Why Does Everyone Hate Slytherins?

Question

Honestly. Most of the people that I talk to(except the ones that would be in Slytherin) think that all Slytherins are evil and that they are bad people. When you listen to the Sorting Hat's song, no where does it say "Slytherin's are Evil." We are given a small view of Slytherins. We only really interact with a small portion that are intentionally cruel to Harry. Other than that, you'll notice that the Slytherin's leave harry alone as much as any other house.
The attributes of Slytherin are sly, cunning, ambitious, and willful. That doesn't mean evil. I will admit that those attributes lead to "evilness" more than those of the other houses, but you can't say that only Slytherin's become evil, look at Pettigrew!
So basically, I want to know why people think that just because I would be a Slytherin I would be evil?
Note:I *would* be a Slytherin if I were at Hogwarts, as would many of my friends, and we're anything but evil, we're more along the lines of weird and crazy...

Answer 1

People don't hate Slytherins because they're evil. Mostly we don't like them because they really not very nice. They're power-hungry, ruthless, and self-serving. That doesn't necessarily mean that all Slytherins become Dark Wizards, but the qualities that define a Slytherin certainly are skewed more torwards Dark Wizardishness more than any of the other houses. Of course, if you look beyond the characteristics and just view how they act, you'll find that the Slytherins and the Gryffindors are very much alike. They both share boldness in action, a certain lack of respect for rules and authority, and they have no qualms about "shortcutting" what they're supposed to be doing. When was the last time Harry and Ron did their own homework? I think the greatest difference is that Gryffindors do wrong things, and know they're wrong, but can see a greater good at the end, so feel justified. Slytherins do wrong things simply because the result serves their own purposes, regardless of how other people may be affected. There's no remorse and no intent to be helpful. That's why nobody likes 'em.

Answer 2

The Sorting Hat also says " Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends"

I think that this statement leads people to dislike Slytherins. It's implying that Slytherins will act without conscience to get what they want ( such as using violence ). While this may not be true of all members of this house, it makes the story interesting. We're supposed to feel uneasy about them!

If I were at Hogwarts, I doubt that I would think you were evil just because you were a Slytherin. If you did something wrong or hurtful, then I'd probably not be friendly toward you.

*But* in the later books the Sorting Hat tries to foster unity among the houses. Maybe that's where you and your friends would come in to influence your housemates!

Answer 3

Not all people who were in Slytherin turned out evil. Look at Slughorn. He is not "evil" he just overstayed his power. He didn't want some people to know who he really wanted to help. Also look at Draco Malfoy, (i know hard to believe). At the end of the book he couldn't take it upon himself to kill (therefore maybe good). Harry actually feels sorry for Malfoy and as should we because the only reason he did it was because Voldermort (couldn't resist) was probably threatening to harm his parents, and even though they did everything themselves Malfoy may not turn out so bad. I can't wait for book seven to find out. If you look behind the lines some of the people who were in Slytherin were killed by Voldermort's supporters, or were actually good.

Oh and I would probably be in either Slytherin or Griffindor.

Answer 4

i would like to diagree with you on that. we don't make "bad choices" and gryffindor's can be just as bad. Peter Pettigrew was the reason James Potter died. Lockhart was in Ravenclaw. Snape died, following Dumbledore's orders and protecting the son of a man he despised, because of love. Regulas Black died, trying to bring down Voldemort, and figured out the horcrux before Albus Dumbledore. Slytherin's do things for the ones they care about. We stand up for each other and know when to fight out battles and when not to. We aren't all heartless, we're just not stupid and reckless

Answer 5

Probably because Slytherins tend to be, I suppose the wizard equivalent to racist.
Note, that there are no non pure blood wizards in Slytherin. And that they will show little to no respect to any one who is not in Slytherin.
They only are respectful to teachers, while in ear shot mind you, because it is necessary to do so.
Though you have a point, not all bad wizards are from Slytherin. Just the majority of them.
But the ones who aren't tend to be weird or pathetic, like Pettigrew.

Answer 6

Slytherin in simple terms has a foul popularity for turning out evil wizards. i don't hate the homestead itself yet I hate particular human beings in the homestead. My in demand house is, needless to say, Gryffindor.