[HPforGrownups] Moaning Myrtle

[srsiriusblack at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 51407

In a message dated 01/02/2003 18:05:16 Eastern Standard Time, 
dorigen at hotmail.com writes:


> As someone has said, there are some characters who are so revolting that 
> when you're reading any scene when they appear, you want to hurry up and 
> get 
> past them. In my opinion, Moaning Myrtle belongs at the head of the list 
> (right above Rita Skeeter).
> 
> Most of the Hogwarts ghosts seem reasonably well-adjusted, like Professor 
> Binns or Nearly Headless Nick.  Even the Bloody Baron is just an 
> old-fashioned "classic" ghost. I don't think it's the method of death that 
> makes the difference, since Nearly Headless Nick presumably had a highly 
> traumatic death experience -- probably much worse than Moaning Myrtle, who 
> never knew what hit her.
> 
> Moaning Myrtle is *icky,* always talking about toilets and spying on people 
> 
> taking baths.  And she's randomly spiteful (like Peeves), always glad when 
> something bad happens to someone (like Hermione and the Polyjuice Potion 
> fiasco.) Furthermore, by her own word she used to be even nastier until the 
> 
> Ministry of Magic suppressed her ("stalking" Olive Hornsby, even at her 
> brother's wedding).

I have to agree with you here. I was reading your post and thinking, ' 
well... yes... and...'
Moaning Myrtle is from what I can the embodiment of stereotypical bipolar 
disorder. She is depressed. And, as with many characters in literature and 
film, she has manic episodes- hers however are borne through the pain and 
suffering of others. She shows traits of OCD--- haunting her childhood 
tormentor until she was forced to go back to the loo at Hogwarts. 

Actually, I never really thought of how much her character bothers me until 
your post.

We have discussed a lot of stereotyping in the books in these discussions, 
and perhaps I am biased as I despise seeing mentally ill people portrayed 
constantly in degrading stereotypes.. but I think I might be on to something 
here...

ideas?
-Snuffles
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty 
recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the 
dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with 
open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."  T.E. Lawrence- Seven Pillars of 
Wisdom


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