JKR and Ron Weasley

[C M]

No: HPFGUIDX 77734

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Arya" <dequardo at w...> wrote:
>>>Hmm, just on first impulse upon reading that quote, it seems 
perhaps, that Ron was spun off as a brainstorm to create a plot 
device, more of what he may do and who he is to Harry and not for the 
individual qualities of his own.<<<

Me: I think it's important to look at the quote in context:

"Q: You said earlier that Harry is the only character who is not 
based on someone you have known. Did you have friends like Ron and 
Hermione when you were growing up? 

JKR: As I said, Hermione is a caricature of me. Now Ron, that is 
interesting. I didn't mean to base him on anyone, but after I had 
been writing a bit, I realized he was a lot like a childhood friend 
of mine from school."

Me: I think that the "that is interesting" is referring to the fact 
that the interviewer specifically mentioned the idea of basing 
characters on friends and, in the case of Ron, it turned out to be 
correct. What I'd guess was also interesting to JKR is that she 
thought Ron, like Harry, was an original character and she realized 
later that that wasn't entirely so.

>>>Arya: I am beginnning to think more and more that Best-Friend-Ever!
Ron is just not the fate in store for the bloke. He's a mere plot 
device, noe more so than Evil (Create father figure and giver of hope 
to Harry and then kill off to guel anger and resentment towards 
Volde/bad guys).<<<

Me: I think we saw in OOP that Ron is more than Harry's best 
friend/faithful sidekick. While he's still those things, he's also 
developing an identity of his own. And I disagree that he's a mere 
plot device; he's been a major character since Book 1. If he's a plot 
device, who isn't?

CM, who firmly believes that Ron will remain loyal to Harry/The Order.