Gilderoy, DADA, Quotes

[Angela Burgess]

No: HPFGUIDX 19564

Someone had written about meanings behind the name
Gilderoy.  It's already been pointed out that "roy" is
medeival French for "king".  I checked my memory and
then my dictionary, but couldn't find a listing for
"gil" or "jil" (since the letters "g" and "j" are
pronounced opposite in the French alphabet), but the
closest thing I could find was "gilet" which meands a
cardigan or waistcoat.  I couldn't find any meaning
there, but maybe someone else can?

Also:
"However, Dumbledore sees the school as the most
important thing he does, and perhaps we should wonder
too whether he's just unlucky with the DADA teachers
he appoints, or whether he actually doesn't want to
put someone competent into that job.  Perhaps he
distrusts the whole subject, as glamourising Dark Arts
and encouraging original-thinking students to practise
Dark Magic themselves? -Robert Carnegie"
I have to say that I don't particulary agree with this
statement, as Dumbledore appoints Lupin and Moody,
both of whom are competent AND actually teach DADA,
Couch, Jr.-as-Moody especially.  I think he's just
unlucky, in that he appoints some of the best people
for the job, even knowing that they will most likely
not stay, for one reason (Lupin being a werewolf) or
another (Moody not really being Moody, aside from
saying he would only do it for one year when he
*really* was Moody).  (Did that make any sense?)  I
think it actually makes for some good lessons, since
it allows the students to learn from all different
kinds of people.  As a teacher myself, I encourage my
students to be open-minded about learning from others,
since I am simply not capable of teaching them
everything they need to know.  In addition, when a
student becomes complacent with a teacher, there is
the danger of the student becoming complacent about
learning, and thereby not try as hard.

Finally, I just wanted to comment on a difference in
translations between the French and English
translations of HP.  The quote that stands out most in
my mind is "It is our choices far more than our
abilities that determine who we are".  In French, the
quote is "Ce sont nos choix qui nous montrent vraiment
plutt que nos actions", which roughly translates to
the same thing, except instead of "abilities", the
word is "actions".  I find this to be especially true
when you think about it this way:  It is not the act
of doing good that shows that we are good...it is the
fact that we CHOSE to do good, rather than evil.  This
is just my humble opinion.  Anyone else care to share
theirs?

Sorry for rambling...thanks for putting up with me!
Angela

=====
"Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls....
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one one of you be alone..."
>From The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices
http://auctions.yahoo.com/