Characters' Overreacting and Overacting (WAS TBAY: MACHINGARMCHAIR )

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 39193

Charis Julia wrote:

> JKR as a rule hardly ever has her characters overacting. Quite to 
>the contrary: from Harry almost all the time to Remus and Sirius's 
>brief and to—the –point reconciliation, her heroes rarely indulge 
>in emotional outbursts even when fully entitled to them. 

Well.  Hmmm.  This is very interesting.  Do JKR's characters ever 
overreact, and if so, is there any discernable pattern to which 
characters tend to go over the top?

I'd *really* like to see Charis Julia's observation work, because it 
it so very interesting.  After all, Harry rarely has an emotional 
outburst.  His yelling in the Shrieking Shack "He killed my mum and 
dad" is about the extent of it.  This outburst is nothing in light 
of the many opportunities for Harry to come unhinged but he 
doesn't.  Ron and Hermione (especially Ron) tend to keep their cool 
and not fall apart.  Dumbledore, McGonagall both don't overreact to 
most things, although McGonagall went to pieces there at the 
departure of Crouch Jr.'s soul.

But there are some obstacles.  There's the Sirius Problem.  Sirius 
overacts *Big Time* in the Shrieking Shack.  I mean, he is really 
chewing the scenery there.  He has good reason to be miffed
(confronting the man who set him up), but the clawing the air and 
all is almost over the top.

There's also the Hagrid Problem.  Giving Dudley a pig tail.  
Slamming Karkaroff against a tree.  Falling completely to pieces 
when the chips are down.  Hagrid overreacts, too.

I hope we can get past the Sirius and Hagrid Problem, though.  
Because if you look at other characters, the ones who seem to 
overreact and overact are often the villians.  Voldemort and "Leave 
him to me!"  Pettigrew and his sobbing, trembling, begging, crying.  
And the Ever So Evil To The Core Snape, who loses his cool entirely 
both in the Shrieking Shack and afterward when Black escapes.  

Cindy