HARRY POTTER: A 'Half-Blood Prince' Revealed

Today, as millions of people rifle through freshly minted copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to discover the identity of this mysterious new character, I can't help but imagine this prince as biracial rather than "half-magic."

"Half-breed" — akin to mongrel, mutt or half-caste — flies around as a jab at biracial people more often than "half-blood."

In J.K. Rowling's world, half-blood means "half magic." But the term — reflecting a dichotomy between magic/powerful and mundane/helpless — implies a hierarchy. This "magic" hierarchy directly resembles racial hierarchies.

http://www.tolerance.org/news/article_tol.jsp?id=1256

Wow. First, parents are scared of their kids reading it because of witchcraft now Harry can only ride on the back of the bus? Yea, the first thing I did after reading this book was beat the hell out of a few Hispanic-Americans down the road because they weren't pure blood Americans.

Ass.

The whole premise of Harry Potter is that Harry and his friends are special. It's stretching a bit to compare that to racist thinking. There are many kinds of elites in the world, and only one kind is based on racism.

Eh.. The article doesn't even SAY Harry Potter is racist. Stop with the sensationalism already.

The thread title does.

Harry Potter is a f***ing communist, he is always sharing and shit.
And you are right, he is a racist! He is always messing with that kind aryan kid.

I cannot for one second get into my narrow minded head how Harry Potter could be allowed to be read by anyone under the age of 18. He is breaking every rule the school has, and then he gets praised for it like as if he is some kind of saint. WTF will happen to the future MTV Generation if they are told that it is right to break laws?

The thread title does.

Which makes the citation impertinent..

Yeah yeah and he and his friends run around calling people "Mud bloods" which, if I recall correctly, is very close to a slur actually used by American white supremacists.

Does Harry Potter express raciest views? Of course. Should J.K. Rowling be frowned upon for this? I don't think so. She's British, she just can't help it. . . its bred into them. She probably doesn't even know she's doing it, and it's not as if she's actually making any derogatory statements against any actual race, so really in the end who cares?

And err.... Hermione is a lesbian. There, I said it.

(thats all sarcasm by the way)

Yeah yeah and he and his friends run around calling people "Mud bloods" which, if I recall correctly, is very close to a slur actually used by American white supremacists.

Does Harry Potter express raciest views? Of course. Should J.K. Rowling be frowned upon for this? I don't think so. She's British, she just can't help it. . . its bred into them. She probably doesn't even know she's doing it, and it's not as if she's actually making any derogatory statements against any actual race, so really in the end who cares?

actually all the wizards that use the term 'mud-blood' are looked upon as biggoted. There is a clear anti-racism/anti-discrimination theme in the series, especially Chamber of Secrets. Though one could make a case for the fact that all Slytherins tend to be assholes!

I'll admit it, I've only seen the movies :P this destinction between those who use the term mud blood and those who don't doesn't really seem to be particularly evident therein.

I hear that Gandalf is a racist also.
And Frodo is gay.

Frodo's a switch hitter.

Racist, anti-racist... what a neurotic world.

Fantasy realms have always been filled with racism, so what's new? Half-elves (or any half-breed) have always been scorned. However, that is fantasy and roleplaying someone/thing else and not real life.. just too bad few can distinguish the two. So the book has racist elements in it, big deal, it's a book. Start complaining about racism in video games such as Grand Theft Auto now.

- N

the most importante message that is sent is that of the main characters'choices and actions. Valour, friendship, loyalty, respect, honour and love are the values that are continuously mentioned in the saga...with those you are victorious...
All this is psicologically good for kids who are still building a moral and ethic values...
so your thematic is a bit ridiculous sorry to say...

The Harry Potter books are fiction. In the primitive wizarding world, there is "racism" against half-breed and half-wizard people. It is one of the main themes of the book series (voldemort hates muggles even though he is a half breed himself etc.). This way of thinking is a minority among the characters in the book and many of them fight against this. The fine points of the story that are criticized are laughable. This is a classic example of people finding things in a story that don't exist to suit their way of thinking. Yes, there is magical background controversy but it's a book! There wouldn't be any interesting conflict in the story without these elements. If this world were real then it is likely that what happens in the story would be a real issue and it would need to be confronted instead of ignored.

