Eugine_Nier comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 5 - Less Wrong

6 Post author: NihilCredo 02 November 2010 06:57PM

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Comment author: Eugine_Nier 17 November 2010 04:31:09AM 5 points [-]

I'm not sure what stereotype you're referring to, but the length of Harry's surname reads to me as almost a parody of the inclination to signal egalitarianism. I take it as evidence that his adopted parents (particularly the father) are Very Liberal, but that's all.

In countries with an aristocratic tradition, upper class people tend to have multiple middle names and surnames to better show off all the prominent families the person descends from.

Comment author: David_Gerard 17 November 2010 09:40:19AM 3 points [-]

This tends not to be done in Britain. (Hyphenation does appear at all social strata to some degree.)