Ginny as a Character (WAS Ginny & the Platform Scene)

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 33121

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at h...> wrote:

 
> I think Hermione has faced her fair share of personal danger.  She 
> risked being bonked on the head in the PS/SS chess game, she drank 
> first in the potions challenge and so risked being poisoned, 

There was no serious risk to Hermione in either the chess scene or 
the potions scene, where she easily and quickly determined the 
correct potions for her and Harry to drink (with nary a doubt about 
being 100% correct as usual).


was 
> at risk twice from the three-headed dog, she was in the Forbidden 
> Forest, and she helped Harry with the dragon.  She got petrified in 
> CoS.  She handled all of these challenges well with a minimal 
amount 
> of sobbing, and in PS/SS, Hermione was 10.
 
Don't you mean 12 <g>?
Sorry Cindy but I don't see comparing the bit in the Forbidden forest 
and with the dragon to having your self slowly and insidiously taken 
over by the most evil dark wizard in modern times.  Hermione is never 
alone and unprotected in any of the above scenes with the exception 
of the petrification in CoS (when she couldn't sob because she never 
got the chance). At no point in any of the books is she left alone 
and defenseless facing someone trying to kill her.  Hermione weeps at 
the drop of a hat (hurt feelings, Harry and Ron making up, Ron and 
Harry mad at her over the Crookshanks/Scabbers incident).  I'm not 
trashing Hermione by any means, but if anybody is the big crier in 
these books, it's her.


> And then we have Ginny.  Ginny acts like 6-year-old child on the 
> platform (I'm with Penny on this point).  Ginny has undoubtedly 
seen 
> her brothers off to Hogwarts many times, yet she goes to pieces on 
> the Platform.  I attribute this to JKR needing to have Ginny do 
> something other than just stand there -- which is what a typical 
> bored 10-year-old girl would have done.

Why on earth would Ginny be standing there being bored?  She's being 
left behind by the last and closest of her brothers for the first 
time in her life.  I also suspect she doesn't get out in the muggle 
world much, and that these trips to Kings Cross are a very big deal 
to her.

> Primarily, though, I have to decline membership in any Ginny fan 
club 
> because Ginny is very wooden and underdeveloped.  Really, if I had 
to 
> describe her character in a few words, I couldn't do it.  She 
shines 
> for a few sentences in GoF, but that's about it.  Tragically, her 
big 
> turn in the spotlight was in CoS, and the scenes in Dumbledore's 
> office didn't do much for me, quite frankly.  Maybe it was the 
> stammer, but her lines seemed a little forced.
> 
> Part of the trouble with Ginny is that she doesn't seem to have a 
> very close relationship with Ron.  Oh, sure, he gives a "strangled 
> cheer" when he learns she is not dead, but that's about it.   
 
 Sorry to disagree again.  Recheck chapter 16 in Cos.  RON is the one 
to suggest action first in what seems like a hopeless effort to save 
Ginny.  He is the one who wants to get Lockhart's help, he goes with 
Harry down to the Chamber without a moment's hesitation, and if the 
tunnel hadn't collapsed, would have been in the Chamber with Harry 
rescuing Ginny.  How can you say he doesn't feel close to her?

I do agree that thus far, Ginny has been fairly undeveloped 
personality-wise.  I believe that JKR has been purposely holding back 
on rounding out her character, in order to bring her to greater 
prominance in the last 3 books.  It's her way of pacing the 
development of the characters, as well as Harry's maturing awareness 
of what's really going on around him.

Jo
Surprised to find herself the newest defender of the youngest Weasleys

>