Understanding characters, was Harry's sexual preference

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 78814

Evangelina:" I agree with anyone who states that it wouldn't mean
anything to the storyline, but I don't see that as a good 
 argument against why it would never happen. Personally I don't think
Ginny  dating Michael Corner does much for the storyline (yes I know
he probably went to the Hog's Head because Ginny was his girlfriend,
but he could just as well have been a friend of hers), but we find out
anyway."

Evangelina:" I just don't see why on earth gay relationships have to
be  completely out of the question when we spend so much time
constructing straight SHIPs. Because if it doesn't do much for the
storyline in the first place, I don't see a reason to rule it out as
it won't matter anyway."

You're missing out on a lot if those details don't matter.  These
stories are as much about Harry growing up as they are about the plot,
so the development of Harry and his friends as people is important to
us and the storyline.  It's a big part of the richness of JKR's
creation.  I want to know how Ginny is growing up, and whether she and
Harry might find each other someday. 

SHIPpers have their own reasons for SHIPping, but part of it just
about has to be an abiding interest in the characters as people.  I
happen to be a Harry/Hermione shipper because I see them as a perfect
yin and yang, exactly complementary to each other, and see them
converging. If I'm right, that's important to the storyline. 

I use my impressions of the characters to predict how they will behave
in the future, so the characters do affect the plot. (You'd have a
tough time figuring out Shakespeare if you didn't analyze characters.)
Anything that touches on their identities affects the story as a
whole.  IOW, you have to get the characters right.

So I disagree with any proposition that the personalities and
identities of the characters don't matter.  In the Potterverse,
everything matters.

Jim Ferer