact that he belongs to the Slytherin house, the members of which are considered as cunning, haughty, and having exaggerated self-opinion. Moreover, highly qualified member of the Ministry of Magic as well as eminent representative of the Order of Phoenix, Kingsley Shacklebot, is a black wizard who he risked his life for Harry, being one of his protectors. He is a humorous and calm man, whose contribution to positive changes in the Ministry is of great importance. Another two characters of an ethnic minority group are Patil twins, both of Hindu origin. Parvati and Padma Patil were in the limelight when they attend the
36 ball as Harry’s and Ron’s dance partners. The girls dressed up in colourful robes and wore golden bracelets, which refers to dressing-code of Indians. In the fourth book during the Quidditch World Cup emerge other nationalities. Bothe the players and the audience, who support their favourite teams, come from all around the world. The Irish and the Bulgarians constitute the largest group, for their teams play in the final game. “Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message and now showed BULGARIA: ZERO, IRELAND: ZERO” (Rowling, 2000, p. 93). What is more, students who contest Triwizard Tournament arrive from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang academy. The former is located somewhere in France, which can be easily assumed on the basis of the student’s names, such as Fleur Delacour or Madame Maxime, and language which they use: “We ‘ave none of zis ugly armour in ze ‘alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, ‘e would be expelled like zat” (Rowling, 2000, p. 364). The latter is located somewhere “over the mountains” and wizards are described as “friends from north” (Rowling, 2000, p. 215). There is also the Native American reference, precisely when Harry is looking at a photograph of Albus Dumbledore's family and sees Dumbledore’s mother: The mother, Kendra, had jet-black hair pulled into a high bun. Her face had a carved quality about it. Harry thought of photos of Native Americans he'd seen as he studied her dark eyes, high cheekbones, and straight nose, formally composed above a high-necked silk gown (Rowling, 2013, p. 178). The author has provided characters from minority group with special attributes and identifiers which enable readers to recognize non-white figures. The idea of multiculturalism may be a reflection of the contemporary society, where people from different countries and of different origins live together and interact with each other.
37 3.6 Political issues in Harry Potter Barton (2006) in his essay examines the Harry Potter series in terms of government position and rigid bureaucracy. He claims that there is no proper executive or legislative branch and government is controlled only for benefits of people who are greedy for power and influence. The governmental authority is concentrated in a single main body, the Ministry of Magic. Moreover, he criticises some of the governmental activities which seem to be inflexible, inappropriate and ineffectual. The list of tyrannical procedures includes: …tortured children for lying; designed its prison specifically to suck all life and hope out of the inmates; allowed the powerful, rich or famous to control policy; conducted criminal trials without defense counsel; used truth serum to force confessions; maintained constant surveillance over all citizens; and controlled the press (Barton, 2006, pp. 1-2). The author of the critical essay claims that Rowling’s negative picture of government is similar to current Anglo-American political activities and decisions. He stresses that the hierarchy of the wizarding world clearly depicts the situation of the modern, corrupted society. The main governing body of the magical community with centralised power is the Ministry of Magic. The first reference to the Ministry appears when Hagrid explains its function and at the same time criticises its activity: “Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual…their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country” (Rowling, 1997, p. 51). The Ministry supervises and controls the community and the improper use of magic, as well as enacts some rules and regulations. They enclose, for instance, the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, which prohibits the underage wizards to use magic outside the school. The Ministry of Magic is divided into several departments and offices, such as the Department of Magical Transportation, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, to name a few.
38 Barratt (2012) interprets political aspects of Harry Potter and describes the governing body of the wizarding community. She claims that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is constantly supervised by the Ministry. This boarding school does not form an independent unity, for schools’ teachers, curriculum and safety measures are to high degree imposed and controlled by the Ministry. Furthermore, school governors who work on behalf of the government sometimes abuse their position to achieve their own goals. For instance, Lucius Malfoy, a spy and supporter of Lord Voldemort, tried to suspend the school’s headmaster, for he had too much power and influence in the wizard world and was a kind of obstacle to realise Malfoy’s plans (pp. 18-19). Moreover, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, has also seen Dumbledore as a threat to his authority. He has changed from a faithful assistant in headmaster’s decisions into a well-intentioned, inefficient governor who amuses self-serving corruption: “But it seems he's become fond of power, and much more confident. He loves being Minister for Magic and he's managed to convince himself that he's the clever one and Dumledore's simply stirring up trouble for the sake of it (Rowling, 2003, p.89). He encourages the Daily Prophet, a wizarding newspaper, to discredit Dumbledore and Harry and vicious attack on them by simply telling lies and manipulating with public opinion. Thus, the wizarding administration seems to be incompetent, paranoid, and self-concerned. Barrat (2012) states that government officials are not to be trusted because they spread misinformation and are preoccupied with insignificant issues, whereas people suffer and die as a result of a battle with evil powers. The Ministry can be criticised for its passivity and lack of involvement in assuring labour justice because, for example, the house-elves are treated as slaves (pp. 48-51). In addition, the Ministry has established a legal system of determining guilt and innocence of accused wizards and punishment regulations. In minor cases, such as illegal use of magic outside Hogwarts, the punishment is determined directly by the Department or Committee of the Ministry, while serious crimes are discussed in the wizard court. These cases often include use of dark magic and killing other wizards. Putting unforgivable curses and dealing with dark arts means the life sentence in Azkaban, a prison on remote island
