And then I said, WAIT, when was SORTING ever about JUDGING? And then I got really upset. Amy, I'm upset.
I don't see Sorting as judging in the sense that we (humans) think of judging. I see it as the hat looking into your soul aseeing where you'd fit in best. In Snape's case, for the most part, he does belong in Slytherin because of his outlook in life (and he wanted to go into that house). Sure life has made him bitter, but Harry's life was hell before going to Hogwarts and look where the hat placed him (but only after he asked it to). People have aspects of each house within them and people get pigeon-holed into their houses' outward reputation. It's not really the Sorting that's judging, but people's perception of its results. "Sorting too soon" implied to me that people saw Snape as "bad," and he did a selfless thing that no one but Dumbledore knew about.
That's why I can see people being unsettled about what is conveyed in the epilogue - the old feelings are still there. But those (the old feelings) are the only thing we definitely see in the future. There could be many other, positive things too. Harry's comment that it doesn't matter which house his son is placed in along with his nod to Malfoy gave me that session. What about the condition of non-wizarding magical creaters, like house elves and goblins? What about wizards' relationship with muggles? Things can still be the same, but different too. I think Rowling left things vague for us for that very reason.
I don't think I really answered anything, to be honest. :-) I just didn't see it as a negative thing. I also am in the midst of reading a book comparing Harry Potter to Biblical themes, and it compared Sorting to the predestination verses free will debate, which I'm also struggling to get a grasp on. Sorting can be seen as being predestined into a certain house, but then Harry chose where he wanted to go. When you think of it, all children who expressed a distinct wish to go into certain houses were placed in them. Except Lily, who didn't seem to know where she wanted to go.
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I don't see Sorting as judging in the sense that we (humans) think of judging. I see it as the hat looking into your soul aseeing where you'd fit in best. In Snape's case, for the most part, he does belong in Slytherin because of his outlook in life (and he wanted to go into that house). Sure life has made him bitter, but Harry's life was hell before going to Hogwarts and look where the hat placed him (but only after he asked it to). People have aspects of each house within them and people get pigeon-holed into their houses' outward reputation. It's not really the Sorting that's judging, but people's perception of its results. "Sorting too soon" implied to me that people saw Snape as "bad," and he did a selfless thing that no one but Dumbledore knew about.
That's why I can see people being unsettled about what is conveyed in the epilogue - the old feelings are still there. But those (the old feelings) are the only thing we definitely see in the future. There could be many other, positive things too. Harry's comment that it doesn't matter which house his son is placed in along with his nod to Malfoy gave me that session. What about the condition of non-wizarding magical creaters, like house elves and goblins? What about wizards' relationship with muggles? Things can still be the same, but different too. I think Rowling left things vague for us for that very reason.
I don't think I really answered anything, to be honest. :-) I just didn't see it as a negative thing. I also am in the midst of reading a book comparing Harry Potter to Biblical themes, and it compared Sorting to the predestination verses free will debate, which I'm also struggling to get a grasp on. Sorting can be seen as being predestined into a certain house, but then Harry chose where he wanted to go. When you think of it, all children who expressed a distinct wish to go into certain houses were placed in them. Except Lily, who didn't seem to know where she wanted to go.