Anatomy of a Rift/Misdirection

[abigailnus <abigailnus@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52177

I really want to thank all the people who answered my question.  
I always feel a bit sheepish asking a question on which I have no 
definitive ideas myself - as if I were asking everyone else to do 
my homework for me - and I'm glad so many people found the 
question interesting enough to sound off on.  I'm especially 
pleased that my greatest fear when I posted proved unfounded.  
I was expecting quite a few responses chiding me for my quaint 
fascination with authorial intent.  In reality, only Dicentra said:

>>Part of the reason I didn't contemplate the "why" of it all is that I
did time in a graduate literary criticism program. Discovering hidden
things that don't really have any meaning is what we did 24/7. :D >>

In general I would agree that Betrayed!Ron could be one of those 
hidden aspects of the text that have no meaning.  There are after all 
many thoeries and interpretations that have at their core the 
assumption that reality in the Potterverse is not as it has been 
presented to us - MAGIC DISHWASHER, The Twins as Bullies, 
Subversive!Neville, Insert-Character-Here Is Ever So Evil, to name but 
a few.  Some of these theories try to predict the future, and others 
bill themselves as interpretations that require no support from canon 
to remain valid, or as a deliberately skewed view of the text.  What 
is therefore my problem with placing Betrayed!Ron in that category, 
and embracing it wholeheartedly?

In my original post I characterised JKR's actions as a bait-and-switch 
- we think we're seeing Jealous!Ron, when in fact the text supports 
Betrayed!Ron.  Having recently finished reading a book about 
magicians (Glen David Gold's Carter Beats the Devil, which is quite 
good) it occurs to me that a more accurate term for what JKR is 
doing with Ron in GoF might be Misdirection.  

Dicentra said:

>>t's entirely possible that JKR didn't realize that the reader *would*
follow Harry into the deception so easily. Given that Jealous!Ron
doesn't exist in Books 1-3, she might have thought we knew Ron well
enough interpret the situation correctly.>>

Do you really think that's likely?  I don't think I was overstating the 
case when I said that JKR was leading her readers by the hand 
towards Jealous!Ron.  First, it's suggested by Hermione, who is not 
only the smartest and most emotionally mature member of the Trio, 
but is also almost always *right*.  I really love the idea of Hermione 
for once being dead wrong, but that's never acknowledged in the 
text, so the readers have no reason not to believe her.  This trust 
colors the readers' perception of all of Ron's actions until the end 
of the Rift.  Dicentra did a great job of pointing out how everything 
we perceive as a manifestation of Jealous!Ron can more accurately 
be ascribed to Betrayed!Ron, but the fact remains that the reader 
is predisposed towards Jealous!Ron, which becomes the dominant 
reading.  Finally, in case there were any doubts in the reader's mind, 
Ron's reaction to his newfound celebrity after the Second Task, or 
more accurately Harry's editorial comments about that reaction, 
cement the Jealous!Ron reading.

But as Dicentra points out, if we don't allow Hermione's interpretation 
to color our perception, Jealous!Ron is almost completely contradicted 
by canon.  I see three possible explanations for this:

1. Dicentra is wrong - there is no Betrayed!Ron
2. Sloppy writing on JKR's part.
3. Misdirection - JKR wants us to believe in Jealous!Ron even though 
     it simply isn't true.

For the most obvious reason in the world - that they are no fun at all 
- I'm going to ignore options 1& 2.  In other words, if we choose to 
accept Betrayed!Ron, we must also accept that JKR is using 
Misdirection and we must therefore ask why.  Let's look at Misdirection 
in other places in the books.

Misdirection theories are unique among Things Are Not As They Seem 
theories in that they rely on Harry's (and the readers') obliviousness 
- the evidence is in front of him, and us, but is ignored or 
misinterpreted.  X Is Ever So Evil theories are therefore not Misdirection 
theories, as those kinds of massive upheavals specifically require that 
all evidence in the text be completely opaque until a second reading.  

The most popular and easily noticable Misdirection is Evil!Snape (in 
fact there are two Evil!Snape misdirections - the first is contained 
entirely in PS, where Snape keeps us from noticing Quirrel).  Many 
posters have pointed out that when he is unaware that Harry can 
observe him, Snape behaves with greater decency (relatively speaking), 
but until the very end of GoF, Harry never considers this (it might be 
argued that the Misdirection regarding Snape has already been partly 
paid off in the revelation that Snape is a reformed DE and on 
Dumbledore's team). 

Another widely acknowledged Misdirection is MagicallyWeak!Neville.  
Elkins and others have pointed out that though Harry believes, and 
encourages the reader to believe, that Neville is a poor wizard, the 
text actually shows us a Neville with a great deal of magical ability 
but without the ability to control it.  There are several theories on a 
possible payoff to this Misdirection, and it is used in support of many 
Memory Charm theories.

