Social Class and Discrimination, as well as Class Division and Representation of Equality and Prejudice in Harry Potter

Introduction:

                The importance of class has for long significant in every community and the division of people into social classes, that is,
has been a custom since the beginning of civilized society. The people that possess magical power from the main social classes, upper and middle, while those that must be face prejudice based on their origins from the lower class. Many people in the wizard world have parents where one is a wizard while other is a muggle, a person that does not have any magical powers. There are as well cases of Hogwarts students who have both that are muggles. In the story it becomes evident that the Muggle born people in the society from the lower class and they suffer from prejudice from many of these who view themselves as the rightful ruler of the society, that is upper class.

                A number of mythical creature in the wizard world face discrimination in the more serious sense than wizard and witches  with muggle parents or even those that are half human and half creature. The author  of harry potter, J.K ROWLING lived in poverty as a single mother and struggled with unfulfilling  jobs before writing the story of harry potter. With Barry’s statement about Marxist literary criticism in mind it is evident that the treatment of the lower class in harry potter as well as negative image of the ruling upper class and the authority that shapes the books is inspired by Rowling’s life.

Class System and Division In Harry Potter:

Three types of social relationship apparent in harry potter like,

   These relationship are present in harry potter where it becomes evident that social class and treatment of minority groups influence the story greatly. Portrayal of authority and upper class in the wizard society is shown in a very negative way throughout the story as they place other wizards and witches into middle and lower classes based on their origins. Those that are half breeds, that is half human and half creature, and the non-human being are then placed in the lowest place in the society. This group in the wizard society are all noticeably bullied to stay in and do not fight for their rights. This representation of bullying in evidence in literature is a clear metaphor for intolerance and discrimination. The bullying in the Harry Potter is not however in the form of a conflict between an individual and so but different groups of people or creature that are bullied and force to stay in the place in the bottom of the society. Wizard society accepts this division that is based on clear prejudice, even those suffering that discrimination.

   Social class discrimination in the magical world of Harry Potter is based on rather than occupations. Witches and wizards stand in a vastly superior status with the power to govern the wizarding world and rule all non- human species, whereas the inferior groups exist as powerless and marginalized citizens. Pure-blood witches and wizards believe that they are born to highest dignity and are higher citizens on social scale. Harry’s class mate Draco Malfoy exemplifies the higher class wizards who believed and persist in the concept that only pure-bloodwizards are suited for the wizarding world.

    The Weasley family is a prime exemplification of poverty stricken families. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are pure blood witch and wizards spouses with seven children. There deprived living conditions drive than to be considering poor by other wizarding standards, which causes them to be looked down on by other prosperous wizards. When harry meets Draco  Malfoy for the first time in train, Draco insults Ron Weasley by ridiculing his appearances and scoring his poverty. Also he used crud and offensive word “Mudblood” for  Hermione Granger.  She is representative of wizarding citizens born from “Muggle” parents. The mudblood witches and wizards have to live their lives under unfair impartiality, though their magical abilities are sometimes far beyond those of the pure blood wizards. Hence, the term “Mudblood” is extremely rude and offensive to discriminate and create a séance of otherness within the wizarding community. Ron weasley describes that the term thusly:

“It’s a disgusting thing to call someone....Dirty blood, see common blood. It’s a made. Most wizards this days are half-blood any way. If we hadn’t married muggle, we’d’ve died out.”

The social class prejudice in the wizarding population does not come to an end with the mudblood wizards: the “squib” exists as a separate entity. The social status in the wizarding community is worse than any other classes. In the view of wizards, it is better left not discussed if there is a squib in the family. Being a squib mean an outcast, as a squib cannot participate in any magical activities like casting spells, transforming in to things and animals etc.

Representation of Equality, Prejudice and Discrimination In Harry Potter:

               At its most basic level, there is the split between the wizarding world and the muggle world. Within the wizarding world there is an emphasis on blood status. The pure blood represent the wizarding aristocracy: the half bloods are next in the peaking order, and at the bottom of the social hierarchy are the muggle born witches and wizards. So Rowling portrays the notion of blood status and shows it up for what it is – meaningless.

              By the end, Harry, Hermione and Ron reject racist and discriminatory ideas about “pure-blood wizards” and stand for the rights of muggle –born witches and wizards and muggles as a whole, but also for the equality of other magical creature, like elves, goblins and werewolves. In challenging Voldemort and his death enters who conduct against muggles and muggles born witches and wizards when they come to power wizarding family who help Harry like Weasleys and Sirius black are called “Blood traitors”.  it’s important that Voldemorts and his followers do not create the idea of bias but bullied upon existing prejudice in the wizarding community. The prime example of this is the attitude of Dolores umbridge and the ministry of magic towards the muggle and non-wizard magical creatures before Voldemort takes over. When Harry first enters the ministry of magic, he is critical of the status there that represents witches and wizards as being superior to all other creatures. The rot that Voldemort represents, therefore, is not a threat from outside but one from within the society itself.

The Question of “Pure” Blood:

               Pure Blood is the term applied to wizards and witches who have no muggle blood, muggleborn,orhalf bloods at all in their genealogical pedigree. In the novel we find pure-blood family like, Malfoy family and black family.

              A large part of the upper class in the magical community does evidently view themselves as superior to those who do not come from pure blood families. Meanwhile others, those who do not have the right blood, are placed as simple workers and as a outsider of the society until lord Voldemort and his followers take the extreme action to eliminate them. This shows that the pure bloods wizards andwitches further encourage the negative image of authority that the books give as well as judges where the power lies.

