Sorting: Is It Needed?
by Julie P
As we all know, students attending Hogwarts are required to try on the Sorting Hat. This talking, sometimes singing hat reads a person's inner thoughts and personalities, and then chooses a house that it thinks best suits him/her. Thinking about all of this, I got to thinking: does Sorting do any good?
When we are first introduced to Hogwarts in Harry's first year, he is only eleven, but he already has a sense of what a belonging to a house means. We see that members of Gryffindor have classes together, share a common room, eat meals at the same table, and sleep in close proximity to each other. Older prefects of the houses help the younger students. In this way, students make friends with those in the same house as them. Families are often put in the same houses, because of either similar personalities or a desire to be in a certain house.
Those are the good points, at least. But what are the cons of being Sorted?
First of all, I have to wonder whether putting people with the same sort of mindset together is a good thing. A group of Gryffindors will be more likely to fight for their rights, but they can be impulsive and make decisions that will affect them in the long run. A room full of Slytherins are motivated and ambitious, but their thoughts of success can make them selfish. Would it be better to mix people of all traits for more diversity in houses?
Of course, students outside Ravenclaw are not stupid, and not all Slytherins are bad. Hermione, for example, admitted the Sorting Hat considered putting her in Ravenclaw. Everyone has attributes the other houses are known for; I think it's just a matter of what's more important to you.
All in all, I'm content with what JK Rowling did at the end of Deathly Hallows; she showed the house unity that arose after the final battle. All the students sat together regardless of House. I'd like to think that in the years later, the houses still existed as a tribute to the founders, but the people in them were more cooperative and less quick to judge others from different houses.
You can email Julie at juliep@accio-potter.com.
As we all know, students attending Hogwarts are required to try on the Sorting Hat. This talking, sometimes singing hat reads a person's inner thoughts and personalities, and then chooses a house that it thinks best suits him/her. Thinking about all of this, I got to thinking: does Sorting do any good?
When we are first introduced to Hogwarts in Harry's first year, he is only eleven, but he already has a sense of what a belonging to a house means. We see that members of Gryffindor have classes together, share a common room, eat meals at the same table, and sleep in close proximity to each other. Older prefects of the houses help the younger students. In this way, students make friends with those in the same house as them. Families are often put in the same houses, because of either similar personalities or a desire to be in a certain house.
Those are the good points, at least. But what are the cons of being Sorted?
First of all, I have to wonder whether putting people with the same sort of mindset together is a good thing. A group of Gryffindors will be more likely to fight for their rights, but they can be impulsive and make decisions that will affect them in the long run. A room full of Slytherins are motivated and ambitious, but their thoughts of success can make them selfish. Would it be better to mix people of all traits for more diversity in houses?
Of course, students outside Ravenclaw are not stupid, and not all Slytherins are bad. Hermione, for example, admitted the Sorting Hat considered putting her in Ravenclaw. Everyone has attributes the other houses are known for; I think it's just a matter of what's more important to you.
All in all, I'm content with what JK Rowling did at the end of Deathly Hallows; she showed the house unity that arose after the final battle. All the students sat together regardless of House. I'd like to think that in the years later, the houses still existed as a tribute to the founders, but the people in them were more cooperative and less quick to judge others from different houses.
You can email Julie at juliep@accio-potter.com.
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