[Ron Week]: Extended

[heidit at netbox.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 16184

Of course it's extended. We have to give the poor thing *some* perks, 
don't we?

I want to say, up front, that I don't hate Ron. I just dislike him 
sometimes. Ok, often. 

Not in Book 1. Never in book one. I don't think I ever even had a 
negative thought about him in Book 2. 

But in books 3 and 4, even before I began analyzing them, going 
through certain parts line by line, something about Ron started to 
get under my skin, and not in a good way. 

I love the twins. I would have a crush on Bill if (a) he was real, 
and (b) I wasn't married. I respect Charlie, and I'm neutral on 
Percy. I think he's been nasty as often as he's been nice. And I 
haven't seen enough of a maturing Ginny to make any conclusion about 
her that applies to her as she is at 14, which is what she'll be in 
Book 5.

But I think Ron is, well, how do I say this nicely....I think Ron has 
a mean streak sometimes. He can be the most supportive friend, and by 
that I mean he goes all Rah! Rah! for Harry at times (not supportive 
in the "Oh! I *so* understand! sense, but I understand - it's not 
common for 14 & 15 year old boys to spend time talking out their 
*feelings* - I don't take any points away from him for that!)
But if he *thinks* you've dissed him, he gets violent, verbally and 
physically. He's attacked Draco (with provocation, I admit, but he 
has been the one to pull his wand first) and walked out on both Harry 
and Hermione. I am not saying that merely getting into a fight with 
friends is an inherently mean or bad thing, but his refusal to 
apologize BOTH times makes it seem like JKR is *making a point* about 
him. And even at times other than the big fight with Hermione in PoA, 
he is mean to her - yes, mostly about Krum, like when he almost makes 
her cry/does make her cry, at the Yule Ball while Viktor is off 
getting drinks (and then has the gall to look *satisfied* about how 
upset she is). 

I don't know if this is, as Jim asks, a marker for depression, and I 
do doubt that Ron has the clinical markers for it. I do think, 
though, that the DSM-IV has poor performance in school work defined 
as not working up to potential, in which case both Harry and Ron 
might qualify with that as a marker at certain times, but of course, 
not all symptoms would have to be met for a therapist to make such a 
diagnosis. But given the perspective of the book issues, the times 
when such symptoms would manifest, like when he's not speaking to 
Harry, are times when we just don't get to see *what* he's doing, 
other than ignoring poor Harry.

I know the guns are going to go a-blasting from SugarQuill Island for 
this...and I will state, for the record, that Ron has done some great 
things in his time - letting himself be taken during that chess game 
was *great*, and I can't wait to see how it plays out in the film (I 
know I'm going to want to give Rupert a big hug for that scene!) and 
I'm not saying that I think he *is* evil. I'm just saying that if JKR 
makes him be mean to Harry or Hermione in the next book, or Neville 
or Ginny, I may lose the last glimmer of respect that I have for the 
kid. 

I know he's fictional and all, but Harry needs some protecting, even 
against his so-called friends, and Hermione does *not* need an 
emotionally abusive boyfriend.