Fred & George Step on Draco - Big Deal

[Penny Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 43156

Hi --

Bboy said:

<<<<<<2.) Stepping on Draco- was not a physical assault, it was an act of
supreme disrespect. A disrespectful act against someone who under the
circumstances did not deserve much respect.

In Japan, there is a type of massage where the person giving the
massage walks on your back. It's considered quite relaxing and enjoyable.

In martial arts class, we used to walk on each other's stomach to
strengthen out abdominal muscles. So being stepped on is a long long
way from an assault. Now with out a doubt, you can step on a person in
ways that are intended to cause damage, but I don't see the twins,
acting with the intent to cause damage or pain or harm. Keep in mind
that in the examples of being step on that I gave, the people are
conscious, and suffer no pain or harm, and in one case, actually feel
pleasure.

Certainly, stepping on Draco wasn't very nice, but I would never
consider it an attack or an assault, and I can't/won't believe that it
was done with the intention of causing harm.>>>>>>>>>>

So, let me get this straight.  The Twins (and the Trio) set off a series of "harassment curses" intended to annoy Draco & cronies but not really do any real harm.  But, the cumulative effect is to knock their antagonists all unconscious & unable to defend themselves further.  So, on the way out, they decide to give Draco a little back massage as a means of making up?  

Yes, I do understand that the examples you give above are clearly evidence that someone *can* be stepped on as something other than physical assault.  But, George was not giving Draco a back massage.  He wasn't trying to tone Draco's back muscles.  The *intent* was clearly not to use stepping on/walking on Draco's body as a means of therapy or exercise.  He was stepping on him when he was already unconscious, and it was, IMO, equivalent to what Draco did to Harry earlier in GoF: cursing his opponent when his back was turned.  Is there any real difference, ethically, between cursing someone when their back is turned, and cursing them or otherwise causing them harm or disrepect when they are unconscious?  Not in my book.  I'm thinking Moody wouldn't have thought it very chivalrous or noble or brave if he'd seen George trodding on Draco's unconscious body as he exited the compartment.  And, as Cindy pointed out, *Harry* didn't do this.  It quite clearly was possible to exit the compartment *without* stepping on their antagonists.  

<<<<<<<3.) The kick - they rolled, pushed, and kicked Draco & Co out into the hallway outside the train compartment. THEY DID NOT "KICK HIM WHEN HE
WAS DOWN". The 'kicked' part was not an assault. It was not an attack
on Draco with any intent to cause harm or pain. Kicked in this case
means they pushed and rolled him out using their foot. It was by no
means a kick in the most common sense of the word kick. They intent
was to simply get Draco out of their compartment.>>>>>>>>

Wouldn't it have made more sense to describe them as nudging Draco et al out of the compartment if that's what JKR wanted the reader to envision?  The word "kick" has a different connotation to me.  

<<<<<<If Ron or the twins or for that matter Harry, had engaged in a
scientific exercise called 'conditioned response', they could very
easily stop Draco. If Ron punched Draco in the face everytime Draco
insulted Ron or one of his friends, Draco would quickly develop a
'conditioned response'. He would begin to associate insulting people
with getting punch, and once he saw the connection, he would certainly
refrain from engaging in the action that cause that particular
response. But that hasn't happened, it hasn't happed because Ron,
Harry, and the twins have all show remarkable restrain in dealing with
Draco.>>>>>>>

OR, here's a thought.  Rather than physically assaulting Draco everytime he resorted to insults & bullying, wouldn't it be far more effective, far less violent, far more healthy and far more socially acceptable if Ron (and others) started pointedly ignoring the remarks and walking away?  The Hermione approach ....

Again, I really think the point of Elkins' original post was more to examine the Twins in isolation, and why it's suddenly devolved into who is the bigger bully in the series and who is the bigger victim is a mystery to me.  I think Draco *is* a Bully.  No doubt about it.  Yes.  An ineffective bully for the most part, but a bully all the same.  Are the Twins bullies?  I'm not so sure I'd go *that* far, though I do think they are incredibly insensitive and unperceptive in many cases.

I do think that Catherine made some great points in their defense.  But, I still find them overall to be more insensitive than anything else.  


Penny


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