[HPforGrownups] Refreshing Innocence of HP Preteens

[John Walton]

No: HPFGUIDX 24615

Mindy, a.k.a. CLH said:

> One of the lovingly refreshing things about the HP books is that it is
> devoid of any lurid details and has absolutely zero sexual innuendo or
> encounters. It makes it appropriate for children to read as well. (GoF
> did have some things I found objectionable, but then again I am a real
> prude and don't read mainstream literature due to offensive content; HP
> is one of the books that I find acceptable to read.) I would hate to see
> JK reduced to a romance-novel-writer and put stuff like that into her
> books. Whenever I read the fanfics of HP and find lurid romances and
> slash romances I bristle, for this was not JK's intent - to turn her
> lovely characters into little sleazebags. I love the innocence of her
> books, reading about adolescents and preteens who are NOT involved in
> steamy relationships. I really hope she keeps up this standard, so that
> her books will remain suitable for young children to read as well. Let
> her concentrate on the one thing that sets her books apart from others:
> the MAGIC of it.

Er, Mindy, the characters at the moment are FOURTEEN. They are most unlikely
to be having ANY sort of romantic relationship at that time, having only
just got over the "yuck, girls"/"yuck, boys" stage. The majority of fanfic
involving romance takes place when the characters are at least 16 (the legal
age of consent in the UK). Sure, some fanfic (PWP or "Plot? What Plot?")
does turn the HP characters into sex-crazed balls of hormones. However, if
you don't like it, don't read any fanfic which has more than a G rating.

Characters *will* and *do* grow up (unless they're the Hardy Boys, who are
locked in a Peter Pan-esque NeverNeverLand of youth. JKR has publicly stated
in interviews/chats that she doesn't intend to continue the series beyond
the seventh book, when the characters will be eighteen. So, fanficcers have
taken up the gauntlet and are writing *realistically* -- the characters will
have romantic interests and (gasp!) sex lives at that point.

IMO, Mindy, saying that the HP characters are innocent is rather a naive
attitude to take. I don't agree that the characters in HP are innocent at
ALL -- take Malfoy's bigoted, racist attitudes towards Mudbloods; the
Weasley's attitudes towards the nearly-enslaved House Elves; the entire
community's treatment of Squibs; the complete lack of any sort of justice
system. 

Of course, some people will complain about the magic aspect of the books
that you say (and I agree) that JKR should write more about. "Luring our
children to Satanism", they shriek, never mind that (a) HP magic is not the
magic of Wicca or witchcraft, (b) Wicca or witchcraft or Paganism is not
Satanism, particularly since the vast majority of Wiccans/Witches/Pagans
don't worship Satan, (c) Nobody is "luring" children anywhere.

> I hope I did not offend anyone and I hope I did not open some flaming
> Pandora's Box. Please forgive me if I did. But these are my thoughts
> after all, and I am free to speak them.

I don't think you have offended anyone, and nobody is going to be flaming
anyone on this list. ::menacing look:: However, I do find it bemusing when
people say things like "I am free to speak my thoughts" or "I have a right
to free speech". That's true, up to a point when your thoughts (which you're
broadcasting to thousands of people) become abusive, harassing,
inflammatory, etc. In fact, your free speech is constrained quite severely
by the Yahoo Terms of Service which you signed up to in order to be able to
subscribe to this list. Not that your posts are any of those things, Mindy,
it's just something that's been niggling me recently.

--John

________________________________

John Walton -- john at walton.to

"One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back."
--Lewis Carroll, "The Jabberwocky"
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