Ron in touch w/ feelings, Harry comforting? (was Hurt-Comfort)

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 39243

Penny wrote:

>I think at this point in the canon, Harry is head & shoulders above >Ron in 
>the department of being in touch with his feelings and being >capable of 
>having and responding to his own emotions as well as those >of others.

Well, it's hard to know how in touch characters are with their own feelings. 
  Harry generally is, sometimes isn't, and we know it because we're privy to 
his thoughts, and of course his churning stomach, tight throat, etc.  I 
don't know about Ron--as with many real-life people I know, I *wonder* how 
in touch he is, how deep his feelings run, etc., but can only look at his 
behavior and try to guess.  He wears his feelings on his sleeve more than a 
lot of people, less than others.  I don't know if people who are easiest to 
read are necessarily the most in touch with their feelings.

But to the other part:  are you suggesting that Harry's better at comforting 
people?  That was the original context, but I'm not sure if you left it 
behind when you switched to Harry or meant to carry it over.  He has a very 
well-developed sense of empathy, and maybe if I pay attention on my next 
read through I'll notice him acting on it by being "comforting,"  but off 
the top of my head I can't think of many examples (his offering Neville his 
Chocolate Frog is a touching one . . . you can tell that the way to Amy's 
heart is to be nice to Neville).  Harry reaches out in a certain way, e.g. 
suggesting that they make up with Hermione, apologizing to Hagrid for not 
helping with Buckbeak's defense, or trying to restrain Dobby from braining 
himself, but that's different than being comforting.  Like Ron, he seems 
about as comfortable with being comforting as your average adolescent boy, 
namely, not very.

Amy Z

------------------------------------------
  Grenouille: I cannot go with you to the
market today, Crapaud.
  Crapaud: But Grenouille, I cannot carry
the cow alone.
            -Quidditch Through the Ages
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