[HPforGrownups] Harry's overconfidence, and Lupin's

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 41925

> Amy Z trenchantly observed:
> 
> > OK, weak example, but we do sometimes wring our
> hands
> > about Harry's tendency to take on risks alone.  In
> any
> > case, I think my point stands:  a failure to
> summon
> > backup doesn't imply a lack of bravery.  If
> anything,
> > it's evidence of a bravery that borders on
> > overconfidence.
> 
> David P begs to differ:
> 
> > I'd argue that it's more a sign of Harry's
> upbringing.  Remember, he
> > spent his formative years housed in a cupboard
> under the stairs,
> > where adults seemed to exist only to persecute
> him.  With a
> > background like that, why would Harry think to
> summon an adult for
> > help?

Actually, I trenchantly agree with David (that means
I'm wearing a trench coat while typing, right? <g>). 
Yes, I think this is where it comes from for Harry. 
More on that below.

We can only speculate for Lupin, but we know one key
thing about him that is quite relevant:  he has been
hated and feared most of his life.  He's "come out"
far enough that all his colleagues know he's a
werewolf, and as far as we know they are mostly okay
with it, but he can never feel safe:  unless he keeps
his secret entirely secret, his future is in the hands
of anyone who chooses to exploit the prejudices of the
culture.  This kind of life breeds an attitude of, how
did Pippin herself put it once?  "A lone wolf, a
go-it-on-your-own wolf" ;-)

Sirius Kase wrote:

> I suspect that he knew adults who would have liked
> to have helped but the
> Durley's discouraged him from accepting help from
> teachers, neighbors, etc.
> In any case, he wasn't accustommed to getting help.

Exactly.  Most kids grow up with a kind of us-vs.-them
attitude toward adults, especially when it comes to
rules (which JKR understands perfectly and exploits in
very enjoyable ways), but they also have a bedrock
trust in adults when it comes to the big stuff.  Harry
doesn't, and why should he?  Why should any child
whose main relationships with adults has been one of
abuse and neglect?

I see this aspect of Harry changing through the books,
and I think (pure speculation here) that his
relationship with Lupin is a key to his ability to
trust Sirius and to turn to Dumbledore more in GF than
he has in the past.  Several weeks after the end of
his third year, he's writing to Sirius to tell him
about his scar--this is a leap.  Part of it is
Sirius's own trustworthiness, already so evident from
all he risked for Harry and his parents; Sirius also
sets an example of being more emotionally forthcoming
than Harry usually is himself.  But another part of it
is that Harry's been learning that some adults are
people you can turn to when you're in trouble, and a
lot of that is down to Remus.

Amy Z

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better
http://health.yahoo.com