[HPforGrownups] Re: The Kiss

[Carole Estes]

No: HPFGUIDX 7349


----- Original Message -----
From: "Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer" <pennylin at swbell.net>

> Umm.... I wouldn't say it's *worthless* to the H/H arguments.  Hey, any
> argument counts.  It's certainly not the *best* or strongest argument by
> any means.  But, as I said back in July: H/H shippers have one kiss; R/H
> shippers have zero!   :--)

No kiss is insignificant in a true shipper's heart...seriously...she didn't
kiss Ron goodbye.....or make a point to see Ron over the summer...

>
> I think JKR's pretty darn good at getting in the minds of our adolescent
> heroes (and heroines), and I do agree with your students Ebony that 14
> yr old girls don't often kiss a male friend lightly.  High school &
> college is a bit different; there's a bit more maturation there.  14 is
> roughly 8th grade over here, right?  I don't know -- call me crazy but I
> think it does show some level of feelings on Hermione's part.  I know
> she might have just been thinking, "oh, poor Harry, he's been through so
> much in the last few weeks," and just kissed him spontaneously, without
> any real romantic interest.  But .... it could also indicate there are
> underlying feelings for him too.  Especially when you think about the
> way JKR emphasized it as an ending detail.

She's been pretty dead on before about adolescent emotions....and if she
intended it to mean nothing wouldn't it have been better to write "Hermione
kissed him on the cheek to wish him well for the summer"  or something like
that...

>
> Then again ... it's been a long time since I was 14, so maybe I'm just
> not remembering it all that well.  I wouldn't have thought twice about
> kissing my guy buddies on the cheek at age 17 or 21 ... but 14?  I don't
> think so.

Well...even longer for me...but ...now she does tend towards emotional
outbursts...I'll have to go examine this passage more closely...I'm vague on
the context...but I agree with Ebony's 14 year olds...they should know.

carole