HBP Sartoris22 comment - and my thoughts on what they did to it

[sartoris22]

carol:

I don't care at all about the relationships except to the extent that they contribute to the plot (for example, Ron's being poisoned after by the mead intended for DD after eating the love=potion- filled chocolates and the consequences for his relationship with Hermione). Ginny can be left out of both the films and the books for all I care. I did miss Fleur's declaration of love, but it wasn't important to the plot, and it was part of a more important scene change, the substitution of the pointless burning of the Burrow for the small battle between Order members and the DA on one side an d DEs on the other, which would have included the attack on Bill.

sartoris22:

>From conversations I have heard and read, there might be a considerable number of people,like Carol,who are not particularly interested in the relationships in HP, "except to the extent that they contribute to the plot." I find that position interesting because relationships, to me, seem so essential to HP, apart from their use as plot devices. For example, Fleur's rejection of superficiality for love, compels Lupin, after much prodding from others, to reconsider and accept Tonk's feelings for him. These and other relationships seem to reinforce the theme of acceptance in the novel. In fact, some of the more important themes in HP--bravery, love, acceptance, committment--are depicted through relationships--and the emphasis on and complexity of the relationships have helped people to understand the literary value of so-called children's literature.