Anatomy of a Rift

[annemehr <annemehr@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52063

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "abigailnus <abigailnus at y...>" 
<abigailnus at y...> wrote:
> First of all, bravo, Dicentra, on a thought-provoking and 
> compelling argument.

Annemehr:  ME TOO!

Abigail:
  I was all set to toss Jealous!Ron out 
> the window and replace him with a new and improved 
> Betrayed!Ron, but I'm afraid that I have one itsy-bitsy issue 
> to raise before I declare myself sold.  Not so much an issue 
> as a question, in fact, but a very important one.
> 
> What is the point?
> 
> What purpose is JKR serving by leading her readers by the 
> hand to the conclusion of Jealous!Ron, but in reality writing 
> text that supports Betrayed!Ron?  What narrative function 
> does this device serve?
> <snip>
> So why bother?  The only possible way the trick could be
>  justified would be if Harry and/or Ron were to learn the truth, 
> but as Dicentra points out, neither of them do.

Annemehr:
Harry hasn't, *so far.*  Don't forget that we're really only halfway 
through the story.  Ron, of course, *does* know the truth -- that 
Harry never did put his own name in the goblet without telling Ron, 
and that Harry was angry with Ron for thinking that he did.  Does Ron 
need to know that Harry, because of what Hermione said, was thinking 
that Ron was jealous?  Hard to say...

  What is the 
> importance of making the audience believe that Ron is prone 
> to being jealous of Harry when in fact he simply doesn't want 
> to be left behind?

Annemehr:
Perhaps the narrative function of the confusion (on the boys's part) 
is to inflate and prolong the rift, to make it a really big deal, a 
huge part of the story.  I don't think JKR minds if we are confused 
right along with Harry, as we may be about whether Snape or Malfoy 
ought to be the first suspect (in PS and CoS), whether Snape went to 
return to spying for Dumbledore at the end of GoF, or any number of 
conclusions the Trio jump to.
  
<snip>
> The reason that Jealous!Ron is so popular is that he paves the 
> way for a future betrayal of Harry, fueled by jealousy.  
> Obviously, Betrayed!Ron doesn't exist to counter that 
> assumption, because the assumption wouldn't exist in the first 
> place if it weren't for the GoF Rift.  Betrayed!Ron also couldn't 
> possibly be preparation for a future revelation - we have no 
> shortage of evidence of Harry's importance to Ron, so the 
> revelation that Ron is jealous of his position as Harry's second 
> is hardly earth-shattering and requires no subconcious 
> introduction in canon. 
> 
> So what's the point?
> 
> No, really, I'm asking.  I have no idea what the answer is, and 
> that's bugging me because Dicentra's argument makes a lot 
> of sense.  So, any thoughts?
> 
> Abigail



You know, I don't think I buy the theory that Ron will betray Harry 
out of jealousy, or that this rift was a foreshadowing of that.  I 
wonder if the point of this rift may have something to do with 
*strengthening* their bond -- that, if at some point, it looks on the 
surface to Ron that Harry has done something to betray him, Ron will 
remember this time in their fourth year and consciously determine to 
keep his trust in Harry this time.  I'm not sure JKR had any intention 
of fooling *us* into thinking Ron was jealous, or maybe just the 
unwary.  It's hard to say if she really thought so many of us would 
take Hermione's statement as the truth.  


Annemehr