Harry Potter for Grown-Ups
http://www.egroups.com/group/HPforgrownups

Message 2545  
              From: Peg Kerr  <pkerr06@a...>
              Date: Fri Sep 29, 2000 9:31pm
              Subject: 7 Deadly Sins: Anger

              I think about writing about anger in relation to Rowling's work, and the
              prospect is almost overwhelming. I mean, think about it--EVERYONE gets
              angry in this series at one time or another, heroes and villains both.
              Dumbledore, Voldemort, McGonnagall, Snape (of course), Harry, Ron,
              Hermione, Sirius, Lupin, Draco (of course), Lucius Malfoy, Cornelius
              Fudge, Amos Diggory, Madame Pomfrey, Madame Hooch--and the list goes on
              and on. Heck, just about everyone gets the chance to flail themselves
              into a good tantrum or two. (As a writer, I understand this. Tantrums
              can be a lot of fun to write.)

              So, rather than evaluating every individual hissy fit, which would run
              on ad infinitum (until everyone would get bored and delete the email
              without reading all the way until the end) I want to take a look at
              anger in general--what functions does it serve?

              Well, anger splinters relationships, causing division and conflict
              between allies--and conflict, of course, is the engine of plot. Think
              of the fight between Hermione and Ron over Crookshanks and the
              Firebolt. Think of how Snape's anger over the trick Sirius played on
              him affected the events in the Shrieking Shack in PoA--he wasn't willing
              to listen to Lupin and Sirius because he was still nursing that old
              grudge--look at all the consequences that followed. Remember how
              Dumbledore chided Snape and Sirius to put their anger aside so that the
              group as a whole can fight Voldemort.

              Anger tests judgment. If you know the difference between right and
              wrong, the test of whether you will stick to your principles often comes
              when you are really, really angry. Will you do the right thing even
              when you've lost your temper? Think of all the times Ron slugs Draco
              because Draco has really pissed him off, even though, logically, he
              knows Draco's just yanking his chain. Remember how Harry's rage at Aunt
              Marge made him lose control of himself and break the rules governing
              minors' use of magic. Think of Snape baiting Harry, threatening him
              with the Veritaserum, and how hard Harry works to control his anger in
              this scene, knowing that if he loses his temper here, he'll blow
              everything, getting Hermione and Dobby into trouble. A more serious
              example is how Sirius is tempted by his anger to murder Pettigrew out of
              cold blood, rather than turn him over to the proper authorities.

              Anger can be exploited by the enemy. One quick example: Lucius Malfoy
              used the confusion resulting after he baited Arthur Weasley's anger
              (getting Arthur to explode) to plant Tom Riddle's diary on Ginny.

              Anger comes when you're backed up against the wall, when you have to
              decide what's really important to you, what side you stand on when the
              chips are down. (Remember Harry's anger when he declared to Ron and
              Hermione, "I'm going through that trap door tonight and nothing you can
              say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?")

              Anger when channeled correctly, gives power and determination, helps
              strengthen wavering courage in times of danger (think of Dumbledore's
              anger when confronting the false Mad-Eye Moody, or Hermione resolving to
              uncover how Rita Skeeter is spying on them, simply because she is so
              angry over the Daily Prophet stories).

              Okay, that's what I come up with off the top of my head. Other comments
              re: functions that anger serves in Rowling's books?

              Peg