[HPforGrownups] RITA SKEETER--CHARACTER SKETCH

[Sheryll Townsend]

No: HPFGUIDX 18362

--- Amber <reanna20 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> Cool character sketch Jamieson! I liked the creative
> element! Certainly
> made for interesting reading...

I'll agree with that, nice to have somthing out of the
ordinary once in a while. I chuckled all the way
through it.
> 
> I must admit that I think Rita Skeeter is one of
> JKR's more boring
> characters, so if my answers are short, that's
> probably why. I *still*
> skip over her bits when reading GOF.

While I don't exactly find her boring, I certainly
think she's just too annoying for my taste.
> 
> > Question:
> > 
> > 1) Whats with Ritas teeth? How do you suppose
> she lost them? (be
> > creative on this one folks)
> 
> Uh, I think I misplaced my creativity somewhere
> <searches and gives up>
> Maybe a pissed-off interviewee punched her in the
> mouth? I know I
> would've wanted to do that if I had been in Harry's
> shoes! Fell down
> the stairs while trying to get a sound bite and
> knocked out her teeth?

I vote for the 'pissed-off interviewee'punching her in
the mouth - she's definitely ticked off enough people
for that to be possible.
> 
> > 2) Do you believe that Rita lies intentionally? Or
> is there something
> > else behind the words?
> 
> She's a reporter, she's trying to write a story that
> will interest
> people. People want to read about scandals, shocks.
> So, she gives them
> what they want. I believe its intentional and since
> witches and wizards
> read her, she won't stop making up lies. Only when
> enough people
> complain will she change her writing style or she'll
> be fired.

I'm not sure enough complaints would do the job.
Perhaps she helps sell so many papers that The Daily
Prophet just keeps smoothing things over in wake, thus
keeping her employed and them making lots of money. I
didn't see Hermione cancelling her subscription or
firing off letters to the editor when Rita was writing
all the trash about the happenings at Hogwarts.
> 
> > 3) What do you believe are Ritas strongest
> character traits?
> 
> Er...uh...strong-minded? Persistent?

Well, she's certainly tenacious, if nothing else. You
know, 'anything to get the story' type of thing.
> 
> > 4) What are her worst character traits?
> 
> The "making up lies" bit would probably be a worst
> character trait! And
> her disregard for privacy.

Yeah, those are probably the worst of a long line of
things I don't like about her.
> 
> > 5) Do you believe that there is actually a nice
> person underneath all
> > the deceit?
> 
> It's possible, but I don't think that Rita's meant
> to be a nice
> character. She's meant to be annoying and to
> complicate Harry's life a
> bit. I personally can't imagine that she's ever
> nice, but that's just
> my prejudiced opinion.

While I agree that she's not meant to be a nice
character, there's no telling what she was like when
she was young. She might have been a perfectly
agreeable little child (though I can't picture it
myself!).
> 
> > 8) Do you think that Rita is lonely, or just
> vengeful?
> 
> I think she's doing what she perceives as her job.
> She's not vengeful.
> I don't know if she's lonely. Could or could not be.

I'm with you on the first part, she doesn't see
herself as vengeful, she just doing what needs to be
done to get the story and keep selling papers. As for
lonely, well, I think she must be. Let's face it, she
doesn't endear herself to people and I suspect that
she may have long since alienated most of the friends
she must have had. I mean, she must have had friends
at some point, don't you think. I can't see a lot of
people sticking by her, though.
> 
> > 10) If you would compare Rita Skeeter to an
> animal, any one you
> > chose, what would it be?  Why?(This ones a fun
> one. I
> > couldnt think of a tenth question; so sue me. Oh,
> and the answer can
> > be anything but a beetle. Again, be creative.)
> 
> A gnat. A small, annoying gnat that you just can't
> seem to smash and
> that flies around your head and getting in your
> face. <smacks one
> crawling on her computer screen>
> 
> ~Amber
> 
I like this! A gnat. That pretty much says it, doesn't
it. Goes very well with my thoughts, completely
annoying!

Sheryll

=====
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

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