Shiny Colored Tokens: An Analysis of Female Racial Minorities Present in
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter
“In examining how race functions in the Harry Potter series it is nonetheless important to help students consider not only what is depicted in the texts but also what is absent” (Wallace & Pugh)
Race, and the implications that it places upon a literary series, is pertinent to the understanding of a given text. Simply because a series features more than one racial demographic does not exempt it from racial critiquing; such is the case with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. By taking into account the number of characters that represent different minority demographics and the plot lines that encompass each of these individuals, it becomes apparent that Rowling strove to be inclusive as she was writing the series. However, because of the limited amount of racial diversity incorporated into the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, in addition to the limited plot lines surrounding each of these characters, it can be argued that each serves the purpose of being simply a token addition to the story. Tokenism can be defined as “the practice of doing something only to prevent criticism and give the appearance that people are being treated fairly” (Webster). The inclusion of token characters brings forth, in retrospect, no advancement to the plot and serves only to further reinforce ethnic and racial stereotypes in the minds of children and young adults that read Harry’s story.
Throughout the entire seven novel series, J.K. Rowling manages to insert six characters that represent racial minorities. Of these characters, two are male and bring very little to the story aside from comedic relief and love interest. Due to the personality t...
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...These minority females have minor roles and don’t particularly bring any advancement to the plot aside from each of their places of representing a love interest or female companion. They encompass the stereotypes of their respective cultural backgrounds and do little more than pine for the white male leading characters. A discussion of the biological racial dynamics of the wizarding world is not one that comes up too often. By taking into account what dynamics are not present in the novels, readers can gain a better understanding of the racial statements that are being made throughout the Harry Potter series. Whether intentional or unintentional, Rowling’s depictions of these four women paint unrealistic pictures of the racial demographics that are represented which can lead readers to misconceptions about the true characteristics of the given cultural backgrounds.
On Twitter, some Hunger Games "fans" were enraged that Cinna, Rue and Thresh, all pivotal characters in the book, were African American on the big screen. Some users posted racist remarks, saying that the black appearance of the characters "ruined the movie" and that portrayals were not at all what they "imagined. " This article also discusses race in the book. Barron, R. (2012, March 27).
In the article How Banning Books Marginalizes Children, the author, Paul Ringel, states that approximately fifty-two percent of the books banned in the last ten years illustrate “diverse content”, such as race, religion, gender identity, etc. Ringel believes that attitudes about which books are “appropriate” for kids to read have too often suppressed stories about different cultures and life experiences. He basis his argument around the pretext that when libraries stop the banning it will allow kids to learn how to navigate imaginary worlds filled with differences and apply those lessons to their own lives.
What defines an individual’s racial characteristics? Does an individual have the right to discriminate against those that are “different” in a specific way? In Octavia Butler’s works, which are mostly based on themes that correlate to one another, she influences the genre and fiction in ways that bring light to the problems of societies history. Through Kindred and the Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler examines themes of community, racial identification, and racial oppression through the perspective of a black feminist. In each novel, values and historical perspective show the hardships that individuals unique to an alien world have to face. Through the use of fictional works, Butler is able to delve into historical themes and human conditions, and with majority of works under the category of science fiction, Butler is able to explore these themes through a variety of settings. This essay will discuss two of Butler’s popular works, Kindred and the Parable of Sower, and will interpret the themes of women, race, independence, and power throughout the two novels.
...it but try to make a change. Through Chris Jaynes, Johnson expresses to his readers the importance of taking a stance on the issue of Whiteness by making it a very prominent ideal in his novel. Johnson furthers his agreement against Whiteness by expressing the fact that the issue not only needs to be identified but that there needs to be more of a push to change the issue. Sticking to the normal ways of trying to fix the issue of Whiteness, such as using a diversity committee, are no longer acceptable in the fight against Whiteness as it has proved to be unsuccessful. Instead Mat Johnson challenges the reader to notice the practices that keep American literature segregated and consider how effective the methods put in place truly are in advancing American literature.
Like this excerpt from JK Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” the majority of the book series takes a clear stance against discriminatory practices. However, she also portrays serious stereotyping oversights throughout her work.
Racial discrimination has been an issue among different cultural groups, ethnic races and many religions. It is an issue that has stopped people from becoming well diversitized and embracing multiculturalism, especially during the olden days where slavery and wars were a huge part of the world. Racism has created a separation between people, causing many dilemmas’ to arise. This problem has been seen and touched upon throughout many works of literature and verbal presentations. A discourse on racial discrimination will be used to exemplify how individuals abuse their rights, categorize humans and ill treat others through an exploration of the texts in, Snow Falling On Cedars and The Book of Negroes. These novels have given an insight of the discrimination between different classes of people and the unfavorability of one’s kind.
