[HPforGrownups] Re: Shippers and Non-Shippers

[Kanna Ophelia]

No: HPFGUIDX 28117

Original message from: Penny & Bryce <pennylin at swbell.net>
>I'm curious why some people regard *any* introduction of sexuality as
>turning the books into "romance novels" (which then, under popular 
>consensus, will make the HP books somehow less on the literary scale 
>apparently). 

Ah, it's not anti-pop culture snobbery, as I see HP more as
fascinating and amusing  pop culture than genuine literature anyway.
(Not that I'd *dare* say that to my friend, mind, as she's already
upset enough that people opposed the Hugo award...)

It's not any mention that concerns me, it's the "forcing it down our
throats" that I'm dubious about.  What's wrong with wanting to keep
the focus on the books on the magic of Hogwarts, friendship and
fighting the baddies than on pre-adult fumblings?

 I would, as I mentioned above, be far more annoyed if JKR 
>were to try & sell us that these characters who will be adults (UK
age 
>of consent is 17?)

17 may be age of consent, but it's hardly adult.  Of course, when I
was 17 I thought I was terribly adult and mature, but now... <g>

For growth to occur 
>beliveably IMO, we just can't have 3 characters go through
adolescence 
>without romantic entanglements.  Yes, not everyone dates in high
school. 
>  But, did you escape high school without any crushes or love
interests 
>or *thinking* about it *at all*?  Probably not.

Do falling in love with characters from books count? <g> I dated both
sexes, but I had no crushes or entanglements with real people at all.
I *wanted* to, as our culture tells us it's so vitally important, but
there you go... I even thought I had a non-existent libido until I
fell in love, which changed everything.

My two closest friends didn't even date, and certainly didn't have
crushes. And we all thought this was abnormal, in a culture where
virginity is mocked as a deficiency, until we discovered there were
more who felt like us than we thought, including those who slept
around without pleasure. I just want, say, one of the three to reflect
this option so other kids don't feel so isolated, in the same way I
think representations of queerness are vital. (To balance this out, my
Beloved lost her virginity at 14, and was pregnant at 16.  By her
standards, the HP kids are very very slow to develop...)

My mother is of the opinion that American culture has brainwashed
children into thinking they *must* fall in love/have crushes, even
from a very early age.  I'm noy sure I share her blaming US culture
alone - Romeo and Juliet weren't exactly geriatric - but I do agree
there are immense cultural pressures on children/adolescents to
"mature" through serial monagamy, and I'm not real happy about the
exerted pressure.

Re Narnia:

I attribute this at least 
>in part to the fact that there was a lack of romance/sexuality.  It
was, 
>however, hard I think to pin down how old the characters actually
were, 
>so maybe the absence of romance was warranted if they were in fact 
>intended to be pre-pubescent.

I think it's warranted anyway... After all, I adore school stories,
and many of the classics have no romantic content, unless you accept
that Bill and Clarissa were a couple. :)  The Narnia characters were
vivid different degrees for me - Diggory, Polly, Jill and Eustace
being the best drawn, Peter and Susan the least.  I certainly cared
for my favourites very much... And I would have found too much
romance intrusive, out of place and irritating in that particular
series. The kids had other things to worry about.

But - as to romance and sexuality missing in the series - did you read
"The Horse and His Boy"? There was quite a lot there...

(a) R & H becoming a couple for some period of time at 
>least, (b) Hermione declaring that it's Harry she wants & FITD, (c) 
>Hermione rejecting Ron on other grounds (Krum for example), 

Hmm... the only reason you give for Hermione wanting to be just
friends is another romantic entanglement... Why is simply not being in
love with anyone not an option?

I do want to restress that I'm not anti any relationship development
in HP, I just really don't want to be beaten over the head with it.
And if it's there, I want, in books that are so terribly much a part
of children's popular culture at the moment, tehre to be space where
*all* children can identify themselves, not just those obsessed with
finding an opposite sex boy/girlfriend.





XXX Kanna-Ophelia  cleffa at start.com.au
www.geocities.com/diversiontactics/
ffnet: KannaOphelia

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