Ron: prejudices, meanness

[arabella at sugarquill.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 16320


> "We never thought of her, did we?"  said Ron slowly.  "Mind you, 
she's
> definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it ---"
> 
> "Of course she doesn't," said Hermione sharply, looking up.  ......"
> __________________________________________
> 
> Harry dismisses Fudge's assumption on the grounds that it just has 
to do
> with geographic proximity.  Ron, OTOH, is quick to think of her 
giant
> blood in *support* of Fudge's conclusion.  


That's definitely one way to look at it.  Another way is to take into 
consideration that Ron has spent the better part of the last quarter 
of GoF proposing solutions to problems off the top of his head - many 
of which aren't top-notch solutions - just for the sake of having 
something to propose, something to offer.  This is seen again and 
again with his continual (albeit impossible) suggestions of
Apparation 
on Hogwarts grounds.  Also, in recent proximity to his comment about 
Madame Maxime, Ron answers Moody with "Yeah, someone could've - 
could've pulled him onto a broom and flown off with him, couldn't 
they?" because "he too wanted to be told that he had the makings of
an 
Auror."  It's my opinion that Ron's sort of grasping at straws in 
order to be of help, at this point.  

However, let's imagine that you're 100% right, and his first reaction 
is one of prejudice.  You've stated, 

> I agree with Ebony --  Growing up in a prejudiced environment is
not 
> an excuse for continued prejudice.  Ron gives me the impression
that 
> he doesn't *get* it.  

Okay.  Well, first of all, don't we all grow up in a prejudiced 
environment, to some extent or another?  All of us are products of
our 
social origins in some respects and we all bear the marks of those 
influences.  I think you're being very hard on Ron, to give him no 
chance to grow out of this after the age of 15.  He's just starting
to 
become aware of these ideas on a different level.  These ideas 
have always been a given, to him.  It's just understood that 
giants are vicious, it's just understood that you stay away from 
werewolves, it's just understood that house-elves are 
house-elves.  No, of COURSE that's not a good thing, but is Ron 
Weasley, age 15, responsible for the foundation of these 
prejudices?  No.  He's a young man who grew up among them.  That 
is all.  Does this excuse him, if he grows to be an adult who 
holds these prejudices as truth?  No.  But is he an adult yet; is he 
fully formed and sealed in stone with no room for change?  No, 
IMO. He's starting to bring up these ideas, to examine them ("Harry 
and Ron spent the rest of the ball discussing giants in their 
corner...") Awareness and examination are the first steps toward Ron 
broadening his perspective. These general wizarding community ideas 
about giants, werewolves and etc. have been around him and in his 
psyche all his life - but much like his inability at present to say 
Voldemort's name, I think these prejudices have ample opportunity to 
change. The deal is far from sealed on Ron Weasley and his thought 
process..  IMO.  

>And, I must say, I really think this spells trouble for any 
> Ron/Hermione romance that might develop.  It seems like
> such a fundamental sticking point that it will cause alot of
trouble 
> in any romance between the two.  I don't imagine Hermione is going 
> to handle that trait all that well.

She already doesn't.  She doesn't tolerate it one single bit, and I 
love her for it.  And I'll betcha (I admit I'm guessing, but I'm a 
hopeful guesser)that she's going to rub off on Ron, whether he likes 
it or not.  It's great for him, to be so close to two people who do 
not have the disadvantage of natural wizarding prejudices to deal 
with.  They show him a perspective he wouldn't otherwise have had,
and 
he can't help but pick up on it, really.  IMO.  And if he hasn't
shown 
major, sweeping signs of doing this yet... well, there's nothing I
can 
do here but wait for book five and cross my fingers and hope for the 
best. 
 
> > Can someone give some
> > specific
> > examples, aside from the Yule Ball fight, which I will grant you 
was a
> > mean moment?
> 
> 1.  His fight with Harry in GoF.  His remarks are rather cutting.

Boy, aren't they?  It's absolutely painful to read and breaks my 
heart every time.  It's painful to read Harry's remarks though, too, 
with his "I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow 
up!" and his common room badge-chucking - and it's hard to side with 
Harry when he wants to give Ron a good hard poke in the back of the 
head, in the Three Broomsticks.  Though I admit, I wouldn't say no to 
giving Ron a good hard poke in the back of the head once in awhile, 
too. <g> 

> 2.  (Paraphrasing as no PoA on desk): "It's too bad Scabbers was 
just
> *eaten,* he really used to love these [whatever the candy/sweet 
was]."
> [And, by the by, this was the same moment when Harry was in the 
process
> of making amends with Hermione!]

Yes, that was a deliberately aimed slight.  Absolutely.  He misses
his 
pet.  She won't say she's sorry.  There's no evidence that it wasn't 
Crookshanks.  There is evidence that it was.  And Harry's only making 
it up to her now because he's got his Firebolt back.  IMO. 

~Arabella