JK Rowling isn't as good as you like to Remember

While we all know by now that the entire Harry Potter narrative is a very loose metaphor for the Holocaust; the representation and how JK Rowling wrote characters and plot is… not great.

You have the “Nazi’s” in Voldemort and the Death Eaters. You have the people the Nazi’s find “less than,” in Muggleborn wizards. But have you ever really looked at how the other characters are written?

Let me elaborate: there are so many damaging stereotypes and just piss poorly written characters that it embarrasses me.

First and foremost: Seamus Finnigan, is like; the only canonically Irish character in the series. While it’s implied that the Weasley’s are Irish (they root for the Irish team in Quidditch) it’s never really said in plain words. What is Seamus Finnigan known for? Blowing shit up, When is the Harry Potter series set? The 90’s. What was happening between the Irish and British during the 90’s? Yeah… “The Troubles.” Sure, in the latter books Seamus’ infamy with explosive spells comes in handy, that’s not a great look JK.

Let’s speculate for a moment that the Weasley’s are canonically Irish; again it’s not said outright in the books. They still represent unpleasant Irish stereotypes that the British have used for centuries to tear them down. The Weasley’s are poor, “have more children than they can afford,” and are considered “blood traitors” by other pure blood families. Arthur Weasley has a job that the wizarding world finds unnecessary at best, and the family themselves (Percy excluded) are said to be troublemakers.

Secondly: Cho Chang… the girls name is two last names goddamnit. I’m fairly positive that JK didn’t really bother with even nonchalantly mentioning an actual ethnicity to her, just slapped a roughly Asian sounding name on her for diversity’s sake and called it a day. She’s in Ravenclaw (the smart house), she’s quiet, demure, and shy. Her entire character revolves around a white boy savior (Cedric or Harry, pick one). Her character was so lackluster and bland that I felt bad for my own Asian heritage.

Thirdly: The Patils are like the only brown people in this entire wizarding school. I swear to the gods, I don’t think there’s another damn brown person. I don’t remember much about either of them; that’s how unimportant they are in the story. If you’re going to introduce characters into a story… make them useful.

Fourthly: Dean Thomas is I swear the only “main” black character that is canonically black in the books. As the books go on, his character importance falters. It’s stated that he is the child of a wizard father and a muggle mother; his father leaving him and his mother in order “to protect them” during the first wizarding war. Now I can get that, but it’s still a weird connotation of a father leaving his son. I don’t know if it’s racist but it doesn't sit right.

Fifth: Beaxbaton is the most egocentric, “flouncy,” and feminine people in the series… and they happen to be French. Despite popular belief, it’s not an all girls school. But has predominantly feminine flare and dramatics. They travel by carriage, their uniforms are flowing, made of silk and accentuate the more “european” fashion that’s often associated with French society. The school is described to be surrounded by gardens with wood nymphs that serenade the students.

Sixth on the list: Durmstrang is represented as a stereotypical “eastern” european brute school. They don’t accept muggle born students and emphasize the dark arts in its curriculum which the “western” european schools do not necessarily approve of (since at least at Hogwarts where they have a class about defense against it). Their uniform consists of red robes and fur cloaks. While not “wrong,” since Bulgaria does get cold, I liken the red to the negative connotations of “the red state” that existed in the area at the time due to Soviet control. The school itself is shown to be “brutish” and basically a school of uncivilized wizards that take a liking to dark arts… not a great look.

All in all, JK Rowling had so many opportunities to write well written POC or just not stereotypes and yet… she didn’t.