[HPforGrownups] Hagrid's Personality

[shane dunphy]

No: HPFGUIDX 47659

Since I first sat down to read the canon slightly over a year ago (I'm a 
fairly new fan) I've found Hagrid's character to be compelling.  He seems to 
be operating on so many different levels, has so many layers and 
complexities, yet, like so much in the canon, appears to be so simple.  I've 
been thinking (since the Flesh-Eating Slug Repellant Thread) about what 
makes him tick.  It's easy to jump to simplistic conclusions, but I'm going 
to try to examine it the same way I would a real life person (avoiding 
meta-thinking ;o)) and attempt to develop a better understanding.  I'd love 
to hear peoples opinions and I hope that this isn't a topic that's been done 
to death.

1.  Hagrid's Life Before Hogwarts:
Well, we don't know much about this.  We know from GOF that his mother is 
the giantess Fridwulfa (Chapter 24), who left him and his father (described 
as a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes) when Hagrid was about 
three.  Hagrid seems to have had an excellent relationship with his father, 
who, he tells us, always told him to believe in himself, and seems to have 
been a tremendous support.  He died in Hagrid's second year at Hogwarts.  It 
would seem from Hagrid's speech patterns that he is from the North of 
England (but I'm open to correction on this), possibly near Scotland or 
maybe even on the border of Wales.  This would also offer opportunity for 
his Mum and Dad to have met, as I assume that giants are found most commonly 
in mountainous regions.  Hagrid bears no animosity towards his mother, 
describing her, again in GoF as being "not really the maternal sort."  
Whether this has left Hagrid with any emotional scars remains to be seen.  
He seems, however, to be well in touch with his feelings, having no problem 
with crying openly when he feels the need, carrying a pink umbrella for 
several years (probably concealing his wand), baking on a regular basis 
(rock buns, doughy biscuits, fruit cake) and knitting on the train).  He 
also refers to himself as Norbert's "Mummy".  In many ways, Hagrid takes on 
a mothering role, taking over the emotional care of Harry and co while they 
are at Hogwarts, and also fullfilling this role for the various monstrous 
creatures he adopts.  Many commentators on parenting and childcare have 
commented on the role of gender in child-rearing.  D W Winnicott in 
particular has stated that gender roles are not important.  A father can 
fullfill the mothers role admirably is he is warm and nurturing enough, and 
can instill in the child a warm and caring persona.  Has Hagrid's father 
done this?

2.  Hagrid's Life at Hogwarts:
Hagrid tells us that his father was "dead chuffed" when he was accepted to 
Hogwarts, worrying that he may be a squib due to his mixed parentage.  It 
would seem that Hagrid's penchant for...unusual pets...found full flight 
once Hagrid was at the school.  It has been suggested on this list that 
Hogwarts is probably a magnet for magical bugs, pests and vermin of all 
kinds, and Hagrid was also probably fascinated by the Forbidden Forest.  It 
is easy to imagine Hagrid, as an eleven or twelve year old, exploring the 
eaves of the forest at first, and gradually venturing further and deeper as 
he begins to feel more comfortable with the environment, and gets to know 
the beasts and creatures that call it home.  At Hogwarts, Hagrid tells us, 
Dumbledore "stuck up for him", particularly after the death of his father in 
his second year.  Here we see an important transference of affection.  
Dumbledore becomes Hagrid's surrogate father (I've stated a similar point 
with regard to Snape on this site, and others have suggested it in relation 
to Harry).  We see Hagrid, right from the Keeper of the Keys chapter in PS, 
defending Dumbledore's name and honour.  He will not hear Dumbledore spoken 
ill of.  He almost always follows any mention of him with the muttered 
phrase "Great man, Dumbledore."  Dumbledore's loyalty to the young Hagrid is 
put to the test in Hagrid's third year when he is framed by the young LV 
(then Tom Riddle) for opening the CoS.  Hagrid's unfortunate love of the 
grotesque had led him into serious trouble.  Dumbledore, however, came 
through, and Hagrid is kept on as Gamekeeper, Groundskeeper and (his 
official title, it seems) Keeper of Keys.  This is a position he seems to be 
admirably suited to, and we must admire Dumbledore for his sense and 
foresight.  How this rejection, third great loss in Hagrid's life, has 
affected him is open to debate.  He has been saved, partly, by Dumbledore, 
but he must remain an untrained, unqualified wizard.  In many ways, an 
outcast.

