City of Bones Prejudice

The first thing we'd say if we ever came across a portal to another dimension would be, "Can't we all just get along?" If the answer is no, we'd shut that portal and push a few dozen bookcases in front of it to make sure nothing gets through. Let's face it: there's a lot of prejudice and outright hatred going on in City of Bones. It's not just against demons. Everyone universally agrees that those demons are bad news, and we're not talking about the National Enquirer, either. While everyone is united on the anti-demon front, they're divided on other issues, whether it's against Downworlders (half-demons), homosexuality, and even women. Do demons have this kind of drama? Maybe things would be better on the other side of the Portal.

Questions About Prejudice

1. Why does Clary start to feel prejudiced against Downworlders?
   
2. Are demons just misunderstood?
3. Why are the Clave's point-of-views on women and gay people so outdated?
4. What parallels can you draw between the treatment of Downworlders and the treatment of real-world groups of people?

Chew on This

The Clave is mostly a boys' club, with men making all the big decisions.

The Clave seems to have adapted a don't-ask-don't-tell policy with its Shadowhunters.