The Twins vs Percy, family dynamics

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 43322

Elkins said this:
>>Similarly, in GoF the twins *ought* to know that their pranks 
cause Percy distress. They are old enough and bright enough to 
understand that continual harassment bothers and upsets 
people. They have had ample opportunity to observe that Percy 
*is* distressed by their actions, that they have a marked and 
negative effect on his ability to cope, and that they are causing 
him harm. He protests and he objects; he complains to his 
parents; he locks himself in his room. He is not capable of 
retaliating in kind -- indeed, he does not retaliate in any way at 
all.<<

and this:

>>And what about Percy? 
The twins aren't picking on Percy because he has injured them 
terribly through any particular action he has taken against them. 
They're picking on him because he is *vulnerable,* and because 
they have identified some trait that makes him, to their mind, "fair 
game," thus enabling them to rationalize their behavior. In 
Percy's case, that trait happens to be pomposity. <<


No, I don't think it's quite that simple. Like a magician, the 
narrative distracts us by drawing our attention to a disagreement 
over style, but there's a grievance with substance  underneath it 
all, one which accounts for the bitter undertones Elkins detects.

  Let's look at chapter 5 of GoF. Percy has some important work 
to do, a report about cauldron bottoms for the Ministry. Nobody 
else can quite see why it's so important, but they accept that it is, 
and they make concessions to him. Percy gets a room of his 
own, when everyone else has to double and triple. He gets to 
insist on silence, when everyone else wants to make noise, 
even though he can Apparate elsewhere and the youngsters 
cannot. He gets to exempt  himself from all the chores involved 
in getting dinner on the table for eleven, though even the family's 
guests are pitching in to help. 

And then, in the midst of consuming said dinner,  he airily 
announces that he has subjected his family to all this discomfort 
and  inconvenience for the sake of his own personal 
satisfaction: "I like to keep on top of things," and a vague hope 
that Mr. Crouch will be pleased: "a bit sooner than he expected 
it...I think he'll be grateful."

If this is a fair sample of Percy's behavior it's not surprising that 
the Twins are giving him a hard time.  I'd say  they are acting out 
not only their own resentment, but the resentment of the entire 
Weasley family, Molly included, which is perhaps why she chides 
the Twins but never seems to actually punish them for plaguing 
Percy. 

In fact, Percy wants to have his cake and eat it too. He's rejecting 
many of his family's values, but he's still expecting, and 
demanding, to be treated as the favorite son. That would create 
conflict in any family. 

Since the Weasley's conflict resolution skills are only a notch 
above Punch and Judy's,  consisting of a) snarling rages, and b) 
the silent treatment, The Twins express their resentment  in the 
only way they know. They can't lose  their tempers in Molly/Ron 
fashion, since they would probably hurt somebody, and frosty 
silence wouldn't get the message across where Percy's 
concerned, so they  take  out their anger in pranks and needling. 

Displaced anger over Percy could even be behind some of the 
other Weasley troubles, such as Ron's eruptions of jealousy and 
Ginny's retreat into the diary's world of madness.

Pippin