Episode 49: When I Was Newly Sewn | Harry Potter, The Sorting Hat & Tribalism

Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin— which house are you in? Whether it’s a fun game, a personality-defining decision, or an actual educational system, “sorting” is a bigger part of our lives than we might think. This week, Derek & Laurel return to the Harry Potter series to explore the Hogwarts houses as they relate to storytelling archetypes, and the historical examples of similar traditions. Perhaps the most important question, however, is this: does the beloved Sorting Hat simply reinforce dangerous tribalism? Or does it, in fact, deliver a scathing critique?