A fascist ideology based on blood-prejudice is proposed in the Harry Potter series;
it is also the source of the conflict between Harry and Voldemort and their respective allies. The issue of blood becomes more complicated as another race and other species join the picture (101, 103). Voldemort considers other race or species in the Magic world servants since the magic ability to his belief, lies within and is only justified by
2 “The Tale of Three Brothers” is a tale in the book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, given to Hermione by Dumbledore in his will. It depicts how three brothers obtain the three Deathly Hallows from the Death himself, but soon the two older brothers are tricked to lose their lives due to their untamed desire, whereas the youngest brother is clever to dodge from Death’s hunting, until he is ready to die in his old age.
(Hallows, 406-409)
the blood. Muggles are disabled; giants are naturally vicious and unworthy; House-elves are simply ignored. Gupta argues that the analogy of Magic racism with racism in our world is misleading for the Magic people simply have magic in their blood (108).
On the contrary, I disagree with Gupta, for his argument focuses on the blood and prejudice derived from the blood instead of the magic ability itself. The Harry Potter series encompasses various kinds of creatures and races, and most of them have their own access to magic. The Magic people, in particular, require wands and other magical objects in order to perform magic. Taking wands and other magical objects as prostheses, wizards and witches become cyborgs who not only perform magic but are connected to the network of the Magic world, and further define themselves as members of this world. It is in fact, not blood that defines them; if that is the case, there will be no existence of Mudbloods3 and Squibs4.
According to Gupta, House-elves are another species instead of race distinguished by the ability to procreate with each other (112). However, this distinction is deliberately weakened; it is part of what defines the relationship between masters and servants/slaves in Voldemort’s perspective. House-elves as a species automatically inherit the servitude to work for humans. On the other hand, Voldemort and Wormtail’s relationship of master and servant is built on fear and rewards (114). While this comparison intrigues me, Gupta suggests that readers will not be able to understand the social and political significance the House-elves represent for it is not comparable with our real-life experience (119). I would like to propose another perspective though, to perceive the condition of House-elves as social minorities whose rights need to be protected beyond the anthropocentric scope. Emily Strand in her essay “Dobby the
3 “Mudblood” is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, meaning a foul name for someone who is Muggle-born, in contrast with pure-blood (Secrets, 112, 115, 116).
4 A “Squib” is by definition “someone who was born into a Wizarding family but hasn’t hot any magic powers”…the opposite of Muggle-born wizards and witches (Secrets, 145).
Robot: the Science Fiction in Harry Potter” suggests that fantasy has changed and owes this evolution to the influence of science fiction (175). Magic in the Harry Potter Series is alluded to science since it requires precision, years of intensive trainings in a dedicated educational facility, and sharp parameters to its effects. In other words, magic in the series is technological (176-177). Strand further proposes the created servant trope of Dobby as a robot. The whole species of House-elves the social (and possibly originally physical) creation of Wizards/witches (humans) (181). House-elves embody the initial features as companions, secret and memory keepers, helpful servants, and occasionally saviors/protectors of families in folklore and early fantasy works.
However, similar to droids often depicted in science fiction, we can also see the potential of abuse and cruelty bestowed upon them, as well as the tendency of humans underestimating them (188-189). Dobby, therefore, among other House-elves, represents the one that “wakes up” to become self-aware and fights for his rights. The Harry Potter series provides us an example for imagination of a species which is capable of individual thinking, resenting unconditional servitude, and seeking fairness and equality, and how we may fight for their rights (120). House-elves as another species does not indicate that we cannot allude their sufferings to our world. We are capable of recognizing their need for emancipatory actions and we can extend that compassion towards social minorities in our lives.
Haraway’s socialist-feminist approach and proposition of “homework economy”
reminds me not to neglect the female workers and their self-recognition of subjectivity in the Harry Potter saga (132). She mentions the feminization of the work field and deskilling in previously privileged workers (presumably male-dominated), which results in the feminization of poverty. While women take on more responsibilities and burdens of financial support, they are not benefiting from technologies or involved in social reconstructions. The instance I refer to for further discussion here is the
comparison of Hermione, the best friend of Harry’s besides Ron, with other female characters in the books. The reason for which Hermione intrigues me is that she is the one who discovers the mistreatment of elf rights and takes political actions for them while the others choose to neglect the problem or have no intention to help. Unlike other female characters who are either absent (Harry’s mother, Lily) or embody the traditional mother features (Mrs. Weasley, Professor McGonagall, etc.), in some cases, even turned hysterical (Professor Trelawney), evil (Bellatrix Lestrange/Professor Umbridge), or insane (Mrs. Longbottom), Hermione alludes to the women who bring forth the ethical dilemmas robots present and encourage them to come to self-awareness or rebellion in science fiction, and by doing so, she challenges the social construct programmed for House-elves and herself (190).
