Chapter Three – The Letters from No One

[jammi567]

Originally Posted by sun-star

Smeltings is a parody of a traditional British public school like Eton. In many ways, so is Hogwarts. Hogwarts has some traditions which are just as brutal as the sticks students hit each other with at Smeltings, such as the punishments students receive from Filch.
What does this suggest about JKR’s view of private education?
Most readers will feel Hogwarts is the more attractive-sounding of the two schools. What are the positive features of Hogwarts which distinguish it from schools like Smeltings?
Public schools like Smeltings and comprehensives like Stonewall High have very specific connotations for British readers. For other readers, however, these references may be opaque. If you did not know much about the British school system before reading this book, how did you react to this part of Chapter 3?

i've got an essay on this subject here. i happened to find it by chance.

[jammi567]

in case anyone's intersted in dates and such, here's a link to the Harry Potter Lexicon dealing with this chapter.