To accurately determine what an educational institution should do with a book that contains some degree of cultural or moral shock is to analyze what the purpose of these institutions actually is. “Some parents brought the town’s segregated past and their dissatisfaction with the present into the discussion about the book” (Powell, 1). It is true that people from areas where slavery once ran rampant will be emotionally distressed with books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This may be understandable, but ultimately, schools are not purposed to dampen the discomfort of specific students and their families. Education Assistant Professor Jocelyn Chadwick states, “‘you have to remind them you are there to defend the text and not solve social issues’” (Powell, 1). Alleviating the cold reality from members of the community is neither a responsibility of educators nor a pedagogical concern. For the teachers and professors, the education of students, through whatever methods and textbooks, should far outweigh any of the culturally or morally shaky backlash that could follow. However, some disagree with this. “The CHMCA officially objected to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on the grounds that ‘the prejudicial effect of the racial characterizations outweigh any literary value that the book might have’...
The submissive and sacrificial role, that the only canonical non-white character inhabits, paints a clear picture on how the writers view the role of black female
Catharine Sedgwick had used her characters to realistically change women should be judged and pointed out all the flaws of strict Puritan thoughts about women. Harriet Jacobs defied expectations with her slave narrative that targeted the inequality not only of different races, but also the mistreatment of women. For every step towards female equality taken by sentimental romanticism, Dark Romanticism caused women 's rights to take two steps back. Through diminishing the role of women in their stories and perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes, the Dark Romantics neglected to reflect the equality they claimed to believe in. Given the success of the male Dark Romantic writers, open support of true equality being displayed in their work could have had huge impacts on the burgeoning racial and gender equality
would have been an insult to them.” (47) The respect of race varied in the book, but at the end
...ghout the whole book. These kids are the perfect instrument for getting her message across and demonstrate to the reader that if they can look past the skin color then adults can too and maybe they will see the similarities between whites and blacks. This book has been one of my favorites of my high school career because of the likeable characters and powerful message.
The world of television can either completely hit or miss the mark when it comes to providing its audience a diverse cast/actors. "Girls" is a new HBO show about young, prosperous, and white New Yorkers in their twenties struggling to find their footing in the post-collegiate world. It is a poor example of representation of race, but the show in itself cannot be held responsible for the whole problem of racial diversity of media and popular culture. There has been a lot of controversy about the show's diversity since the first episode, seeing how it is set in the melting pot of NYC and Brooklyn, yet it is prominently white. The shocking part is that despite its meting pot nature, it is very easy to live a segregated social life in New York City, especially if you are a rich white person. The fact that the show is so white should not come off as unusual, yet it does because this generation is more willing to see that change happen in pop culture. Not everyone sees it that way and pop culture still does not represent races equally or at times even accurately. For example, when show do add in minorities they often make them extremely stereotypical to their race. The recurrence in the lack of realistic representation in the show highlights the “whiteness” of stereotypical roles that overshadows real life representation.
...’s portrayal can serve only to break down the stereotype that exists in the reader’s mind. By including this portion of the novel, Everett has answered Hurston’s call and discreetly undermined the racial stereotype that is such a prevalent form of racism in American society.
The portrayal of female characters in British literature has most often reflected the larger perception of women by society during the time of a work’s publication. In this regard, the immensely popular Harry Potter series written by author J.K. Rowling is certainly no exception. The circumstances for women in late 20th century Britain have improved and in many ways are nearing equality with men, yet a notable upper barrier to success still remains. Rowling captures this gender dynamic throughout the Harry Potter series by including a diverse cast of resilient female characters who are not allowed to take on the same leadership roles dominated by the men at Hogwarts, at the Ministry of Magic, in quidditch, and during the Triwizard tournament. The novels also center on an important theme of motherly love that Rowling uses to explore the sacrifices women must make in order to raise their children well. Such issues have been present in British literature for well over a century, with each generation seeing steps toward equality, both for the fictitious characters and the women of a given time period. The Harry Potter series, therefore, constitutes a reflection of female status in modern Britain that has advanced, but remains perpetually flawed.
Perhaps one of the most illustrious authors of modern day, JK Rowling has woven a land of awe inspiring magic and complex storytelling in her Harry Potter series. Rowling uses this highly influential series to subtly educate her readers on problems faced in modern society and their far reaching consequences. Some particular political, social, and economical subtext exhibited in the Harry Potter series deals with racism, discrimination, and abuse of power by the government and various authority figures.