You Are A Muggle
Art & Literature, Film, Other, Picturing the Word — By Picturing the Word on March 4, 2010 at 12:03 amWelcome back! We hope you enjoyed the first podcast and are excited to continue to discuss what makes a hero and a myth.
For the second class, we watched:
Superman (Richard Donner, 1978)
The Last Son of Krypton from “Superman: The Animated Series”
Pilot from “Smallville”
Superman on Earth from “The Adventures of Superman”
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (George Lucas, 1999)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. (Chris Columbus, 2001)
We also read Looking for God in Harry Potter by Hogwart’s Professor John Granger. Professor Granger kindly informed us that he has an updated book, How Harry Cast His Spell, which he wrote after Deathly Hallows was published. Unfortunately, we did not know this until after we had already read the first edition, but for all of you who are interested in reading Granger’s work on Christendom’s influence on the Potter novels, we highly recommend his second edition.
In the second podcast, Danielle and I explore three main questions:
- Why do we retell stories? Why, for example, are there four gospels? And why do we continually remake the same basic story, like Superman?
- How does upbringing shape a hero? One of the most common factors in a Hero’s life is a childhood trauma (often being orphaned)—this factor is present in the lives of Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, and even Superman. Is a traumatic childhood necessary to be a hero?
- A follow-up question we had to how the childhood of a hero shapes his or her character is would Superman have supported the gulags in Soviet Russia? This controversial discussion plays into a larger question of if/how/why myths change as a result of cultural shifts.
And then there is the title of the podcast: You are a muggle! One of the things we discussed in class was that when we watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, we never realize that we are the muggles that Harry hates. When we are engaged in the story, we believe that we are wizards and that everyone else is a muggle. Surely we are not muggles! Yet it is important for all of us to notice that we are fundamentally different from heroes. Danielle and I can’t help but wonder, what does that tell us about heroes, and more importantly, what does that tell us about ourselves?
We hope you enjoy this week’s podcast. If you would like to join our conversation, comment! Or email Danielle and I at picturingtheword@gmail.com. To find out more about us and our podcast, check out our About page.
Happy listening!
P.S.—If you’re interested in next week’s curriculum…
Watch:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Chris Columbus, 2002, PG, 161 mins)
Spider-Man (Sam Raimi, 2002, PG-13, 121 mins)
Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977, PG, 125 mins)
Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (George Lucas, 2002, PG, 142 mins)
“Doctor Who” (Boom Town 1.11, Parting of the Ways, 1.13; 90 mins)
Read:
Superman for All Seasons (Spring)
Kingdom Come (Chapter 1—Strange Visitor)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:32 — 32.5MB)
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Since when does Harry hate Muggles? He hates the three Muggles he’s lived with for ten years, but he is always kind and fair to Muggle-borns, is appalled by those who deliberately persecute either Muggles or Muggle-born wizards, and never indicates that he has anything against them. He mostly doesn’t interact with them or even think much about them.
We are only “the Muggles Harry hates” if we are like Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley — narrow-minded, arrogant, selfish, and greedy all to an extreme degree.
I initially balk at the strong language as well, but I think you hit on the point when you said, “He mostly doesn’t interact with them or even think much about them.” Certainly Harry doesn’t join the movement to persecute them, but there is not a single good Muggle that any of the good wizards interact with both positively and on-stage (ie: Hermione’s parents are good, but you never interact with them as readers).
Muggles are inferior to wizards–even Mr. Weasley thinks of Muggles in a patronizing fashion. They are “cute” and “creative” but on the whole to be pitied.
Harry doesn’t want them to be treated unfairly, but he has no desire to befriend them, live among them, participate in their world, or enjoy them in any fashion. The Muggle World is oppressive to him, even repulsive. Hate might be strong, but he harbors no affection for muggles beyond recognizing their basic human rights.
Granted that Superman’s appeal to Americans comes, at least initially, from his being more like us than unlike us and granted that each of us are influenced by our surroundings, if Superman where somehow deeply passionate about Justice and Truth then those things (which are not culturally informed) would have overwhelmed his Russian sensibilities and Superman would’ve responded negatively to the Gulag. Since John brought it up, I’d be curious to find out if Superman ever did his American duty by rounding up some “Japs” and throwing them in interment camps. If so, then John would have a stronger argument that Superman’s “justice” isn’t “Justice” as in the form of “Justice” but rather “justice” in a culturally defined way.
Also, Danielle, you really need to see all the Star Wars films. I’m thinking a movie night is in order.
Yes, well, that’s the point — hate is too strong. There is a lot of territory in between actively socializing and engaging with people very different from oneself, and “hating” them. Sometimes you just don’t live in the same world, in Harry’s case literally, for most of us, figuratively. If Harry “hates” Muggles, then most of us must “hate” Mongolian ranchers.
You make the point that we are “Muggles.” True, but do you think we have forgotten it?
Superhero stories are written from or near the hero’s perspective, not Joe Human’s. We enter the minds of the heroes, not the peons. The point is not to create distance from the heroes, but closeness. We identify with them because that’s how the story is told; it’s the nature of the narrative. What interests us is not only the powers but the humanness of our heroes–the things we can relate to, like love, loss, and suffering, etc.
Why is it important to deeply consider our “Muggleness?” I don’t think it indicates anything sinister about the viewer who, via a good story, imagines what it would be like to fly or have magical abilities. That’s the point. We already know what it’s like to be human. A superhero’s narrative is something entirely different, and therefore, interesting. To pretend to go to Hogwarts does not a narcissist make.
Speaking of Hogwarts:
Mr. Weasley patronizing? What?
Pentamom: Thanks for the thought-provoking response. Harry “hates” muggles in the sense that he does not want to be one. This can be illustrated time and time again by his desire to remain at Hogwarts, avoid his extended family, the Dursleys, and live forever in the magical world. If you equate “hate” with an intense fiery passion to destroy, then you’re right. However, I believe Harry detests, dislikes, and is generally annoyed by all things Muggle (our linguistic definitions are different apparent).
Lauren: I believe we forget that we are muggles. In fact, most people would not remember that they are muggles; Danielle does an excellent job pointing this out in the podcast. I agree that we enter the world through Harry Potter. I believe it’s worthwhile to notice the shift in our perspective. (Danielle and I both believe Mr. Weasley is patronizing in his love of all things muggle, almost like a hollywood superstar enjoying her time in Kansas.)
Dustin: I don’t know the Superman mythology well enough to discuss the intricacies of his use for propaganda in World War II. I do know that he was highly influential in the war effort. Is it inconceivable that if he supported the war effort, he would support Japanese internment camps? Millions of Americans who stood for “Justice” instead of justice similarly supported internment camps.
(John, sorry, I still disagree about Mr. Weasley. He is genuinely fascinated, excited, and frankly obsessed by all thing Muggle. Not because he has a superiority complex, but because he’s like a kid in a candy shop. Here I think Rowling is identifying technology as a kind of “Muggle Magic.” A way to manipulate nature, etc.)
I still fail to see why it’s noteworthy that we enter hero stories through the hero’s perspective. That is the point. We get to see what it would be like to be them. We already know what it is like to be us non-magical beings. We live humbly and humanly every day–it’s our normal.
Why is it worthwhile to notice that we adopt the hero’s perspective when we read a heroic narrative? That is the way the stories are written. I fail to see any other implications. Why is it so important to notice our actual distance from heroes like Harry? What is gained by recognizing that we are different? You keep saying it’s important, but you do not elaborate.
If we adapt our heroes to fit our cultural biases, can we avoid that with Jesus or other religious heroes?