Emotion release (was: Harry's tears)

[amy_marblefeet <amy_marblefeet@yahoo.co.uk>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49343

Tyler wrote:
>I was really hoping Harry would have a good sob at the end of GoF. 
>Hell, I needed emotional release after reading it, I'm sure Harry 
>needed some as well!

I needed some too.  I am also rather frustrated at the lack portrayal 
of very powerful emotions in the book, especially that of grief.  You 
are right though, Harry does cry in PS/SS at the end where Dumbledore 
tells him of his mother's "ancient magic" of love that protected 
him.  But rather than let him have a good cry and for Dumbledore to 
tell Harry that it is OK to cry he "became very interested in a bird 
out on the window-sill which gave Harry time to dry his eyes on his 
sheet."

Even at the end of GoF Harry is denied an emotional release by 
Hermiones capture of Rita Skeeter.  

"Now the burning feeling was in his throat, too.  He wished Ron would 
look away. .... he was screwing up his face against the howl of 
misery fighting to get out of him.
There was a loud slamming noise and Harry and Mrs Weasly broke 
apart...."

Then Harry drinks his potion and becomes detached for the rest of the 
term spending it quietly with Ron and Hermione.

Anger, resentment and most headstrong emotions are portrayed very 
well in the books especially from the characters of Harry and Snape.  
But there has yet to be a truly emotional scene where a main 
character breaks down completely and looses himself in grief.  
Hermione has cried a good deal but that was under stress and not 
grief.

Another emotion that I feel is missing is fear.  The kind that Ron 
quite painfully felt in CoS when he followed the spiders with Harry.  
Yes, Harry has been scared but too many things have been happening, 
distracting him from the type of fear that builds over time.  The 
feeling that something bad could happen at anytime, the fact he is 
going to die, the type of fear that would make even a reader change 
their underwear.  I hope in future books if and when Harry is 
captured he is made to wait in a closed off cell listening to the 
torture of his friends, knowing he is next.  Now that is fear.

Amy