Comments | joe_mulcahy: Token People of Colour In Harry Potter

joe_mulcahy

Token People of Colour In Harry Potter

Jan 09, 2005 08:29

No no, put away your swords, or shall I say wands. I am not calling J K Rowling, or any of you who write Harry Potter fanfics racists, I merely wanted to discuss the roles of the precious few Black characters in the series ( Read more... )

Comments 6

loveroflaughter January 9 2005, 20:11:39 UTC

Very good observations. I applaud you.

I am writing a Harry Potter fan fiction but it isn't supposed to be accurate. I am in it, my friends is in it, Snape has a nephew and we kind of date, Hermione is a bitch and Percy is DADA professor. I am told by my friends that it is quite a hoot. I may show it to other people one day but not now. I only do it for the laugh.

I understand completely what you are saying but where I live there are maybe 4 black people in my school. There are a few asians but not more than 10.

joe_mulcahy January 10 2005, 03:49:00 UTC

Thank you!

I would love to read your fanfic, if you'll allow it? Percy the DADA teacher? Might I read your fic please please please?

Well the point I was trying to get across is, she ought not to create characters of colour just for the sake of creating characters of colour and making it so obvious that they are nothing more than token characters. Doing so devalues them unfairly.

My school too. We hardly had any blacks there and the only orientals we had were transfer students. But if I were a writer, I'd not create them and write them so poorly.

mydearcrick January 9 2005, 21:24:19 UTC

I noticed that as well. You can go into detail about the way she portrays Asians, I have no problem with it, as I noticed that too. Although it is rather interesting that she chose an Asian chick as the "prettiest girl in school," as you said, it may have been just to please the diverse audience.

joe_mulcahy January 10 2005, 15:40:24 UTC

I actually suspect that Cho Chang, Padma Patil and Parvati Patil were created for far more malicious reasons than may appear initially. You see, at the time Cho Chang was created (1998-1999) Pokemon and J-Pop music was quite popular in the UK. Men, being who we are, are drawn to the exotic, and with the influx of Oriental fads came a fascination with Asian/Oriental women ( ... )

ex_cutekeepe118 May 23 2005, 23:24:44 UTC

Interesting observations ( ... )

joe_mulcahy June 11 2005, 21:31:06 UTC

Bear in mind, that there was NO Dean Thomas in the British version of Philosopher's Stone. He was added almost like an afterthought to please those of you across the pond.