Sara Martín Alegre in her essay proposes that Voldemort’s physical monstrosity indicates the failure of magic in transcending humanity. She argues that humans are frightened by the monstrous science that creates new post-humans and threatens the existence of the human species (1). While acknowledging the clear analogy between magic and science, Martín Alegre finds Voldemort closer to a dehumanized inhuman or transhuman than posthuman (2-3). I agree with her notion of Voldemort being insufficient as a posthuman subject; however, I argue that the focus should be on Harry, his allies, and the connection built between them, and further expands to the communities they live in, and finally, the cosmos. Voldemort’s ambition to dominate the Magic and Muggle worlds, and all subjects within is exemplified in the statue put in the center of the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic:
Now a gigantic statue of black stone dominated the scene. It was rather frightening, this vast sculpture of a witch and a wizard sitting on ornately carved thrones … Engraved in foot-high letters at the base of the statue
were the words MAGIC IS MIGHT. (241-242, Hallows)
Harry looked more closely and realized that what he had thought were decoratively carved thrones were actually mounds of carved humans:
hundreds and hundreds of naked bodies, men, women, and children, all with rather stupid, ugly faces, twisted and pressed together to support the weight of handsomely robed wizards. (242, Hallows)
Starting out as the embodiment of the humanist ideal image, Voldemort gradually dehumanizes himself and turns into the monstrous posthuman hybrid, in order to build his fascist hegemony over all others. On the other hand, instead of putting himself above others, Harry and his allies remain to be subjects open to others, and extend this care for others and connection beyond race, species, and communities.
James J. Hughes suggests that Harry Potter is an anti-racist freedom fighter both in fiction and in the real world. Through the series we are drawn to sympathize the oppressed racial minorities and fear the fascist Voldemort and Death Eaters. The Harry Potter books demonstrate their social impact and embody democratic values which inspire readers’ empathy with immigrants, refugees, and homosexuals (235). Popular culture both reflects and shapes political culture. The depiction of the posthuman in popular culture thus shapes the current and future attitudes towards varieties of humanity. Whether through science or magic, supernatural creatures embody alternative and super-powered humanity, and reflect anxieties about authoritarianism, race, and limits of democracy. While speculative fiction inspires respect for transhuman differences and democratic possibilities through sympathizing posthuman heroes or victims on the one hand, it can also reinforce specieist “human racism”, in terms of the protagonist’s encounter with posthuman threats (235-236). Posthumans can be depicted
as threats, manipulators of reality, victims of racial prejudice or genocide, or participants in complex, transhuman democracies. Hughes argues that in speculative fiction, posthumans gradually detach from depictions as monsters and agents of political dystopia, and move towards participants in complexed imagined transhuman democracies (236).
The positive depiction of posthumans are found in narratives in which they defend humans, other posthumans, creatures, and transhuman democracy against (post-)human racism, even from the fellow posthumans (241). Harry, his companions, and allies stand up against Voldemort and the Death Eaters as posthumans who are racist purist wizards and witches who despise all humans, creatures, other races, and even their fellow half-breed , Mudblood posthumans. On the other hand, sympathy for the posthuman Other occur when they are depicted and treated as monsters due to the difference from (post-)humans, despite that they are not necessarily or intrinsically evil (241-242).
Wormtail’s rat-like appearance and behavior triggers Harry’s pity on him even when his deeds are despicable. Professor Lupin is discriminated for being a werewolf by the public; and yet, Harry and his friends sympathize him for not being able to teach as a professor in Hogwarts when his “condition” is under control.
Braidotti mentions the compensatory Humanism theories which attempt to anthropomorphize animals to extend the moral and legal equality to them. However, this gesture is noble and yet problematic, since it consolidates the hegemony of humans over animals (The Posthuman, 79). Her comment interests me to re-examine the relationship between Harry and other species. Rowling’s creatures tend to be described in details on their differences from humans, in terms of outlook, behavior, and culture.
In the series, creatures and races other than humans are aware of their differences from humans and do not intend to immerge into human culture. This situation is at first being depicted as bizarre and incomprehensible to many wizards and witches. However,
Harry attempts to be open and understand the motives or behaviors of others; even when he fails to understand them, he does not force them to behave the “human” way. For instance, after encountering magical creatures such as the Acromantula (monstrous spiders) and centaurs and failing to understanding their motives or knowledge, Harry chooses to retreat from the forest they inhabit in, instead of imposing violent actions such as invasion and genocide, which are what Voldemort would have chosen to do.
Inserting the framework of monism, Braidotti argues that we are all part of nature, and inhabit a nature-culture continuum which is technologically mediated and globally enforced. The challenge is to visualize the subject as a transversal entity which includes humans, others, and the earth as a whole (82).
Hughes brings forth the discussion of the struggle and conflicts within the posthuman society, which leads to the class struggle, political oppression, and fight for access to resources and technologies, and eventually results in rare case of full normalization of posthumans in a complex transhuman democracy (244). After the end of the war against Voldemort, readers are left with the open scene of all races and species sitting together for rest and recovery. However, the story jumps nineteen years afterwards, and until the end of the Hallows, gives no answers regarding to whether all inhabitants in the Magic world have same rights ever since. The evidence in popular culture suggests a trend toward more sympathetic treatments of posthumanity and potential transhuman democracy. Influenced by anti-racism and acceptance of cybernetic augmentation, there are more posthumans depicted as victims and ordinary citizens. Hopefully this phenomenon reflects greater acceptance of social difference and portends a more socially and politically inclusive society (244-245).
To sum up, Re-reading the Harry Potter series as a posthuman text allows us to reconsider our relationship with others, advanced technologies, contemporary social, political, and environmental conditions, and possibilities in the future.