In terms of magical powers in Harry Potter, someone of "pure blood" is better than human. Non-magic people are mere "muggles," completely oblivious to the world of wizards and spells. Pure blood, if you're magic, also reigns above "half-blood" in the hierarchy of power and status.
What's wrong with a story containing this?

What's worse than people being racist is people that try to ignore the problem, who try to eliminate it in literature and who pretend it doesn't exist. What's wring with confronting "race" (it's not even really race) issues in a children's book anyway. The entire main plot is about the evil wizards and their doings which boils down to "pure bloods" vs "mudbloods". These are terms and segregation that existed for hundreds of years in this fictional world.

In the real world, there was distinct racism and segregation until less than 50 years ago. Our parents and grandparents lived in this era to some extent. There is still a lot of racism today and it has changed forms from 50 years ago, but it is still at large. People make such a big deal out of a children's book but fail the see the big picture.

Um...doesn't harry and his friends campaign against the semi-racist ideologies of the death eaters, and the purists, and the et cetera? In the book. How could he be racist then?
Either way, it's just a ****ing book.

Um...doesn't harry and his friends campaign against the semi-racist ideologies of the death eaters, and the purists, and the et cetera?

yes... exactly

I just heard Harry Potter is gay.

Then that's his business and ron's...
:p
joking, eh, joking...

if he was gay he wouldnt have been sucking face iwth ginny ( and ron and lavender wouldnt ether)
and for who ever claims harry is calling peopel mud bludes read the boosk over dumbass tis malfoy and co who say that
malfoy is a bigot

Yeah.
Let's see: Malfoy is blond, bigoted, and thick-headed. He is a nazi, pure and simple, with a british accent.
Harry is the good guy. He stands for everything malfoy is against, and vice-versa.
That's how the story is supposed to go.

harry is to doubldoor
as malfoy is to volermert
yes or no?

Yes, Harry is allied with Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry of Magic, etc...the "good guys", the protagonists.

Malfoy is allied with Voldemort, who is the main antagonist in the story.

Yeah.

i dunt read any of these fantasy books like potter and the lord of the rings n etc. but i agree with Satyr... rumor has it that harry potter is taking it in the but NIGHTLY from frodo, AND frodo has a foot fetish, and it interferes with their sex life..... just a rumor tho....

Just because a book contains people who are bad, doesn't make the book bad. Hermione is one of these "minorities", and she is a protagonist. Malfoy is a "racist", and he is an antagonist. If anything, these books are fighting against racism.

Are people this eager to throw the racist card, really?

There's nothing wrong, illegal, or unscientific about racial awareness and preferring your own kind. Bigotry I'm not so fond of, but only undermen equate the two.

wow i just heard the school for witches and witchcraft in harry potters books ISNT FOR MAGICAL POWERS!! hogwarts translates to Witch's balls. The whole school is .. well.. a school for gays. and i found out its really in san fransico.

Let's see: Malfoy is blond, bigoted, and thick-headed. He is a nazi, pure and simple, with a british accent.


Nazis don't have British accents.

Nazis don't have British accents.

are you joking?havent you watched films in the past 50 years.bad guys have english accents period.see the death star in star wars.also all hobbits under the age of 70 are either gay or curious.there is a scene that was cut from the end of the second film where frodo is mounted by samwise.

wow, yall r REALLY motivated to your fantasy characters.... :rolleyes: try a new hobby. one u wont get .. well.. as made fun of.

:bugeye: later

Nazis don't have British accents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Union_of_Fascists

Well, to go back to the original point about Harry Potter being a racist, the book certainly has some elements that could definatly be interpreted as Nazi related symbols. For example, Snape's initials are S.S. which relates to the Schutzstaffel from the holocaust. Another S.S. related point is Harry's scar, which looks alot like the tag in which the S.S. had on their uniform. I also agree with the original point of this arguement, that being the connection between the half-blood and pure-blood to Naziism. I agree it is just a book but there alot more to the book then justthe story.

