When Harry met Draco, or Pride and Prejudice (non-SHIP)

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 78747

 "Kirstini" <kirst_inn at y...> wrote:
<huge snip>
> Essentially, then, Harry's political awareness to prejudice 
> originated as a defensive manoeuvre, and perpetuates as a gut 
> reaction. He exhibits similar behaviour in OoP, where his reaction 
> against Umbridge originates in the fact that she is against *him* 
> (that and the fact that she's physically unattractive, I suspect

> boys! <g>) – no evidence of progression made from his first ever 
> Potions lesson, where Harry's dislike of Snape grows as a defensive 
> reaction to Snape's unfair treatment of him – a small step from 
this 
> to accusing him of being an agent of Voldemort, and then again 
> to "never being able to forgive Snape" when he requires a handy 
> scapegoat for Sirius' death <waves to Pip and Catlady>. Ditto 
> Umbridge. It's Hermione, obviously more politically aware, who 
> assists the narrative in building up a clear picture of Umbridge's 
> racist beliefs in the scene where she alerts the others to Umbridge 
> undermining Hagrid. 

Laura:

Wouldn't you say that human motivation is more complex than your 
argument suggests?  We don't arrive at our beliefs after a detatched 
and dispassionate examination of the possible choices; our beliefs 
arise organically from who we are and what we experience.  Kids 
aren't able to reason the way adults are-they synapses just haven't 
begun to function that way.  Harry's beliefs about the world are part 
of his being.  Expecting him at age 11 to think and react like an 
adult is unrealistic.  But just because he has a belief about someone 
or something, that doesn't mean he can't change.  He is able to 
synthesize new information and alter or refine his beliefs 
accordingly (even if he's not happy about doing it).  For instance, 
he still hates Snape but he doesn't believe any longer that Snape's 
working for LV.  And look at Fudge-Harry starts out thinking in PoA 
that he's a sweet old guy who's on the right side of things and comes 
to realize that he's anything but.  Harry may not yet be aware of 
Umbridge's complete agenda, but he has good reasons to mistrust MoM 
officials.  So if Umbridge is defending a body Harry knows to be 
corrupt, he has every right to trust his immediate feelings of 
revulsion. 

<more snipping> 
> And of course, much has been made recently of Lupin's self-interest 
> on list. Another defensive manoeuvre? I wonder if Hermione's 
> ethical/political stance is, unconsciously, equally self-defensive? 
> Hermione discovers herself in a world which is perhaps not so 
> inclined to accept her as one of its own. Naturally more confident 
> than Harry, she responds not with resentment, but by trying to 
> change the ethical basis that world is founded upon...

Laura:

It sounds as if you're suggesting that behavior and beliefs, whether 
good or bad, are the result of unconscious desires on the part of the 
holder to justify and protect him/herself.  (Sorry for the awkward 
phrasing-it's the lawyer in me.)  I think it's much more complex than 
that (and I'm sure you do too-I'm probably simplifying your post). 

 Intelligent people try to maintain some level of self-awareness (or 
so they tell me) so that they are always seeking a balance between 
meeting the needs of self-interest with satisfying higher 
understandings of right and wrong.  A strong and determined mind can 
overrule simple self-interest and choose an abstract right.  Dear 
Severus is a perfect example of this.  He had, at least in his own 
mind, (down, Prank! Bad dog!) every reason to turn to LV and to stay 
with him.  Something changed his mind.  We don't know yet what that 
was, but we can see that he didn't go over to the Order because he 
loves the people in it or feels happier there.  It seems to me that 
Snape must have changed sides because of something he came to believe-
something that went against his immediate self-interest.  No wonder 
he's not a happy camper-his feelings haven't caught up to his 
intellect.


aside to Kneasy:  Remus shakes hands with DD at the end of PoA when 
he's preparing to leave the school, and with Harry in OoP when the 
advance guard arrives at Privet Drive.  And I seem to recall Arthur 
offering to shake hands with Vernon at least once and being ignored.