Controversial Relationships In Harry Potter
Controversial types of relationships in Harry Potter aren’t outright presented to the reader but with inferring and analysis it is revealed that there are plenty of taboo relationships. For this chapter I will be focusing on interspecies relationships and muggle-wizard relationships of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks and Arthur Weasley and Molly Prewett and other various couples.
Bill and Fleur - Interspecies
Bill has become a poster child for interspecies relationships in Harry Potter. His relationship between the half-veela Fleur Delacour is one of the unique examples of an interspecies relationship because neither of them are fully human. Bill is attacked by werewolf Fenrir Greyback and his face is damaged …show more content…
Due to Remus’s lifestyle of being an outsider Remus fears rejection from Tonks just as he has faced rejection countless other times and he is hesitant to confess his love for her. In “The Xenophobic World of Wizards: Why Are They Afraid of the Other?” Joanna Lipinska claims there is no reason for discrimination against werewolves “theoretically, they should be lawful members of society; on an everyday basis they are wizards, often very gifted with broad horizons but who, because of their monthly affliction, are removed beyond the boundaries of society” ( Page 121, Harry Potter’s World Wide Influence). Lipinska also claims that wizards classify werewolves the image of beasts so they can distance themselves from them. “By classifying, even partially, werewolves as beasts, the wizards are confirming their own superiority and degrading the social status of werewolves”, this creates the distance between wizards and werewolves in marriage and …show more content…
Giants are creatures so dangerous they were kicked out of England by Aurors and now only remain hidden in the Mountains. Because of these mixed origins Hagrid worries his job at Hogwarts will be in jeopardy just as Lupin’s position as Dark Arts teacher was when his werewolf secret was disclosed. Like the stereotypes of the goblin class as seen in interactions with Griphook in the book whether true or false, allows wizards to think of him as a lesser creature. Ron’s reaction to Hagrid being half giant shows the assumptions wizards have for “lesser” creatures. Ron feels conflicted with this new information about Hagrid. It it known that Ron grew up in a traditional pureblood household and was told many childhood fairy tales beyond the ones in “The Tales of Beedle The Bard” these fairy tales might have warned of the dangers of magical creatures like werewolves and giants. This means Ron’s reactions to revelations of Lupin and Hagrid’s creature blood are not intentional, but are actually socially constructed “unconscious discrimination” just like his unfair treatment of goblins and house elves “because that’s their job”. Ron saying that no one will care about Hagrid being a giant is an attempt to convince himself that it isn’t that bad, because he had grown up in a society that teaches prejudice against people like Hagrid. The fact is that the Weasley family are quite tame in their racist classism compared to
Bill and Fleur - Interspecies
Bill has become a poster child for interspecies relationships in Harry Potter. His relationship between the half-veela Fleur Delacour is one of the unique examples of an interspecies relationship because neither of them are fully human. Bill is attacked by werewolf Fenrir Greyback and his face is damaged …show more content…
Due to Remus’s lifestyle of being an outsider Remus fears rejection from Tonks just as he has faced rejection countless other times and he is hesitant to confess his love for her. In “The Xenophobic World of Wizards: Why Are They Afraid of the Other?” Joanna Lipinska claims there is no reason for discrimination against werewolves “theoretically, they should be lawful members of society; on an everyday basis they are wizards, often very gifted with broad horizons but who, because of their monthly affliction, are removed beyond the boundaries of society” ( Page 121, Harry Potter’s World Wide Influence). Lipinska also claims that wizards classify werewolves the image of beasts so they can distance themselves from them. “By classifying, even partially, werewolves as beasts, the wizards are confirming their own superiority and degrading the social status of werewolves”, this creates the distance between wizards and werewolves in marriage and …show more content…
Giants are creatures so dangerous they were kicked out of England by Aurors and now only remain hidden in the Mountains. Because of these mixed origins Hagrid worries his job at Hogwarts will be in jeopardy just as Lupin’s position as Dark Arts teacher was when his werewolf secret was disclosed. Like the stereotypes of the goblin class as seen in interactions with Griphook in the book whether true or false, allows wizards to think of him as a lesser creature. Ron’s reaction to Hagrid being half giant shows the assumptions wizards have for “lesser” creatures. Ron feels conflicted with this new information about Hagrid. It it known that Ron grew up in a traditional pureblood household and was told many childhood fairy tales beyond the ones in “The Tales of Beedle The Bard” these fairy tales might have warned of the dangers of magical creatures like werewolves and giants. This means Ron’s reactions to revelations of Lupin and Hagrid’s creature blood are not intentional, but are actually socially constructed “unconscious discrimination” just like his unfair treatment of goblins and house elves “because that’s their job”. Ron saying that no one will care about Hagrid being a giant is an attempt to convince himself that it isn’t that bad, because he had grown up in a society that teaches prejudice against people like Hagrid. The fact is that the Weasley family are quite tame in their racist classism compared to