Fred and George: The Bullies You Do Know

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 43205

Suzanne wrote:

> I don't think the discussion is, in and of itself, tedious. But 
>for me, what's starting to become tedious for me are so many who 
>want these wonderful books to be more politically correct. 

See, I don't agree with this.  I'm certainly not saying that I want 
JKR to have written the twins differently or to have made 
them "politically correct," whatever that means in this context.  I 
think the twins are Bullies, and I think their flaws give them depth.

I think we can agree that Snape is Mean.  I don't wish JKR had 
written Snape differently.  His flaws give him depth.

Sirius is a Hot-Head and is Impulsive.  I don't wish JKR had written 
Sirius differently.  His flaws give him depth.

At the same time, I think it would deny the words on the page to 
some extent to claim that Snape is not a Mean Man.  Or that Sirius 
is not a Hot-Head.  So how is it different and "tedious" for someone 
to read the text and form the opinion that the twins are Bullies?

I must say that I am struck by the reluctance to deny the flaws that 
the twins have, whether you think those flaws rise to the level of 
bullying or not.  Many characters in HP have flaws, including some 
of my favorites, like Lupin and Moody.  Why not just admit the 
flawed behavior and embrace the character anyway, if that is what 
you prefer?  Why claim that some flaws are unimportant and some harm 
the character causes is to be dismissed because the character is 
supposed to be a flat "Toonish" cariacature?  

I guess the most that can be said is that some readers look for and 
appreciate richness and depth in characters, even if the depth comes 
from character flaws, and some readers are uncomfortable with that.  

To each his own, I guess.

Cindy -- who *would* change Hagrid's flaws to tone them down because 
she finds them over the top, unbelievable and excessive, but that's  
a different debate entirely