[HPforGrownups] More About That Kiss...

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 7440

Hi --

Ebony wrote:

> "She's either testing the waters, playing games... or a
> touchy-feely person.  If she's always hugging on people (here I
> asked "typically physically affectionate?  Very outgoing?" they
> said yes), then no, it doesn't mean anything.  But if not... it means
> something. Even if she doesn't have a big crush on him, the
> thought of crush potential *has* entered her mind.  She wants to
> see his reaction for whatever reason."

Your 14 yr old students said it better than I did!  I think we know
enough by now to know that Hermione isn't portrayed as an overly
demonstrative person (or outgoing really -- outspoken, yes, but
outgoing, I'd say no).

> My kids are light-years away from the Hogwarts kids in relationship
> sophistication.  <snip> You'd think that the kiss as I read it just
> now
> would mean nothing to them... so of course it'd mean nothing to
> a fictional 14 year old growing up in a very old-fashioned milieu.

That's what makes their responses so interesting, don't you think?

> I don't know if this is common, but I know when I told my man
> that I loved him in 1998 I was *terrified*--I was so afraid that I'd
> lose the best male friend I ever had.

Been there; done that.  <g>

> I don't think it's possible to understand the above without
> experiencing it, not really.  That's why PoU was such a hit with
> those of us who are married to or in a relationship with their best
> friend.  Who knows--if someone had written a R/H story on the
> same level, with the same depth of characterization, I might be
> arguing for the opposite side of things.  (Yeah, right.)

Nah!  You've been converted!  :--)

> OK--I went all over the place with this one.  But the bottom line is
> that we've learned not to take anything in a JKR book for granted.
> It's on the last page for something.  Either it's a red herring plot
> device (throw those crazy H/H folks I've been hearing about a
> bone), or it's something more.
>
> Or maybe I'm teaching at a school full of relics from the 1800s in
> their worldviews.  :)

I'm with your students on this one again (surprise -- I agree with their
Farmer in the Dell theory too).  The kiss was not insignificant or
impulsive behavior on Hermione's part (IMO).

Wondering if Jim is sorry he ever raised this topic .....

Penny



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]