Half – Blood, Muggle born and Squibs:

               Half blood refers to those wizards and witches who have magic and  muggleuncestors in their family trees. Half bloods are the most common wizard blood, far out numbering pure bloods and muggleborns. Voldemort is the half blood since his father was a muggle and his mother, a pure blood.  Severus shape is also a half-blood, as a father. Tobias shape was a muggle. Harry himself is a half-blood, since his mother was muggle born.

                They do at times suffer insult aimed at their muggle parent. For example after harry says the name of Voldemort, who is normally referred to as you-know-who by others, one of the death eaters says “you dare to speak his name with Your unworthy lies, you dare besimirch it with you half-blood’s tongue.” The half- blood wizards and witches live as class in the society.

              Muggle born is the term applied to wizard and witches who come from non-magical families. Hermione Granger and Lily Evans are muggle-born. Muggle –borns acquired their magic by “stealing”magicand  wands from real wizards. 

               The wizards and witches the at are placed in the lower rank of the social order are those who are muggleborn,that is neither parent has magical powers. Lord Voldemort and his folowers believe that this part of the society does not deserve the magical power or to get education. In Hogwarts lord Voldemort instruct that the subject of muggle studies is compulsory for everyone, where the students are told muggles are like animals, stupid and dirty.

               The act of hunting down and eliminating muggle born wizards and witches out of the society and believing that pure-blood wizards are superiors to others is very similar to the ideology of Nazis during world war 2, where they believed that the Aryan race was superior to other races. The pure-blood race drastic measures in order to free their society of those they fell unworthy and enforcing this negative image of authority and the upper class influences the story greatly.

               Squib is the term applied to a child who is born of magical parents, but who develops no magical abilities. They are considered to be the opposite of muggle-born wizards and witches. Rowling has stated that muggle-born witches and wizards are descended from squib who married muggles, the magical gene may resurface after many generation unexpectedly.

                In Harry Potter novel there are examples of people born in to wizard family yet possess no magical powers, known as squibs. Even though muggle born wizards and witches are placed in the lower in the society, they do have the right to live and belong to the community and most without trouble much before Voldemort gains his power back in the novel. Argus Filch and ArabellaFigg: both are shown as odd and give the impression that squibs are outsider of the society. These two characters do not bond well with other people and seems to prefer the company of their cast. the subject of squibs seem to be a very sensitive topic for all in the society and it is not its playing how some people have the right genes. According to pure-blood wizards and witches, but lack the ability to perform magic. There are examples of those who have lost their magical powers due to a massive emotional trauma, for example lord Voldemort’s mother as well as the professor Dumbledore’s sister. It is possible to connect this few squibs that are shown in the Harry Potter to people living with mental or physical illness in morden society. Many are able to function properly in the society, hold jobs and live on their own, yet lack some aspects that are considered the norm with others and are in that sense placed as outsider. Squibs are not even given fair chance to coexist in the society they are born in with the wizards and witches and those do not enter the muggle society are outsider of their own society.

Harry Potter and the complexity of Inequality:

                Goblin’s appearances are reminiscent of another human – like being portrayed in the Harry Potter, house – eleves. House-eleves are one of the more prevalent examples of inequality, they have ability to communicate with humans much like Goblin’s, only they have less drive to stick up for themselves. They are portrayed as servile creatures, who don’t want to be given freedom because as house-elef’s nature is to serve, wizards thing they have the right to abuse their eleves , as the Malfoy’s treatment Dobby proves, as well as Barty crouch’s treatment of is elef. Hermione is disgusted by the way most house – eleves are treated, and sets up her own organization to do something about their way of life. She is the only character who stands up for house-eleves, and is even ridiculed by fellow classmate for trying to improve the house-eleves situation. Perhaps treating house-eleves with respect who serve the wizarding community better, but they can’t quit get over their built-in prejudice.

·        Wizards attitude towards House-eleves:

Generosity and compassion towards this lowest class are scarcely found within the bourgeoisie. Witches and wizards who possess HOUSE-Eleves regard this humble creature as a legally received inheritance from their ancestors. They also keep in mind that the house –eleves are merely living property; therefore, they have right to do anything even if it is a brutal or inhuman. Many wizards families maltreat and torture their house-eleves. If they seem to disobey, fail to follow orders, or just for the wizard’s satisfaction. When Dobby was under control of the Malfoy, he was constantly abused and treated abysmally, as evidence by his body which was “heavily wrapped in bandages.” When he accompanied Lucius Malfoy  to Hogwarts. The majority of wizards recognize the plight of the house-eleves, but none of them eamestly pays attention in lifting their poor status of setting them free.

Conclusion:

                Harry Potter presents and extremely complex view on racism and discrimination, with not only the villain showing prejudice but the, “good guys” as well J.K Rowling ‘Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows’, stresses the importance of tolerance and equality for creating a free society. And only by creating a society free of prejudices can human expect to live in peace.

                The upper class and the authority, with the portrayal of the ministry of magic and the pure blood, gives a very negative image of those that hold the power in the wizarding society since they are corrupt and their main interest is in keeping their power protected. The treatment of those that form the lover class is seen in great detail and holds much similarity to minority groups that have been known in history, such as African-American. Muggle born wizards and witches must struggle to prove their worth and fight to hold on their right to practice magic after lord Voldemort and his followers wish to eliminate all those that deemed unfit to use magic, that is, those that do not have right blood. Two notable characters, the half-breeds RudeusHagrid and Remus Lupin, show the discrimination people out of the norm of the wizard community must face and how it influences their life and at the sometime the story itself. The characters and the treatment of them gives the reader a dipper look into the society and how the wizard world works as it becomes evident that discrimination is a ruling power in the wizard community like in any society. The story gives a strong social criticism on the old hobbit that has followed mankind throughout history and has had great impact in it to divide people in to groups and judge them based on their origins.