Ron: GoF: Betrayed or Jealous? Revisited.

[michelle_ravel]

No: HPFGUIDX 43803

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

> So, what say you all; jealousy or betrayal?

Is there no way that Ron could have felt BOTH jealous AND betrayed? 
Don't you think it's most likely that he felt a terrible mix of both 
emotions, letting them fuel one another until it all blew up into an 
anger that he couldn't control?

That seems the most plausible to me. Humans usually feel more than 
one emotion at one time.

I totally agree with you that Ron felt betrayed--you have made a 
wonderful case. You are right--Ron obviously feels very left out, and 
very alone.

But Hermione wasn't wrong when she said that Ron was jealous. Ron IS 
jealous of Harry and his fame. Ron has always wanted to be important--
we've known that since Book 1--and it's not a strech to assume that 
he was jealous in this situation.

Just remember how much fuel it added to Ron's fire when Harry was 
called for publicity photos. The FAMOUS Harry Potter got to him.

Ron is jealous of Harry, but he'd always been able to contain it 
before because Harry was his FRIEND. You see? But when he 
was "betrayed" (or at least FELT betayed, as you pointed out) it was 
too hard to contain his jealousy, and so it all began.

I don't think that the jealousy/betrayal debate really is a debate. I 
don't think it's an either/or.

Ron's too good a character to only feel one thing. He probably felt 
those two emotions, and tons more besides!

Michelle Ravel