chapter and character discussion 1/2

[cairnsyNZ]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C5305
From: cairnsyNZ
Subject: Re:chapter and character discussion 1/2
Reply To: [Yahoo! #5205] chapter and character discussions
Date: 7/29/00 3:49 am  (ET)

I think I might have accidentally sent a blank reply to this thread -
sorry about that, I've never actually used Yahoo clubs before :)

I'm new here, and was reading a couple of old posts and came across a
character discussion of Percy which I just had to add to. Keep in mind
I'm fairly new to H.P and have only read the first book, have a so-so
knowledge of what happens in the others. Most of my views of Percy have
to do with how he became the character we know in the first book anyway.

I can't believe what I wrote was so long, but I've had to divide it into
two parts to post it. Percy inspires the weirdest things in me :)

Spoiler space
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Just in case there is someone here who hasn't read the first book :)

Most people seem to over simplify Percy's character. I have a tendency
to overanalyse - I warn you in advance :)

Everyone has a (99% of the time negative) opinion of Percy. He is snobby,
arrogant and has a huge desire for power, yet people never tell you why
Percy of all people would want these things. I think there are 2 or 3
key aspects of Percy's life you have to look at to get a clear view of
his real character.

The first aspect in regards to Percy you have to consider is his
family life. For whatever reason there is a huge gap between the older
two brothers and Percy. If the Weasley's had decided they didn't want
anymore children, Percy would have come as a shock. If they had been
trying for that entire time to have another child, Percy would have come
as a blessing. If there was perhaps a miscarriage or something to that
effect, his birth might have been received with mixed emotions.


Whatever the story is behind his birth, there are going to be strong
emotions/ a story attached that goes beyond simply having your third
child. How this might have influenced his childhood, I have no idea :)

The fact that the distance is as large as between second and third son
could possibly mean that as a child, instead of having older brothers to
play/guide him as siblings of similar ages do, he was expected instead
to fulfil that position for his younger brothers, putting him into a
leadership position perhaps from an early age, without having ever been
lead himself. There is the added possibility that he naturally assumed
this role as most older siblings do.