39 guarded by horrendous dark creatures who drain hope, happiness, and human soul. Some prisoners may be condemned to death as a result of Dementor’s Kiss. Moreover, the Ministry employs highly-skilled Aurors, who specialise in searching for serious Dark Magic offenders (Barratt, 2012, pp. 36-42). There is also a secret political organisation, which serves as an opposition to Dark Lord and his followers. The Order of the Phoenix’s goal is to defeat Lord Voldemort and aid those influenced by his power. Members of this arrangement operate undisclosed, while organising meetings and discussing plans. They transcend the regulations and state laws by establishing a private sector independent from the Ministry’s control. Barton (2006) states that hierarchically organized institutions as well as laws regarding crime and punishment clearly resemble the real system of government, in this case totalitarian, in which all authority belongs to the state. The Ministry of Magic has an incredible amount of power; however a complete inability to enforce its laws. The author has depicted a modern sense of government with its legislative, executive, and judicial branches and a wide portrayal of the bureaucratized and corrupted Ministry of Magic, as well as incompetence and inefficiency of the officials (pp. 1-3). Barton (2006) states that Rowling has presented a bleak vision of the government: Rowling's scathing portrait of government is surprisingly strident and effective. This is partly because her critique works on so many levels: the functions of government, the structure of government, and the bureaucrats who run the show. All three elements work together to depict a Ministry of Magic run by self-interested bureaucrats bent on increasing and protecting their power, often to the detriment of the public at large. In other words, Rowling creates a public-interest scholar's dream—or nightmare—government (p. 3).
35 more important, they are not victims of racial prejudice and their abilities and roles in society have been appreciated. Being the object of Harry’s affection, Cho Chang appears very often throughout the series. She is a pretty girl of Asian background, with long, shining dark hair. As a member of Quidditch team, she is the only girl representing Ravenclaw house in this wizarding sport played on broomsticks. Harry Potter were enchanted with her intelligence, bravery, and charm. He asked her to the Yule Ball, but unfortunately someone has already invited her. At some point she began to return Harry's feelings; however, their acquaintance did not turn into a serious relationship. Dean Thomas is depicted as a dark-complexioned boy of African descent: “Thomas, Dean,' a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table” (Rowling, 1997, p.122). He shares his dormitory with Harry Potter and is shown as a boy with artistic abilities. Dean made a banner "Potter for President" and painted the Gryffindor lion underneath. Another black character is represented by Angelina Johnson, who is a tall girl with long black hair introduced as an excellent player of Quidditch team. Furthermore, Lee Jordan is identified as: “a boy with dreadlocks” (Rowling, 1997, p. 71), which probably indicate that he is also of African origin. He is the notable commentator of the Quidditch game and the owner of a giant spider, which may refer to his exotic origin. The last black student of Hogwarts is Blaise Zabini. He is extremely arrogant, which is connected with the fact that he belongs to the Slytherin house, the members of which are considered as cunning, haughty, and having exaggerated self-opinion. Moreover, highly qualified member of the Ministry of Magic as well as eminent representative of the Order of Phoenix, Kingsley Shacklebot, is a black wizard who he risked his life for Harry, being one of his protectors. He is a humorous and calm man, whose contribution to positive changes in the Ministry is of great importance. Another two characters of an ethnic minority group are Patil twins, both of Hindu origin. Parvati and Padma Patil were in the limelight when they attend the
36 ball as Harry’s and Ron’s dance partners. The girls dressed up in colourful robes and wore golden bracelets, which refers to dressing-code of Indians. In the fourth book during the Quidditch World Cup emerge other nationalities. Bothe the players and the audience, who support their favourite teams, come from all around the world. The Irish and the Bulgarians constitute the largest group, for their teams play in the final game. “Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message and now showed BULGARIA: ZERO, IRELAND: ZERO” (Rowling, 2000, p. 93). What is more, students who contest Triwizard Tournament arrive from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang academy. The former is located somewhere in France, which can be easily assumed on the basis of the student’s names, such as Fleur Delacour or Madame Maxime, and language which they use: “We ‘ave none of zis ugly armour in ze ‘alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, ‘e would be expelled like zat” (Rowling, 2000, p. 364). The latter is located somewhere “over the mountains” and wizards are described as “friends from north” (Rowling, 2000, p. 215). There is also the Native American reference, precisely when Harry is looking at a photograph of Albus Dumbledore's family and sees Dumbledore’s mother: The mother, Kendra, had jet-black hair pulled into a high bun. Her face had a carved quality about it. Harry thought of photos of Native Americans he'd seen as he studied her dark eyes, high cheekbones, and straight nose, formally composed above a high-necked silk gown (Rowling, 2013, p. 178). The author has provided characters from minority group with special attributes and identifiers which enable readers to recognize non-white figures. The idea of multiculturalism may be a reflection of the contemporary society, where people from different countries and of different origins live together and interact with each other.