3.  Hagrid's Love of Hairy, Slimy, Fanged, Scaled, Many-Legged, 
Fire-Breathing Things:
Hagrid seems to have an almost compulsive love of the monstrous.  Throughout 
the canon we see examples of Hagrid's ill-advised affection for creatures 
that the rest of us (and , it would seem, the rest of the WW) would run away 
fairly quickly from.  We meet Hagrid's illegally owned dragon, Norbert.  We 
have to deal with Fluffy, the three-headed dog.  We learn of Aragog, the 
giant spider that got Hagrid expelled (but who he brought a mate to, even 
after expulsion, which created a giant spider colony in the Forbidden Forest 
- any thoughts on the balance of the eco-system in the FF anyone?).  We 
raise Blast-Ended Skrewts (Hagrid's idea of a fun bit of cross species 
breeding).  We are left in absolutely no doubt that Hagrid is deeply 
committed to "interesting creatures".  What possibly could be Hagrid's 
motivation for this?  I suggest three specific things that may be an 
influence:
(a) Hagrid's giant genes - We don't know much about giants except what we 
are told in the canon (that they are fearsome, violent and were in league 
with Voldemort).  Could it be that all giants love things with claws and 
fangs?  Is Hagrid just doing what he is biologically pre-disposed to do?
(b)  Hagrid's marginalisation - Hagrid must always have felt different.  He 
is monstrous hinself (JKR refers to him as looking "too big to be allowed".  
Maybe Hagrid's love for the animals that everyone else hates is a projection 
of how he must feel.  Very few people took the time to get to know and love 
*him*.  It's probable that there were times in his life when other children 
ran away from him, maybe even times when he hurt people because he didn't 
know his own strength.  Hagrid probably thought that, if only people would 
take the time to get to know him, they would see that he wasn't bad or evil.
(c)  Hagrid's size - Because of his size and strength, animals that look 
scary to the rest of us maybe don't look so terrifying to Hagrid.  He could 
wrestle those enormous horses into their paddock without any problems in 
GoF, could man-handle the blast-ended skrewts without difficulty in the same 
book.  Maybe giants are thicker skinned than humans, too.  The fact that 
Hagrid appears to have *absolutely* no fear in relation to these animals 
also backs this point up.  While others fear for life and limb when around 
some of Hagrid's more ferocious pets, Hagrid continues to think they are 
cute and cuddly.
Hagrid is also guilty of what the experts refer to as *anthropomorphism*, 
which is the habit of putting human characteristics and behaviours onto 
animals.  We see him tucking Norbert into his crate for his journey out of 
Hogwarts with his teddy bear...which Norbert promptly tears assunder.It 
seems unlikely that Norbert had would ever have any liking for a teddy bear 
other than as a potential snack.  Similarly, Hagrid assumes that Aragog and 
family will welcome Harry and Ron to their forest home in CoS, because they 
are friends of his.  The concept that these spiders are dangerous carnivores 
who would view the two boys as a handy snack never occurred to Hagrid.  And 
this is part of his charm.  It also makes him an ideal grounds-keeper.  He 
genuinedly does have a love for the creature of the forest, in all their 
shapes and forms, and his loyalty to Dumbledore makes him fiercely reliable.

4.  Hagrid's Responses to Stress:
Hagrid responds to stress in a number if fairly predictable ways.
-Alcohol: We regularly see Hagrid hitting the booze in the canon.  The most 
obvious examples are in GoF when he is rejected by Madame Maxime, and again 
when Rita Skeeter publicises his giant ancestry.
-Hiding:  Hagrid, when under pressure or upset, hides away in his cabin, 
refusing to answer the door.  Again, I refer to GoF.  CoS is also an 
example.  When he began to fear that he may be blamed a second time for the 
monster being loose, he retreated to the cabin with his cross-bow.
-Aggression: Which brings me nicely to the next point.  We don't actually 
ever see Hagrid get aggressive, but the *potential* for ferocious violence 
is very much there.  We know how strong he is; he has giant blood in him; he 
is fearsomely built.  He carries a cross-bow.  The closest we ever get to 
seeing his nasty side is in PS, when he gives Dudley a tail (a fairly mild 
example) and in PoA, when he discusses his anger towards Sirius in the Three 
Broomsticks, and what he would have done to him if he had the chance 
("I'd've ripped him limb-from-limb!)  The fact that Hagrid is such a gentle 
soul leads me to ask two questions: Is he just a genuinely gentle person, 
slow to anger and only violent when protecting his friends or family (which 
I think is what the canon *really* suggests); or is he an individual who has 
repressed his violent side, allowing it only to find outlet through his love 
of dangerous and aggressive animals?  Is it possible that Hagrid's regular 
outbursts of emotion, drunkenness and compulsive need to find affection 
through his pets is all a sign of someone who is desperately unhappy and is 
trying to fill a gap (the desetion of his mother) that can never really be 
filled?
-Slips of the tongue: When under pressure, Hagrid leaks information like a 
dodgy penseive.  In PS, HRH only have to question him for a few moments for 
him to crack.  This is possibly another example of his trusting nature.  He 
just doesn't expect that they are trying to trip him up!

