Maturity of kids in the Potterverse (moved from main list)

[alhewison]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Laura Ingalls Huntley" <huntleyl at m...> 
wrote:
> Alright..this is an attempt to move this dangerously OT topic to 
the appropriate list before the mods *make* us move..
> 
> Ali said:
> >Another point I think is that British kids are still less 
> >sophisticated than their American counterparts.
> 
> *frowns* Do you mean in an emotional-maturity kind of way?  Cause I 
can't really agree with you there at all.
> 
> If you mean in a sexual way, however, I *can* see where you get 
this perception.  American teens certainly have a big reputation for 
being very sexual at a very early age.
 
I do mean in a sexual way, but also - and please note this is my 
perception - they act like "adults" at a younger age. They seem to 
have thrown off the yoke of parental guidelines a little earlier.
(Again, opinion based on misleading TV programmes).In terms of 
emotional-maturity, I actually don't know. If you accept that the 
British are more reserved and less likely to discuss things, direct 
comparison is then quite difficult. (I'm not sure I do accept that 
but thats probably another argument...)

> Whether this reputation is well-earned or the product of a sexually 
saturated media -- that anyone's guess.
> 
> Ali continued:
> >But, in every TV programme I see with American High School 
> >kids, I always think that the kids seem much older than 
> >British children of the same age. 
> 
Laura again:-
> Well -- it's *TV*...I'll let you in on a secret...most of 
the "average American kids" portrayed on shows "about teens for 
teens" seem alot older than the RL average American kid.
> 
> The shows are written by adults, the characters are played by 
adults -- I mean, how accurate of a portrayal of teenage life do you 
expect to get?  Even if these grown-ups are well-meaning, they are 
still going to end up with a skewed perception of teenage-hood.  Most 
of the teens you see on American television are either idealized or 
stylized -- or both.  
> 
> Perhaps British writers are better at getting in touch with their 
inner adolescent and therefore write more realistic teens?

Perhaps you are right. The problem is there are not going to be many 
people who can make totally objective comparisons - even if they have 
experienced both cultures, they will almost certainly not have done 
simultaneously, and our society does seem to be changing very quickly 
at the moment. 

I had agreed with Darrin that JKR's WW and her portrayal of 
adolescence does seem a little "quaint", but that the comparison with 
US 5th graders - or the US in general might not be appropriate as the 
UK is different. At that point I got my fingers quite badly burned (I 
can still feel the blisters!) I thought if I was honest enough to 
show on what (admittedly limited) basis I made my observation it 
could be debated as such. 

As Darrin compared JKR's kids with US 5th graders, I could only 
compare what I know of UK kids to how I see US kids being portrayed.

Perhaps (this is a *suggestion* rather than an opinion)- and could 
also be flamed - that American TV likes to show things how it should 
be, and British TV likes to show things how "it is" (or how the 
writers think it is). This would make any real comparison very hard. 

On what basis then can an American (or any other nationalty come to 
that) say that JKR is harking back to a bygone age? Whose? an 
American one or a British one - You can only compare it with what you 
know (ie the society around you) and what you are shown (however 
accurate that might be) of British society. Does that make your 
observation or opinion any less valid? I think not. You are perfectly 
entitled to your opinion, and I for one enjoy reading other people's 
opinions. Inevitably, I agree with some more than others, but I learn 
from all of them.
>
Laura:-
 
>> It kind of alarms me the way so many of the adults on this list 
try to deny the sexuality of young children...that fifth and sixth 
graders didn't express sexual feelings at one point in the recent 
past -- to me this seems --I'm sorry, Darrin -- downright absurd.  I 
don't know whether to burst out laughing or be very concerned.

I don't know that the timescale for children experiencing their first 
sexual pangs has changed greatly over time. If you think about it, 
Romeo and Juliet were about 13 years old weren't they? What I do 
think has changed over time -and between cultures - is when it is 
acceptable to discuss it (and presumably to acknowledge it to 
oneself) and act on it. I personally have no problem with Harry 
coming to grips with his sexuality at the age of 13+. Harry afterall 
has had many other things to confront before this point.

Ali

(Who loves cultural differences and will happily discuss them for 
hours at a time but who is feeling very demoralised at the moment, 
and sincerely hopes that she has not offended anyone else today).