Detainee's Under Harry Potter's Spell:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050808-121804-4322r.htm

- N

Harry's scar, which looks alot like the tag in which the S.S. had on their uniform.
Siegrune. Victory Rune. Old Norse thing that the nazis stole and fucked up.

as much as i hate sticking up for the harry potter series.

the main chick character is a half blood, and she is portrayed as a person with no evil in her
malfoy is the only one who cares about the whole half blood thing. and he is portrayed as a hcaracter with no good in him

not that ive read the books of course :P

does anyone in this site think this thread is a LITTLE bit nerdy?
please god show hope. please .. god..

yea, jst a LITTLE bit nerdy.
Anyway, how can Harry Potter be racist? He is in love with an Asian girl and him and Ron went to the dance thingy with Indian girls...

Wow. First, parents are scared of their kids reading it because of witchcraft now Harry can only ride on the back of the bus? Yea, the first thing I did after reading this book was beat the hell out of a few Hispanic-Americans down the road because they weren't pure blood Americans.

Ass.
:D
It's rediculous to try to write books taht won't offend anyone. It's just not possible, and people make too big of a deal out of it. Like gondollin pointed out, it doesn't make people beat up "half-breeds."

I, personally, do not think that the concepts in Harry Potter are so profound. Although I like very much the books, I think that they are much for smaller people... but there is no racism... It's all about good and evil :)

Either way, it's just a ****ing book.
Yes.Quite.Just as 'Mein Kampf' was "just a ****ing book.Think a little more, say a little less.

Except mein kampf wasn't meant to be just a book, and isn't taken as such. Main Kampf was a racist pamphlet of sorts, as well as a book.

The harry potter books were written initially as entertainment, and are strictly that: entertainment. There is no racist message in that book.

Comparing the Harry Potter novels with Mein Kampf is like comparing apples and oranges.

What, their both fruit??!!! :D

Lets face it. It is just a "F****** book", albeit an infamously, far-reaching one. A book, afterall, is just a book. However, it's historical significance cannot be understated, and it does give a good insight into the mind of a tyrant.

If the Preface is anything to go by, Hitler never intended Mein Kampf to influence people - it's purpose was to cronicle the events of a nation and an extreme facist political movement to give justification through the medium of context. Though at the end of the day - lets face it - it's nothing but the wittering of a mad man, banging his head against the wall of Landsberg Am Lech prison.
Read the book. By not reading it you are simply succumbing to other people's influences and opinions through a naive and narrow-minded, clichéd criterion.

Ahem. Harry Potter a racist?? Don't make me laugh - thats like saying all Roald Dahl books are for paedophiles!! :D

Lets face it. Bread is just "F****** food", albeit nutritional, life-sustaining food. Bread, afterall, is just bread. However, it's historical significance cannot be understated, and it does give a good insight into the mind of hungry people.

If the crust is anything to go by, bread was never intended to feed people - it's purpose was to just sit on a shelf and become penicillin. Though at the end of the day - lets face it - it's nothing but the dough of a baker, being banged against a cutting board. Eat the bread. By not eating it you are simply succumbing to other people's influences and opinions through a naive and narrow-minded, clichéd criterion.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, we have a funny person here!!!!!Hello my friend :m: :D

:D You do make me laugh Hagar, but have you read Mein Kampf? Or were the letters too small?? Prehaps the German title put you off, or maybe your mother told you not to read it.
(I can understand your sarcasm - it does amuse me, and yes I did get carried away abit there) But seriously though, what does 'bread' have to do with Mein Kampf?? Is bread "historically significant"? Lets face it - bread is hardly thaught provoking! My point was Mein Kampf has suffered too much at the hands of infidels and is admittedly useful in placing Hitler's beliefs in context (that does'nt make me a Nazi) too many people like you are overly keen to jump on the nearest bandwagon and at the end of the day it was only a "book" (just like the Bible/Koran etc) albeit an interesting one!
Bread, my friend is the cornerstone of everyone's staple diet, however Mein Kampf is not the pre-requisite of literacy.
More to the point Hagar, what the hell are you doing on this thread if you don't have an opinion as to wether or not "Harry Potter is Racist" and can't contribute anything but lame piss-taking, simply because you lack the intelligence to make any worthy or welcome contribution.

