Means Stature (was: midget in glasses,)

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51018

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "serenadust <jmmears at c...>"
<jmmears at c...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Erica <cymru1ca at y...>" 
> <cymru1ca at y...> wrote:
> 
> > Yes compared with Ron, Harry has a 'lack of height' ...edited... 
> > Harry is of average stature; ...edited... There is, for all 
> > appearances, nothing 'extraordinary' about him.
> >  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

> Jo Serenadust replied:
>  
> Sorry to keep flogging this comatose horse, but I still think that 
> in the context Trelawney is using "mean" she "means" that Harry is 
> short (not the mathematical "mean" ie average).
> 
> GoF Chapter 13
> 
> "I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the 
> heavens at the moment of your birth...Your dark hair..your mean 
> stature...tragic losses so young in life... I think I am right in 
> sayin, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?"
> 
> "No," said Harry, "I was born in July."
> 
> (This exchange cracks both me and Ron up)
> 
> ...edited...  I don't see why she would mention his "average" 
> height as a distinguishing characteristic for those born in 
> midwinter.  

>
> ..edited... I still think that Trelawney is describing Harry's
> stature as small, rather than average.
> 
> Jo Serenadust

bboy_mn:
Well, you will double pardon me for going beyond whipping a dead horse
to kicking his rotting carcass.

Sadly, I interpreted the 'mean stature' phrase to indicate Harry's
demeanor; Harry being dark, quiet, and introspective. The dark, quiet,
brooding, and introspective characteristics all seemed to be traites
of a 'winter' person. 

Although, upon reading this thread, it becomes obvious that 'mean
stature' is similar to 'average height'. Maybe the implication is that
people born in the winter are stunted, they don't thrive and flourish
as rapidly as someone born in the spring. I guess if I apply the
'stunted' concept, I can see Trelawney implying that.

Just to belabor the point even more, isn't there a difference between
average and mean. In a statistical analysis, isn't it possible for the
mean and the average to be two different points on the chart. To some
extent, doesn't a mean have to be a real data point, whereas an
average is a calculation of the middle range of values which yeilds a
data point that may not actually exist in the data set? (Did any of
that make sense?)

Anyway from a logical perspective, the 'dark, quiet, brooding' made
sense in reference to the description of a winter person which is why
I went with it, but in hindsight and in view of this discussion, it
seems pretty clear that I was wrong.

Just a thought or two.

bboy_mn