5.  Hagrid's Relationships with People:
We see Hagrid's relationships with people operating on a number of different 
levels.
(a) The teachers at Hogwarts: Hagrid seems to be still stuck in student mode 
in many ways in his relationships with the teachers.  He sees them as being 
very wise, almost *infallible*.  In PS, when HRH suggest that Snape is after 
the stone, Hagrid will hear none of it, giving as his main argument: "He's a 
Hogwarts teacher!" (Although, in PS Hagrid, after having imbibed far too 
much eggnog, kisses Professor McGonagall on the cheek during the Christmas 
Feast)  As I have already mentioned, Hagrid treats Dumbledore with the 
greatest of love and respect.  When Hagrid is given the Care of Magical 
Creatures teaching post, we see a slight change, but he still does not 
really treat them as equals.  This seems to be down to his lack of self 
confidence.  Being a teacher has long been a dream of Hagrid's, and he fears 
that he may not be up to the job.  Hagrid does harbour romantic feelings 
toward Madame Maxime, the head of another school, in GoF, and does make an 
awkward attempt to woo her.  As we have discussed, she rejects him when he 
tries to bring up the issue of her giant parentage (have any of you ever 
wondered about the logistics of Hagrid's Dad and his Mum getting intimate?  
I don't wonder he decided to wait for a more suitably proportioned 
girl-friend)  In his relationships with teachers at the school, we mainly 
see Hagrid as a friendly, loyal, but slightly reserved person.
(b) Filch: Hagrid does not appear to like Filch at all.  When, in PS we see 
Filch bringing Hermione, Hermione, Neville and Draco out to Hagrid for their 
detention (and first visit to the FF), we hear Hagrid being really brusque 
to another non-Muggle for the first time, informing Filch that it isn't his 
place to lecture the children, and telling him to be off so that he can get 
going on the job at hand.  Hagrid does not seem to have any confidence 
issues when with Filch.  Could this be an example of Hagrid being 
class-conscious?  Is he more comfortable with Filch because Filch is also 
servant class?
(c)  The children: Hagrid seems most at ease when with the HRH trio.  As we 
can see from the canon, Hagrid takes Harry under his wing straight away.  
This may be for a number of reasons: a special bond because he was the one 
to pull Harry from the rubble of the house at Godric's Hollow; the fact that 
Harry is an orphan; Harry's special status in the WW makes him an outsider 
too; he feels protective about Harry because he feels guilty that he only 
arrived on the scene of the James and Lilly murder after the fact - too 
late.  In the movies (and I won't mention them again - promise ;o)) the 
relationship between Hagrid and Harry is played up, with Harry being much 
more openly physically affectionate to Hagrid, and openly seeing him as a 
father type figure.  We don't see this in the books, although a close bond 
does obviously exist.  Hagrid is also close to Hermione and Ron, and we see 
this affection being reciprocated - Hermione goes out of her way to help 
Hagrid with his court case in defence of Buckbeak in PoA for example.  
Hagrid seems to see the children as individuals who can more understand 
where he is coming from.  He discusses his problems and thoughts and 
feelings with them in a startlingly frank way, and they also come to him 
with theirs - who does Hermione turn to in PoA when herself and Ron are 
fighting?  Hagrid.  It is in his relationships with the children that Hagrid 
is at his most appealing.  He asks for nothing, but gives openly and 
unconditionally.
(d)  Drinking buddies: We hear of these from time to time, mostly in terms 
of new animal purchases or wins (Fluffy and Norbert).  They appear to be 
shady (well, one was LV!) and Hagrid, in typical fashion, assumes that they 
mean well.  One wonders is he really that naiive, or is he aware that he is 
associating with a rather unscrupulous lot?  Maybe he does know, but doesn't 
care?  The criminal classes are, after all, marginalised in their own way, 
and often created by the class system.  We can, if we choose to, interpret 
this as another example of Hagrid being drawn to those aspects of life that 
others are afraid of are despise.

Conclusions.
Hagrid is a beautifully crafted character, with real human traits.  Like 
many of JKR's characters, he is flawed, which makes him so much more 
believable.  In summary, here are my main thoughts:

-Hagrid has had many traumas and losses in his life: his mother's 
abandonment, his father's death, his expulsion from Hogwarts, the death of 
Lilly and James and his guilt about it, his imprisonment in Azkaban, his 
rejection by Madame Maxime.  Of these, the loss of his mother and father are 
obviously the most important and scarring experiences, especially when we 
note that his mother abandoned him at a formative and critical stage, and 
his father died during Hagrid's adolescence.

-Hagrid's loyalty and affection for Dumbledore can be seen as a transference 
of paternal affection.  Dumbledore stepped in and took the father role, at a 
time when Hagrid was feeling deeply alone and further rejected.  Hagrid is 
deeply grateful for this.

-Hagrid has spent his life trying to fill the gap that this loss has made.  
He does this through alcohol and through his pets.

-Hagrid has the potential for violence, but seems to have repressed it.  He 
is very emotional, but tends to use coping strategies, possibly taught by 
his father to deal with stress and pain.

-Hagrid has low confidence and self-esteem.  This may stem from his being an 
outsider and an unqualified wizard.  We see this reflected in his 
relationships with adults.

-Hagrid's nature is a polarised one.  He has many traits that seem to be 
giant, however he has been seperated from this culture all his life.  Many 
of his giant characteristics seem to be unconscious ones.  He is living in 
the WW with other wizards, and he has been socialised and conditioned to be 
a wizard.

Well, those are my thoughts.  I'd love to hear other people's ideas.

Shane.




_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* 
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus