[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry getting killed off

[Margaret Dean]

No: HPFGUIDX 15296

Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer wrote:
> 
> Hi --
> 
> Doreen wrote:
> 
> > It really disturbs me that JKR has said before that she would never
> > kill off Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend, but she has teased several
> > times about, "How do we know that Harry will survive the series?"
> > Does anyone else have a problem with this?
> 
> Actually, she hasn't said "never" with respect to killing off Ron.
> She's said that she finds it funny that kids are always asking her not
> to kill off Ron.  She said they know enough to recognize that the hero's
> best friend often dies.  She's bothered by the fact that noone seems to
> concerned about whether Hermione will die or not.  Everyone just assumes
> she'll be fine.

At the risk of starting up the gender-equality discussion all
over again, I suspect this is because  Hermione is female. 
Heroines and/or love interests are =much= less likely to die than
(male) heroes' (male) best friends.
 
Note that I'm talking about reader expectations here, not any
assumptions about what JKR might or might not do!


--Margaret Dean
  <margdean at erols.com>