Book Review: The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter (long)

[jenny_ravenclaw <meboriqua@aol.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49075

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Penny Linsenmayer 
<pennylin at s...> wrote:

>What Westman is saying is that Ron *is* prejudiced (and JKR is using 
Ron to highlight it as bigotry).  She notes his reaction to Lupin and 
obvious prejudice against werewolves in PoA and then argues that by 
GOF, we the readers know that his reaction to Lupin was not just an 
odd quirk .... his reaction to giants and the House Elves confirm this 
pattern.  I've argued this before, though without much success against 
the most vociferous Ron fans in our midst.  :--)> 

Hi!

Penny, you may be pleased to know that this once vociferous Ron fan is 
no longer such a strong supporter of the last Weasely boy.  It only 
took two years of being a member of HPFGU, but there you go.  I still 
stand by my SHIPping views, though.  :-P

Ron is prejudiced.  He is also extremely easily influenced by others, 
which, even in the best of circumstances is not a good thing.  His 
opinion has largely been formed by what he has heard from others.  Ron 
does not strike me as someone who thinks things through on his own.  
He is an interesting contrast to Hermione, who seems to pretty much 
*only* think things through on her own (I love that about her).  If he 
had heard as a child that giants were good (let's say he overheard the 
twins talking), that's what he would have repeated to Harry... and Ron 
would have believed it, still without any proof.

Ron makes a lot of assumptions and relies quite heavily on 
stereotypes.  He even jumped to conclusions about his best friend over 
the Triwizard Tournament and assumed Harry somehow tricked the goblet 
without ever confirming that with Harry himself.  Unfortunately Ron 
is, IMO, often a very accurate representation of real people - don't 
you think?

--jenny from ravenclaw **********************