Assume your education in history was whitewashed if you think the UK and Europe have only ever been occupied by white people up until recent times. Assume youve been taught to see a very narrow world if you think fiction, especially fantasy, is beholden to only cast white people in stories set in fantastical versions of historical Europe or the UK. Fiction, especially fantasy, can be whatever the author wants it to be. That you DONT want it to be diverse says something about you and your biases, not about those who you think have inaccurately represented your narrow (and ironically inaccurate) definition of the past. Harry Potter, as cast for the films, was too white for me. But also, too lacking in cultural and physical diversity. It was presented as a very middle of the road kind of fantasy, indifferent to the fringes (except to cast them as evil) and seemingly focused on reassuring the middle and lower middle classes of their importance and their ability to fit in narrowly defined boxes (er, houses) that allowed them to feel like they belonged to a group. If readers of the books and viewers of the films want to envision the historical past or present of Hogwarts as being more diverse than it was written, more power to them. If they want to broaden its cultural spectrum and cast without whitewashing, Im all for it. Harry Potters world is one that could use stirring up, and by stirring it up, readers move beyond the limited fantasy world they were charmed by when they were children and step into a much wider world that has the potential to include just about anyone from just about anywhere. Were talking about wizards who fly, after all. Why keep them grounded in one place, one skin tone, and one class system?
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 20:35:52 +0000
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