Refreshing Innocence of HP Preteens

[Indigo]

No: HPFGUIDX 24639

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Milz" <absinthe at m...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Mindy, a.k.a. CLH" <mindyatime at j...> 
> wrote:
> > 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.
> 
> The sheer genius of Rowling's work is that its appearance of 
> innocence hides the complexity of the beast, so to speak. There are 
a 
> number of "mature" issues that she addresses: grief, death, 
betrayal, 
> self-esteem issues, etc.
> 
> The relative sexual innocence of her characters IS refreshing in 
> light of *real* world statistics of teen sexuality. The Potter 
books 
> are a welcomed break for me. I see pregnant teens (as young as 12), 
> teens with multiple sexually transmitted diseases, etc. come 
through 
> the office everyday. The books are a nice fantasy world in which to 
> retreat into after an afternoon of 15 year old girls with genital 
> warts, 16 year old boys with gonorrhea, or a 14 year old mother of 
18 
> month old twins. Or worse, drawing a blood specimen on a 16 year 
old 
> for an HIV test and discussing the 'what ifs' with them. 

I empathize entirely with you.  It's sad that we live in such a world 
where teenagers grow up too soon by sad sexual decisions or worse 
caving to peer pressure.
> 
> While I understand that characters will grow up as the series 
> progresses, I see too much real world consequences of teen sex and 
> have no desire to read about it in the Potter world. But these ARE 
> Rowlings books and her characters. If she chooses to go down the 
> romance novel path, then that's that. Period.
> 

I think it should be noted that there is a distinct difference 
between "normal teenage romantic" and  "little sleazebags with lurid 
romances."

Myrtle was apparently at the age where she'd begun to appreciate boys 
as "cute" when she was ghosted.  Harry has sufficient modesty to duck 
embarrassedly deep into the bubbles when she makes her presence 
known.  It's still somewhat innocent, but it's also realistically 
typical behaviour of kids at this age.

All three of the trio have had crushes:

Harry on Cho.
Hermione on Gilderoy.
Ron on Fleur.

All normal for that age.  

There's also the fact that Ron's seeing Hermione as a girl for the 
first time.  Normal. 

Innocence lost is a major theme in the HP books to my mind. Harry's 
lost innocence through the entire series, really.  He wasn't innocent 
when Hagrid came for him. He already knew the world was a cruel 
place.  His parents were taken from him before he ever got to know 
them.  

His only family, who'd normally be expected to love him, treated him 
like a pariah and treated him in a manner many would consider 
abusive.  

Then he finds out that his parents' best friend is in jail for their 
murder.

Then he watches as the guy he's been thinking uncharitable thoughts 
about because of Cho Chang is murdered before his eyes.

Innocence takes the most hits. 

Romantic/sexual innocence is just going to be taking a backseat 
because of how he has to live his life with the return of Voldemort 
looming over him.

But the seeds are already planted for romantic issues to surface as 
the youth characters grow and mature.  Percy has a girlfriend, and 
there are married couples with children in the series.  The 
implication is sex had to have happened at some time.  It's all in 
the handling.

I trust JKR to nurture the aforementioned seeds into a fine bloom, 
rather than some prickly thing no one will want to touch.  I don't 
think there's anything wrong with it. In fact, I hope she does broach 
the topic so that her legions and legions of young readers see that 
it's NORMAL to feel the way they do, and that they have CHOICES in 
how they react, respond, and behave with regard to their adolescent 
and pubescent changes.  

She's done fine so far with her lessons [prejudice is not to be 
tolerated just because it makes things easy.  What may look one way 
on the surface is not necessarily true once you look past the 
surface.  The rich are not necessarily "better" than anyone else]; I 
see no reason to doubt, naysay, or second guess her.

Indigo