| "The people generally ill treated, and contrary to right, will be
ready upon any occasion to ease themselves of a burden that sits heavy
upon them. They will wish, and seek for the opportunity, which in
the change, weakness and accidents of human affairs, seldom delays long
to offer itself. He must have lived but a little while in the world,
who has not seen examples of this in his time; and he must have read very
little, who cannot produce examples of it in all sorts of governments in
the world…"
- Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government |
Whether it be gradual or sudden, marked by compromises and governmental concessions or by quotas of blood, revolution is inevitable. This critical issue of revolution and its foundations has long been a topic of discussion and debate; in such a case, one can hardly assume that this issue is an unimportant one and thus has cause to argue its evident beginnings in the wizarding world.
While the signs toward rebellion are but undercurrents, as these movements often begin, they clearly point to a world long wracked with unrest. Let us assume this world - though bound to ours by common geographical and vernacular ties - is a separate country from the ones we know of. We would be examining a place upon which most would look down their noses. Despite its stable-seeming basis for peace - a golden age, if you will - this unique country is poised on the brink of insurrection. The absence of the moral troubles of advancing technology and the corrupt systems that fracture our world today cannot prevent the inevitable uprising. Whether resulting in status quo ante bellum or a radical change, these revolutions shake stability in every era, every place. Why, then, do we assume the wizarding world is so safe?
The break with our Muggle world began early; persecution of such magic-wielding people did not improve relations. We cannot view the wizarding world as a recent development and result of our own; it is, rather, a separate place that has developed as long as ours has and contains the same rich history. The true question is if this history contains the singular pattern of bloodshed that ours has followed. It can be surmised that there was not always peace. As evident with the periodical uprisings of dark lords, Grindenwald and Voldemort being but examples of such, this world is not a dreamt-of utopia. Magic is not an overall panacea, and its world is not the result. Can such men as Voldemort and Grindelwald be called traitors, labeled evil and corrupt, or should we refer to them as revolutionaries? They are, after all, products of their times. Sometimes it doesn't matter what cause you stand for, as long as you win. Heroes and murderers are synonymous terms; the only difference is which was the victor. At this point, when relations between magical and Muggle is as strained and fragile as ever, revolution is the anticipated next step.
The picture painted of the social aspects is a bleak one. Highly unbalanced, this twisted meritocracy is reminiscent of an old aristocracy; Trueblood families reign while others fall to dust. Everyone is clearly not in satisfactory circumstances. The Weasleys suffer from poverty while the Malfoys taunt them at every turn, content in their prosperity. Though the magical world and its citizens seemed to be persecuted invariably for many centuries, it seems they have gained the upper hand. "Muggle baiting" is known to occur, as well as incidents of Muggle torturing and killing. There is a strong prejudice against those with Muggle background, as well as those who are not overly skilled in magic. While the society is generally portrayed as an overall content one, dissatisfaction surely lurks. The unequal balance creates problems and issues that must be resolved; either in lengthy debates and desperate compromises, or bloody cries of, "Vive la revolucion!"
Many of the issues we face are nonexistent in the magical world, while their issues hold no prominence in our life. Equality for women seems a given thing and always has been; witches and wizards are more or less on equal footing and, as Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw formed Hogwarts with their male compatriots Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, there is no chauvinistic opinion undermining the society. However, the rights of house elves are sorely abused. Many pass this idea off as ridiculous; it has been status quo to oppress them for so long that it is hardly an issue. Hermione Granger's protests towards their well being were looked upon as preposterous. In addition, the prejudice against magical beings such as werewolves, giants, and goblins is immense. The line of sentience needs to be drawn and deeds justified; the unrest is clearly still brewing. These issues, similar to those risen in our own society centuries ago and pursued until the present, are only now coming to the forefront.
The inhumane conditions of many governmental systems are in desperate need of revision. The notorious prison known as Azkaban is one example. Trapped there and often driven insane by the overwhelming presence of Dementors, criminals are often given life sentences without hesitation. They are often subjected to this torment without the benefit of a fair trial; a Council of Magic Law is used as something of a tribunal where the accused is magically bound to a chair. Sirius Black, the infamous wizard who was sentenced to Azkaban, was sent there without a trial. Furthermore, the school system has yet to be drastically improved. Only scant years ago was physical torture involved in detention; Argus Filch declares that in the old days, students would be hung from iron shackles when caught. Even nowadays detention can be life threatening and its terms solely the decision of the teachers; if a student refuses detention, he or she will be expelled. This ease of punishment has yet to undergo reform, though clearly it is far from the conditions of our own governmental and educational systems.
The Ministry of Magic seems to be the primary governmental system. Areas that correspond to the boundaries of our own countries are regulated by varying governments, though in England and many nearby countries the Ministry is the chosen type of bureaucracy. Seven departments make up this system, whose primary concern is the handling of Muggles. The Ministry also deals with international relations, commerce, and legislature. It has, though developing mostly separate from our world, drawn from the political revolutions that have shaped our government systems since the beginning of time. A democratic approach to government seems evident; there are, after all, many wizards and witches employed by the government. Even the hierarchy of Hogwarts has such a checks-and-balances system found its home; the board of governors provides varied opinions much as our legislative bodies or even juries do nowadays. J. K. Rowling has chosen not to reveal extensive details of this system, keeping this world in simplified lines and readers in the dark. The books do, however, provide for vague speculation. The system is as expected, subject to the same corruption and nepotism as ours, in spite of this, the Ministry clearly rules. Its Aurors are not known for mercy to their Dark Wizard victims; criminals are often sentenced without thought. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures places strict rules on the magical beings that populate this world, some of them sentient. Is governmental reform a necessity? Perhaps not yet. But the undercurrent is building.
And while no sort of resentment has made itself clear in the actual text of the books, people - Muggle or Wizarding folk - can live only so long under oppression. Who can say who the next revolutionary will be; will the shops of Diagon Alley echo with the cry of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity? Who will fight to choose between liberty - or death? And, indeed, will the pompous Cornelius Fudge find himself uncomfortably positioned as an enraged mob with a makeshift guillotine finds its first victim? Time, that inevitable mistress, can only say.
It is true that the wizarding world and its descriptions are catered generally to a younger age group whose minds eagerly accept the villainous nature of Lord Voldemort and the heroic deeds of Harry Potter. S.P.E.W. is but an undercurrent, and the reluctance of Hagrid and Madam Maxime to admit their giant heritage is nothing more than a convenient plot point. Despite this, we can analyze such a world the same way we would that of any young adult or adult fantasy book; indeed, as we can analyze our own. Years built up resentment and suppressed unrest. What Enlightenment will sweep the shelves behind the smiling face of Gilderoy Lockhart and the bestseller Quidditch books? What hairline crack will spread to divide this unified house? What lavish ignorance and stubbornness of the aristocracy will yield to the echoing cries of freedom and their - undeniably pure but nevertheless spilt - own blood?
Revolution is inevitable. The
people have a social contract with their governing system and that government
is created of the people, by the people, and for the people. Wizard
blood, Muggle blood, werewolf blood, giant blood, or what-have-you, if
they are not granted such aphoristic liberties as we have come to expect
- it will flow.
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