Neville Longbottom

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 40839

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "cathubodva_raven" <wedgeaholic at i...> wrote:
> Bboy_mn wrote:
> 
> >To me, that powerful flight 
> >shows the powerful wizard 
> >hidden underneath. Sometime, 
> >when circumstance are right, 
> >even the most frightened person 
> >can set aside that fear and 
> >do great things. I think this 
> >is what will happen with 
> >Neville. He will reach a point 
> >where the demands of his own 
> >internal needs and the demands 
> >of external circumstances will 
> >become so great that he will 
> >have no >choice but to drop his 
> >fear, and show us his true mettle.

> cathubodva_raven wrote:
>
> My interpretation of this scene was entirely opposite.  Yes, it does 
> demonstrate that Neville has power, but I can't see how it shows 
> Neville "setting aside his fear to do great things".  In essence, the 
> broomstick attacks Neville, and I had always assumed it was *because* 
> he was afraid.  Dogs can sense fear, and so (why not?) can 
> broomsticks.


I think I am the victim of my own poor paragraph structure. The
"setting aside his fear to do great things" was meant as a summary of
Neville and life in general, not a statement specifically isolated to
this incident. In that context, the context I assume you saw, you are
right, but I still stand by my statement as a general summary of
Neville and a projection of future possibilities.


> 
> The more frightened and desperate Neville becomes, the more violent 
> are the broomstick's attempts to dislodge him. I would hardly 
> describe the results of this encounter as 'great': Neville ends up 
> with a torn robe, a broken wrist, and a large dose of humiliation.

I don't agree with the 'broomstick attacks Neville' statement, but at
the same time, I think a lot of people saw it that way.

I do whole heartedly agree that the more frightened Neville became,
the more out of control the broom became. But fear and insecurity are
great  paralysers. If you are controlled by fear then out of control
circumstances become hopelessly and despearately out of control. So
yes, I agree, the more frightened Neville became the more hopelessly
out of control the situation and the broom became.

Let me us a car accident metaphor to illustate how and why the broom
got more out of control as Neville became more fearful and the same
situation to illustate Neville as I see him in the future.

Setting: You are driving down a narrow asphalt road, lose control of
your car, go off the road, and are headed straight for a river.

Situation 1: Ruled by Fear: You go off the road, let go of the
steering wheel, grasp the sides of your head and go "I'M GOING TO
DIE!" Now the car is completely and hopelessly out of control. The
circumstances made disasterous by paralysing fear.

Situation 2: In Spite of Fear: You go off the road, and say to
yourself "I'm scared to death but I have to do something." So you keep
driving the car, you keep struggling for control of the situation. In
this case, there is fear, but there is also hope because you are not
paralysed by this fear. 

RE: Situation 1: Neville on the broom, paralysed by fear, and
desperately fighting to deny the obvious. Result: out of control
becomes more out of control.

RE: Situation 2: Neville in the future, scared to death, but accepting
the circumstances and struggling for the best possible out come.
Result: Hope, and the potential for great things. 


> 
> However, having checked up on the Neville v Harry history, I think 
> this scene contrasts with the Devil's Snare, where Harry (the 'Anti-
> Neville'?) is able to relax, clearly overcoming his fear.
> 
> Cathubodva.

I guess I can't prove any of this; it just my feeling that Neville is
a great wizard and will play a stronger more positive and more active
role in the future.

BBoy_MN