Why I hate Hagrid

[Laura]

No: HPFGUIDX 56406

Robin said (of Jenny's list of reasons to hate Hagrid)
> > >
Many of these reasons are very petty. Many of these "faults" are 
found in many of the main characters.
> > > 

jenny from ravenclaw wrote:
> > >
So what?  That's what we do around here: come up with trivial, often 
petty things and analyze them until we're all blue in the face.  
That's why I love this list and have stuck around for more than two 
years.  

I never said other characters don't have faults as well, because some 
of them have staggeringly glaring faults.  Really, it's not that I 
think Hagrid is evil or a jerk or anything.  I know he has a good 
heart - I really do!  I just find his characterization irritating.  I 
feel like JKR wants us to find Hagrid endearing and to smile 
indulgently and say "Oh, that Hagrid!" when he whips out another 
snarling beast as a pet.  I just can't do that.  It's also hard for 
me to *not* think as the teacher I am when reading the scenes where 
Hagrid is attempting to educate the Hogwarts students.  It irks me to 
no end that I *know* Hagrid knows his stuff but his own bias 
toward "interestin' creatures" gets in the way of him being an 
excellent COMC professor.
> > >

Those are some of the same problems I've had.  I've never really 
*liked* Hagrid, but I've never really *disliked* him.  Dumbledore 
obviously trusts him, so I do too; I think a lot of the clues that 
he's a bumbling fool are way off- I've just never been given much of 
a reason to *like* him.  I understand perfectly why Harry does, he's 
rescued Harry from the scene of his parents' death and from the 
Dursley's, but as a reader, I haven't really cared for him too much.  
I'm open-minded and willing to change, but I have yet to see anything 
in the books that makes me see Hagrid as a very lovable, heroic 
character.  But that's just me.

> > >
Darrin is onto something, though, because Trelawney sucks, too, but 
boy, is that another thread!
> > >

Excellent point.  *ducks missiles before she even makes the next 
comment*  I'd even say that, despite the fact that she overdoes 
things, she's almost as bad as Snape.  Luckily for all of us, no one 
takes her seriously.  But if they did (and *she* thinks they 
*should*)- I mean, come on.  Constantly predicting the sudden and 
horribly violent death of one of her students?  We know she's a huge 
fraud, but does she honestly and seriously think all the stuff she 
says about Harry is true?  (serious question, I often wonder this.)  
Because if she doesn't and is just saying all this stuff to be 
dramatic (as McGonagall implies by saying she does that every year), 
well, that's about as sadistic as anything Snape does, IMHO.  *still 
ducking*

-Laura