37 3.6 Political issues in Harry Potter Barton (2006) in his essay examines the Harry Potter series in terms of government position and rigid bureaucracy. He claims that there is no proper executive or legislative branch and government is controlled only for benefits of people who are greedy for power and influence. The governmental authority is concentrated in a single main body, the Ministry of Magic. Moreover, he criticises some of the governmental activities which seem to be inflexible, inappropriate and ineffectual. The list of tyrannical procedures includes: …tortured children for lying; designed its prison specifically to suck all life and hope out of the inmates; allowed the powerful, rich or famous to control policy; conducted criminal trials without defense counsel; used truth serum to force confessions; maintained constant surveillance over all citizens; and controlled the press (Barton, 2006, pp. 1-2). The author of the critical essay claims that Rowling’s negative picture of government is similar to current Anglo-American political activities and decisions. He stresses that the hierarchy of the wizarding world clearly depicts the situation of the modern, corrupted society. The main governing body of the magical community with centralised power is the Ministry of Magic. The first reference to the Ministry appears when Hagrid explains its function and at the same time criticises its activity: “Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual…their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country” (Rowling, 1997, p. 51). The Ministry supervises and controls the community and the improper use of magic, as well as enacts some rules and regulations. They enclose, for instance, the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, which prohibits the underage wizards to use magic outside the school. The Ministry of Magic is divided into several departments and offices, such as the Department of Magical Transportation, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, to name a few.
38 Barratt (2012) interprets political aspects of Harry Potter and describes the governing body of the wizarding community. She claims that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is constantly supervised by the Ministry. This boarding school does not form an independent unity, for schools’ teachers, curriculum and safety measures are to high degree imposed and controlled by the Ministry. Furthermore, school governors who work on behalf of the government sometimes abuse their position to achieve their own goals. For instance, Lucius Malfoy, a spy and supporter of Lord Voldemort, tried to suspend the school’s headmaster, for he had too much power and influence in the wizard world and was a kind of obstacle to realise Malfoy’s plans (pp. 18-19). Moreover, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, has also seen Dumbledore as a threat to his authority. He has changed from a faithful assistant in headmaster’s decisions into a well-intentioned, inefficient governor who amuses self-serving corruption: “But it seems he's become fond of power, and much more confident. He loves being Minister for Magic and he's managed to convince himself that he's the clever one and Dumledore's simply stirring up trouble for the sake of it (Rowling, 2003, p.89). He encourages the Daily Prophet, a wizarding newspaper, to discredit Dumbledore and Harry and vicious attack on them by simply telling lies and manipulating with public opinion. Thus, the wizarding administration seems to be incompetent, paranoid, and self-concerned. Barrat (2012) states that government officials are not to be trusted because they spread misinformation and are preoccupied with insignificant issues, whereas people suffer and die as a result of a battle with evil powers. The Ministry can be criticised for its passivity and lack of involvement in assuring labour justice because, for example, the house-elves are treated as slaves (pp. 48-51). In addition, the Ministry has established a legal system of determining guilt and innocence of accused wizards and punishment regulations. In minor cases, such as illegal use of magic outside Hogwarts, the punishment is determined directly by the Department or Committee of the Ministry, while serious crimes are discussed in the wizard court. These cases often include use of dark magic and killing other wizards. Putting unforgivable curses and dealing with dark arts means the life sentence in Azkaban, a prison on remote island
39 guarded by horrendous dark creatures who drain hope, happiness, and human soul. Some prisoners may be condemned to death as a result of Dementor’s Kiss. Moreover, the Ministry employs highly-skilled Aurors, who specialise in searching for serious Dark Magic offenders (Barratt, 2012, pp. 36-42). There is also a secret political organisation, which serves as an opposition to Dark Lord and his followers. The Order of the Phoenix’s goal is to defeat Lord Voldemort and aid those influenced by his power. Members of this arrangement operate undisclosed, while organising meetings and discussing plans. They transcend the regulations and state laws by establishing a private sector independent from the Ministry’s control. Barton (2006) states that hierarchically organized institutions as well as laws regarding crime and punishment clearly resemble the real system of government, in this case totalitarian, in which all authority belongs to the state. The Ministry of Magic has an incredible amount of power; however a complete inability to enforce its laws. The author has depicted a modern sense of government with its legislative, executive, and judicial branches and a wide portrayal of the bureaucratized and corrupted Ministry of Magic, as well as incompetence and inefficiency of the officials (pp. 1-3). Barton (2006) states that Rowling has presented a bleak vision of the government: Rowling's scathing portrait of government is surprisingly strident and effective. This is partly because her critique works on so many levels: the functions of government, the structure of government, and the bureaucrats who run the show. All three elements work together to depict a Ministry of Magic run by self-interested bureaucrats bent on increasing and protecting their power, often to the detriment of the public at large. In other words, Rowling creates a public-interest scholar's dream—or nightmare—government (p. 3).
