Harry Potter and the "class distinctions"

Harry Potter and the class distinctions in U.K.

The series of Harry Potter are best seller all over the world. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ,the stage of this story, is one of the most famous school. However paying attention to the school and education system in the series of Harry Potter, we can see the “class distinctions” by status and blood. And also there are this “class distinctions” in U.K. in particular about education.
Before comparing education in U.K. and “the Harry Potter world”, we should know about the education system in U.K. The education system in U.K. is divided into early years, primary education, secondary education and tertiary education. About 90% of British students go to Comprehensive school which is a state school that are primarily about providing a right to all children without selection either due to financial considerations or attainment. If they want further education, they will attend to Sixth form. On the other hand, about 7% of British students go to independent schools. Particularly, more expensive and exclusive fee-paying private independent schools are called "public schools". "Public school", like Eton College or Winchester College, is a traditional private secondary school and it is well known as a school which trains gentleman 's child. The elite like a bureaucrat, a civil official and along with others are almost from "public school". Therefore, "public school" leads to keeping class distinctions. Geoffrey Walford, emeritus professor of education policy at the university of Oxford, said that "Public schools have traditionally had very close links with the universities, especially Oxford and Cambridge, and, either through them or directly, with high status professions. Parents have attempted to ensure that their positions of power and prestige within the class structure could be passed on to their sons through payment and attendance at a public school." (Walford 11)
This system of keeping class distinctions is very similar to the education system in Harry Potter. In the world of Harry Potter, there are only three schools(Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Durmstrang Institute for Magical Study, Beauxbaton Academy Of Magic) and the students of these schools must be wizards or witches. So however you try hard, you cannot enter these schools. Actually, J.K.Rowling who is an author of Harry Potter, has an experience like this. “After she graduated from Wyedean Comprehensive in 1983, she applied to Oxford University, but she was not accepted. Some thought she was discriminated against in her application to Oxford because she graduated from a comprehensive school rather than a private one.” (Peterson-Hilleque, 31)
The class distinctions between "wizards and witches" and "Muggle" also appear in the wizarding world. In the Harry Potter books, there are a lot of examples that wizards and witches distinguish Muggle by using “sort” or “kind” or “blood”. In “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, Harry met Draco Malfoy for the first time and Malfoy asked Harry is “our kind”. Also Malfoy said that “the other sort”(=Muggle) should not apply to enter the Hogwarts.In “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, the characters used “Mudblood”, “pure-blood” and “half-blood” many times. Malfoy is proud of that he is “pure-blood” and he abused Hermione because she is from Muggle. To abuse the wizard or witch who is from Muggle, some pure-blood racist use “Mudblood”. “Mudblood” is the worst insulting word so when Malfoy used this word to Hermione, she cried bitterly and Ron is too furious to use illegal magic.
Until now, we saw the class distinctions in U.K. and “Harry Potter world”. However there are some changes in U.K. and we can see these changes in “Harry Potter world”. In “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” Ron said that “Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn’t married Muggles, we’d’ve died out.” This words mean increasing of marriages between different classes. In addition, Cho Chang who is Harry’s first love seems to be Asian. It shows increasing of immigrants in U.K. U.K. is one of the most powerful country in the world so a big problem like this should be solved as soon as possible. Therefore, J.K. Rowling wants to show the problem of “class distinctions” in U.K. and tell the good news that there are some changes through the books for all over the world.

Works Cited

Blake, Andrew. The Irresistible Rise of Harry Potter. Verso, 2002. Print.
“MuggleNet | Editorials | Essays.” MuggleNet. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
Peterson-Hilleque, Victoria. J.K. Rowling, Extraordinary Author. Edina, MN: ABDO Pub., 2011. Print.
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997.
----. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret. London: Bloomsbury, 1998.
----. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. London: Bloomsbury, 1999.
----. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury, 2000.
----. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. London: Bloomsbury, 2003.
----. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. London: Bloomsbury, 2005.
----. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. London: Bloomsbury, 2007.
Walford, Geoffrey. Life in Public Schools. London: Methuen, 1986.

Cited: Blake, Andrew. The Irresistible Rise of Harry Potter. Verso, 2002. Print. “MuggleNet | Editorials | Essays.” MuggleNet. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. Peterson-Hilleque, Victoria. J.K. Rowling, Extraordinary Author. Edina, MN: ABDO Pub., 2011. Print. Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997. ---- ----. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. London: Bloomsbury, 1999. ---- ----. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. London: Bloomsbury, 2003. ---- ----. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. London: Bloomsbury, 2007. Walford, Geoffrey. Life in Public Schools. London: Methuen, 1986.