Lets face it. It is just a "F****** book",

well Von Chav, forgive me for saying so but i cant help but feel your slightly contradicting yourself, i.e. in the quote above you ARE saying that 'it is just a book', wheras in this post;

You do make me laugh Hagar, but have you read Mein Kampf? Or were the letters too small?? Prehaps the German title put you off, or maybe your mother told you not to read it.
(I can understand your sarcasm - it does amuse me, and yes I did get carried away abit there) But seriously though, what does 'bread' have to do with Mein Kampf?? Is bread "historically significant"? Lets face it - bread is hardly thaught provoking! My point was Mein Kampf has suffered too much at the hands of infidels and is admittedly useful in placing Hitler's beliefs in context (that does'nt make me a Nazi) too many people like you are overly keen to jump on the nearest bandwagon and at the end of the day it was only a "book" (just like the Bible/Koran etc) albeit an interesting one!
Bread, my friend is the cornerstone of everyone's staple diet, however Mein Kampf is not the pre-requisite of literacy.
More to the point Hagar, what the hell are you doing on this thread if you don't have an opinion as to wether or not "Harry Potter is Racist" and can't contribute anything but lame piss-taking, simply because you lack the intelligence to make any worthy or welcome contribution.
You seem to be saying the exact opposite, that mein Kampf shouldnt merely be taken lightly, :D I can see from your post that youve read 'Mein Kampf', how did you find it?, it must have been slightly wierd?? :eek: :m:

Yeah it was weird. But not as 'bad' or anti-semitic as I was lead to believe. Most of it entials Hitler's political struggle, and events prior to 1933. (In my previous post I was just dissing a dick-shit retard, and kinda missed the point)
Yes it is just a 'book' but that goes for the Bible too. Any 'book' is'nt really that special - buts thats not to say it is'nt useful. Whats different about Mein Kampf (in this case) is that it's ill-concieved by the masses, and thats put too many people off reading it simply because people are being too dismissive. People just jump the gun and are too keen to dismiss it as tripe (it is :) ) without giving it a shot.

I was being kinda sentimental by saying its just a book, and yes, that can be regarded as being a contradiction. I just did'nt think too many people would take my view literally. Let me conclude - it is only a book, but a disgusting, god-awful, offensive, dellusional one; albeit useful!! (That was my point in the first place!)

Isn't it strange that a CHILDRENS book can provoke such a philosophical debate?

Especially when the first edition was renamed the SOURCERERS stone for the confusion it might illicit in its American audience!

Oops, was that a racist comment?

My British bad D:

Your British worse. "American" isn't a race. It's a nationality. Unfortunately, it's a nationality with puritan roots that makes us inherently prudish. :rolleyes: The whole "Sorceror's Stone" thing was because the Christian Fundamentalists (emphasis on "mental") felt that "Philosopher's Stone" was too satanic. :bugeye:

I wish I could remember exactly how it goes, but I read (in a book! gosh!) that books come in three types of dishes; books that are meant to be enjoyed just for their flavor alone, books that are to be nibbled at, and books that are to be savored and devoured. Harry Potter is of the first kind. It's all for fun, like candy for the mind. I hold up the Darwin Awards books as examples of the second kind, the kind you take into the bathroom with you if your bowels are telling you're going to be there awhile. As for the third kind, I'm trying to squeak in some time to read a few of those deeper books. (Tonight's course is "Reason: The Only Oracle of Man" by Ethan Allen.)

I've read the Potter books and I love them, although I'm constantly reminded of a line from an old movie that went something like "Ancient magic is no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."