HP/children's literature (again)

[Bente13 at peoplepc.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25147

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Penny & Bryce <pennylin at s...> wrote:
> Are all young adults who live temporarily with their 
> parents while trying to get their feet on the ground still children 
then 
> -- simply by virtue that they haven't yet made the step to take out 
> their own residence?  We don't know for sure, but presumably Bill & 
> Charlie went straight from Hogwarts to their respective jobs in 
Egypt & 
> Romania.  If they did this, then does it follow that the mere act 
of 
> leaving home to live on one's own defines adulthood? 


Not entirely, but in a way I think it does, yes. More so than simply 
turning 17, 18 or 21, anyway. Wouldn't you agree that an adult is 
someone who behaves like an adult? Someone who takes on adult 
responsibilites and makes adult choices? *After* they have grown up 
chronologically, I mean? Yes, I agree that Harry is remarkably mature 
for 14 (and will continue to be more mature than his chronological 
age as he gets older), but he's still a boy. The stronger part of my 
argument, though, was that Cedric and Fleur, both of whom were over 
17, 'of age' according to Dumbledore, were referred to in GoF 
as 'boy' and 'girl'. This doesn't argue that JKR thinks of them as 
full fledged adults; at least it doesn't seem so to me.


> But, it does sound as though we'll just have to agree to disagree 
on 
> this point.  :--)
> 
> Penny



Goody! Let's put it to rest; I'm tired of it!

Bente