The one thing that all these Misdirections have in common is a Bangy 
payoff (either already witnessed in the books or presumed in the 
various theories that presuppose the existance of a Misdirection).  So, 
if JKR is using Misdirection to keep us from seeing Betrayed!Ron, 
where's the Bang?

Unlike Evil!Snape and MagicallyWeak!Neville, Jealous!Ron is not 
radically divergent from the actual truth as supported by the text.  
I pointed out in my original message that Betrayed!Ron could also be 
called Jealous-of-His-Position-with-Harry!Ron.  In fact, Cindy, (who 
tried to answer my question before I even asked it) switched over to 
Betrayed!Ron, but maintainted the opinion that the GoF Rift 
foreshadows a betrayal of Harry by Ron, a position usually supported 
by Jealous!Ron.

>>Although I suspect others have said this many 
times before, let me suggest that the reason is to set the stage for 
a Second Betrayal of Ron by Harry. In other words, maybe something 
is coming where Ron will once again sense a deep betrayal by Harry. 
Only this time, Ron won't be quite so quick to forgive. This time, 
Ron won't trust Harry. Or come to Harry's aid.>>

Ron betraying Harry certainly Bangs, but why go to all the trouble of 
hiding Betrayed!Ron?  Why not just stick with Jealous!Ron, or reveal 
the truth at the end of GoF?

Several responses dealt with what the Rift has taught Harry, and the 
readers:

Pipping suggested:

>>It lays the groundwork for future misinterpretations of Ron by 
Hermione, and also for Harry to learn that sometimes 
Hermione's help does more harm than good. It might even lead 
him to reject her help at some point...and how would *she* react 
to that?>>

Elkins offered, before performing an amazing feat of substition by 
turning a discussion of Harry and Ron into a fascinating musing on 
loyalty, fealty and, of course, Crouch Sr.:

> The Rift may serve to point out to Harry the necessity of someone 
> in his position appreciating the *particular* considerations owed 
> to those who have proven themselves willing to lay down their lives
> for you or for your cause.  It serves as both a warning and as a
> challenge to Harry: a reminder that fealty is a two-way street,
> that those destined to lead have serious responsibilities and 
> obligations to those who follow them -- responsibilities which 
> *must* not be neglected, not even through oversight or accident.

These would both be very good possibilities, if it weren't for the fact 
that Harry at the end of GoF has no reason to believe that the Rift 
was caused by anything but jealousy.  Annemehr points out that he 
may yet figure it out, but then what?  Why not place this revelation 
in GoF, where it belongs, unless it is part of a larger (and Bangier) 
revelation?

Several posters, included Dicentra in her original post, pointed out 
that, at the end of the Rift, Ron is the only member of the Trio in 
position to truly understand what happened.  If he puts two and 
two together, he might even work out that Harry got the idea for 
Jealous!Ron from Hermione (although I'm the first to admit that 
putting two and two together isn't what Ron does best).  The only 
problem is that we don't get to see inside of Ron's head, so the 
fact that he may have gained new insight to his two best friends 
is hardly Bangy in itself.  It may lead to other Bangs, however.

Steve suggested:

>>To those who CAN see Jealous!Ron but can't see Betrayed!Ron, it seems
 that your resistance is based on the belief that whatever!Ron has to
lead to a bad thing. That it has to be a dividing force. Jealous!Ron
leads to the Betrayer!Ron. You are subconsciously searching for the
force that tears them apart. Maybe the force you should be looking for
is the force that bonds them together.

<snip>

This is the event that confirms the love between them (no not slash
love), and foreshadows Ron's self-sacrific.

Jealous!Ron leads to Betrayer!Ron.

But Mistakenly-Betrayeed!Ron leads to Now-Loved-More-Than-Ever!Ron
which in turn leads to
He-Who-Holds-His-Friends-Life-as-Greater-than-His-Own-and-Willing-to-Sacrifice-H\
imself!Ron.

Self-Sacrifice!Ron is not a new idea, it's been around for ages. So
why can't Friendship_Renewed_Greater_Than_ Ever lead to
Self-sacrifice!Ron.>>

I can accept that Jealous!Ron doesn't necessarily lead to bad things, 
because having been tested, Harry and Ron's friendship is now 
indeed stronger than ever.  But as I said in my original message, we 
already know that Ron is willing to sacrifice himself for Harry.  The 
fact that this conviction has been strenghened frankly doesn't Bang, 
and therefore can't be the payoff to a Misdirection.

I hope that I don't seem churlish in rejecting so many of the 
suggestions that people have made - especially as I still have no ideas 
myself.  I like best Pippin's suggestion that Harry will mistakenly ascribe 
to a jealous motivation to Ron's actions, but I can't say that I'm 
completely sold on it.  However, I'm willing at this point to accept the 
advice offered by Dicentra, who, when I said:

> 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. 

Answered:

>>Tuh! Do it anyway! :D

OK!

Abigail
Who wishes everyone celeberating Valentine's Day a happy one.  
Those of you not celebrating, however, might be interested in article 
on Salon.com about child slave-labor in chocolate industry. :-)