Ron's Alleged Jealousy and Authorial Intention

[gwendolyngrace <gwendolyngrace@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52773

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dicentra63 <dicentra at x>" 
<dicentra at x> wrote:

> On the occasional gift, like the Omniculars.  

Ah, but Ron's embarrassed about the Omnioculars. He tries to pay him 
back, and is upset that his effort fails. Remember when they have the 
exercise with the Nifflers, and he finds out about the leprechaun 
gold? He gets peeved with Harry, not just for not telling him that he 
paid him back in fake money, but for not even *noticing* that he 
didn't have it anymore.

Here's another one, from PoA: "Why didn't they give me the map? I'm 
their brother." 

I don't have the books with me, and I don't have time to go through 
them, but I think it's immaterial, in some senses. Your definition of 
jealousy (cf. the Salieri reference) is jealousy taken to its 
extreme. I would agree that Ron's is more a sense of "envy" - that 
is, he is not *angry* at Harry or vengeful toward him for being, 
having, or whatever. He is at times angry at the world, at himself, 
at circumstances. He is not destructive, in the sense that he doesn't 
try to tear down what others have because he wants it. No, there's no 
underlying Ron-angst that says, "Well, if I can't have a pile of gold 
at Gringott's, no one can" and leads him to blow up the bank.

What there is is a deep, often bitter, defeatism, that sometimes 
leads him to lash out - "Why is everything I own rubbish?" and the 
like. Would he come to blows with Harry over it? Not really, I don't 
think so. On the other hand, as Hermione said, "everything seems to 
happen to Harry" (GoF, The Hungarial Horntail (?)) and there is 
evidence in the book that points to Ron feeling the odd-man-out, 
especially when also compared to his brothers. "I hate maroon," 
and "She always forgets I don't like corned beef," for example. 

But it's completely understandable that on occasion, he'd be a little 
petulant regarding Harry's continued prosperousness, even though he 
knows at a deeper level that Harry really doesn't have it all that 
easy. Jealousy need not be consuming or destructive. Jealousy does 
not necessarily equal hatred. Carry the emotion to its extremes and 
no, Ron doesn't have that. But "petty jealousy" (akin to "petty 
theft") - that, I think, we are meant to see and understand.

I think it does take the additional feeling of betrayal - of being 
left behind by Harry - to lead to the Rift. But the niffler incident 
occurs after they've made up, and he still gets p.o.'d, as I said. So 
no, I don't think he'd plot Harry's ruin a la Salieri, but neither do 
I think he's 100% completely comfortable with the dichotomy, either.

Gwen