Fred and George: The Bullies You Do Know

[francienyc]

No: HPFGUIDX 43091

So, so much to say on this topic.  I found Elkins' earlier argument 
and Darrin's the most compelling, so I've quoted their talking points 
here.

First, though, let me put forth my general theory on the twins.  
Basically, it boils down to this: they're trying to be funny.  When 
things are going to pieces, they still find something to smile 
about.  They give those who take situations and sometimes themselves 
too seriously a little reality check.  Witness their antics during 
CoS, when they clear a path for Harry in the halls by announcing him 
as the Heir of Slytherin, or their teasing of Percy.

Elkins wrote:
"Yup.  Percy and Malfoy were begging for it, all right.  Much in the 
same way that Snape was just *pleading* to be fed to a werewolf, by 
virtue of being so nasty and sneaky, and of having oily hair."

Percy is begging for it. He builds himself up to such a degree that 
we want to see him fall—it's one of Aristotle's theories on humor.  
We laugh when we see someone taken down a notch.  Percy's just too 
self-important.  He thinks he can boss everyone around because he's 
Head Boy: take, for example, when he orders everyone to be quiet 
during the campout in the Great Hall in PoA.  Similarly, Percy 
becomes extremely condescending as Head Boy.  When Ron sees Black at 
his bedside in PoA, Percy tells McGonagall that Ron was "just 
dreaming."  Ugh!  I believe Percy's a good guy underneath, but that 
attitude's got to go, and that's where Fred and George come in.  I'd 
also like to add that Fred and George's treatment of Percy deserves 
special consideration because they're brothers.  Siblings torture and 
annoy each other, they can say almost anything to each other.  My 
sister has spent most of her life torturing me in a manner not too 
different from Fred and George, but I know that deep down she loves 
and respects me.  I think that's evident with the Weasleys' 
relationship as well.  Fred and George never hex Percy or are 
outright cruel to him, they just tease him.

Similarly, Malfoy's pompousness makes us all want to give him a good, 
hard smack like Hermione does.    He thinks he's a big cheese because 
he comes from an old, rich wizarding family, but we know that alone 
doesn't deserve respect.  Malfoy actually goes to great lengths to 
hurt people and make them feel pain.  It's despicable.  Fred and 
George contribute to taking the edge off his attitude.  Notice I 
say "contribute" because they're not the only ones.  What about Harry 
throwing mud at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in front of the Shrieking 
Shack in PoA?  Is Harry now a bully too?

The thing is, Fred and George's more malicious sides only come out 
when they're provoked.  As for the canary creams—lighten up people!  
Neville wasn't hurt, and even he laughed.  Neville's great, because 
he knows how to laugh at himself, and for that I think the twins must 
at least appreciate him, since they have learned that skill 
themselves.  Now, I won't say that they're angels—far from it.  
They're mischievous, devilish pranksters and they can definitely go 
too far, especially when their actions are "retributive."  A perfect 
example is the Quidditch Championship in PoA (sorry for all the PoA 
references, but it's my favorite and I'm right in the middle of it 
for the umpteenth time).  The twins don't start attacking the 
Slytherin team, but they do bite back.  Is that right?  No
but 
they're the friends that dare to do the things you wouldn't, and 
through their rashness you experience a kind of catharsis.  
Incidentally, I think the Ton Tongue Toffee incident falls under this 
category.  However, I felt that they went too far here.  The Ton 
Tongue Toffee is a little too dangerous and terrifying for my taste 
to be funny.  However, Dudley is not a good natured boy with a 
thyroid problem.  His weight is the result of his own greed.  
Besides, he remembered well his first encounter with the wizarding 
world, yet he forgot that in favor of gluttony.

Elkins wrote:
"See, this particular logic really hits all of my hot buttons, 
because in my experience, it's the logic that bullies *always* use to 
justify their actions.  "If he weren't so snotty, we wouldn't have 
been forced to shove him in the locker."  "She was really asking for 
it, the way she always dressed so badly and never stood up for 
herself."  "

To a certain degree, that's a very good argument.  It is true that if 
we use it to defend the twins it can grow to defend others who don't 
deserve defending.  However, I feel I can use it here because first 
of all, my whole point is that Fred and George are trying to be 
funny, and theories on humor state that people see the downfall or 
humiliation of a character as funny, so long as we don't empathize 
with them.  And I definitely don't empathize with Malfoy. Also, the 
things that Fred and George do are never out and out horrible.  They 
don't want to bring pain, but laughter.  I will certainly grant that 
they're not always successful, and I'll be the first to admit that 
making theories about humor is difficult because different people 
find different things funny.

> 
> > Darrin:
> > 
> > > To compare Fred and George being cold to Cedric in a small 
group 
> > >to Draco's actions is unconscionable. 
> > 
> > I beg your pardon?  
> > 
> > "Unconscionable" means "Not restrained by conscience; 
unscrupulous; 
> > beyond prudence or reason; excessive."  Surely we can disagree 
> about a few scenes in a book series without anyone calling anyone 
> else's 
> > scruples into question.  
> > 
> 
> 
> My language was carefully chosen there. I sincerely believe that 
> there is such bending and twisting to somehow attach the same level 
> of severity to the actions of Gryffindors, any Gryffindors, as to 
> Slytherins, that crucial elements -- such as the racism behind 
> Draco's actions -- are being ignored. To do that is to place the 
goal 
> of the argument above the substance of the material you are 
arguing, 
> which I find beyond prudence and reason and excessive.

Bravo, Darrin!  Though the twins toe the line an awful lot, they're 
never seeking pain.  They're seeking laughter.  Draco, on the other 
hand, wants to hurt people.  He's glad that Hagrid's so miserable 
about Buckbeak's execution (man, I really am laying it on thick with 
PoA).  What's more, he judges people based on outward appearances.  
He's a bigot.  There are few things I hate more than racism and 
elitism, and a comparison between something as vile as that and some 
misguided fun is unconscionable.

Okay, I think I'm done for now.  Hats off to you if you got to this 
point in my post. J

~Francie