This is the rough draft of my essay for UT Austin.
I wanted to try to write something original so I am focusing on how people view the Slytherin house in a negative light, while relating to many of the traits of Slytherin students.
I know I still have some editing and revising to do, but was hoping for some input!
Preferred second essay for non-architecture/non-art majors
Choose an issue of importance to you - the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope - and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.
There are so many people that read the Harry Potter series and give it no second thought. For me, the series changed my life. It gave me comfort in a time of crippling depression, it gave me friends in a time that I isolated myself from everyone, and the happiness between every page helped light up my life. I still spend time thinking about the books, the characters, and the relationships depicted throughout the series. One thing that I find my mind getting stuck on often is how people view the Slytherin House. The negative reputation associated with the Slytherin House is understandable at first glance, but I believe you must dig deeper to realize that the perceived negative traits shown by Slytherin students are not so negative, after all.
We constantly hear that Slytherins are cunning, deceitful, and not trustworthy. However, I am not sold on the notion that all Slytherins are one-dimensional evil villains. I believe this specific Hogwarts house is looked down on because most of the Slytherin students are so exaggerated that you overlook the average student. The extreme personalities can be seen with the insane, bloodthirsty Bellatrix Lestrange, the triple agent Severus Snape, the morally conflicted Draco Malfoy, the rich and powerful Lucius Malfoy , the noble Black Family, and of course the megalomaniac Voldemort. With such intense characters, it is not surprising one might have a negative view of the Slytherins.
Each house has qualities that seem fantastical at first glance. Gryffindor is for the heroic, brave, and courageous. Ravenclaw is for the wise, original, and intelligent. Hufflepuff is for the stoic, kind, and patient. Lastly, Slytherin is for the power-hungry, ambitious, and determined students. However, in reality, people are not just like that. Everyone has a little bit of each house in them. Each house represents a different cornerstone of an individual's personality. So if this is the case, what is the real life, common Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin?
A real life Gryffindor would be bold, outspoken, and might try to stand out to draw attention to themselves. They might be confrontational, have a short temper, or be more expressive with their emotions in general. A Hufflepuff would be fair, hardworking, and loyal. A Ravenclaw would be someone who enjoys research, reading, drawing, and expressing their creativity. These are all traits people would be quick to associate themselves with when comparing themselves to Hogwarts students. This leaves Slytherin. Slytherins have a thirst for power and might disregard the rules. However, they may want to use their power for good. Slytherins value their social status and are concerned with how they appear to others, similar to many people in society. They may be ambitious and strive to be successful in life, but who would not want that? Someone who takes pride in their house and spends hours cleaning before having company over could be a Slytherin. They care deeply about the impression they leave on others. A person who wants to quickly work their way up a company latter for status and money could also be a Slytherin. Being ambitious is not a bad trait to have. A Slytherin might also be a social butterfly, as having many connections in life would be important.
Unlike the other school houses, the evil within Slytherin House was focused on throughout the books. This does not mean there was not wrongful, malicious behavior in any other house. James Potter, for example, was a Gryffindor and bullied Severus Snape to a great extent. On the other hand, Severus Snape was a Slytherin and turned out to be a better guy than originally thought. He spied on Voldemort for Dumbledore and protected Harry from harm. Ravenclaws would clamber over each other to get good grades, while Slytherins stuck together like family.
Slytherin seems to be a dark horse because most of us demonstrate these traits in our lives. However, because of the idea that all Slytherins are crazy, pro-pureblood, Death Eaters that worship Voldemort, we do not attempt to relate to the Slytherin House. Underneath the bad guy image, Slytherin is just as interesting as any other Hogwarts house and many people might have more in common with Slytherin than they might realize!
I need to expand on that last paragraph. Any comments so far?
