OOP: Sirius thoughts ...

[zebco606]

No: HPFGUIDX 67649

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "minetourjunkie" 
> <sarah_wendling at h...> wrote:
> > The space for the spoilers ...
> > 
> > 
> > Pippin said (with some snipping):
> > > > Sirius never had a sense of purpose beyond catching up 
> with Peter 
> > > > and fighting Voldemort. 
> > 
> > Marianne replied: 
> > > That may very well be true, but I think you could cut the man 
> maybe 
> > > an inch of slack in that he's spent most of the past 14 years 
> in 
> > > isolation from other humans. He hasn't had much of a 
> chance to reconnect to wizard life outside of the narrow focus of 
> concentrating on Voldemort and Peter.  But, we'll never know as  
> that story arc has been cut.<<
> 
> I'm not saying Sirius deserved to die because of his flaws, 
> anymore than I would say that  drunk drivers deserve to cause 
> accidents. Saying that Sirius's flaws led to his death is not 
> saying that he deserved to die on  account of them.
> 
> >Sarah said:
> > First off, I think Sirius did have other senses of purpose (can 
> you pluralize that?): protecting Harry for starters.  
> <snip>
> 
> > Again, I'm not sure his life was organized around the fight 
> against  evil.  A good deal of his motivation seems to come from 
> guilt over  James' death and a need to protect Harry at all costs 
> to make up for his earlier mistakes.  And he seems to genuinely 
> like the boy.  I  wouldn't blame Sirius for his death either - I
> mean, 
> if your  kid/surrogate kid was in mortal peril, are you gonna sit 
> around and  hope for the best?  Especially if you were a good 
> fighter?  I don't  think wanting to protect Harry is a flaw. <
> 
> That is where we disagree, I think. Harry, though still legally a 
> child, does not need protection any more.  Sirius spends most of 
> OOP feeling sorry for himself because he can't take care of 
> Harry, even though he knows in his heart Harry doesn't need to 
> be looked after or protected any more. That's what I mean about 
> losing his sense of purpose. There was work for Sirius to do in 
> the house--making it fit to live in and taking care of Kreacher--
but 
> he refused to do it. <snip>
> 
> Sirius didn't get a chance to solve his attitude problems because 
> the reader has to realize that Harry's life is at stake if he 
doesn't 
> solve his--or develops new ones. Harry hasn't only got to defeat 
> Voldemort, he has to do it while remaining humble, letting go of 
> grudges and considering other peoples' welfare. If he doesn't do 
> that, he may well  become an agent of evil even if Voldemort 
> himself is defeated.
> 
> Pippin

I just couldn't disagree with this more. Sure, Sirius is flawed, as 
I have stated in another post, the great thing about JKR is that she 
doesn't give us milquetoast, one-dimensional good guys. 

If you knew, personally, that all those that mattered to you were 
out fighting a dangerous fight, but one that mattered above all 
things to you, had profoundly affected your life and the lives of 
those you loved for ill....only the biblical Job could have stood to 
stay home cleaning house. (Sirius the victim of reverse sexism?)

Not only he is forced to feel ineffective, Snape (perhaps others?) 
sneer at him for his uselessness. 

Sirius, as a member of the Order of Phoenix, is aware of what it is 
they are taking pains to guard. I doubt any of those guarding the 
prophecy are unaware of its' contents. But even if this is untrue, 
he still knows that Voldemort is at large (the man responsible for 
his time in Azkaban, the death of his best friend, the list goes on)

How can we be judgemental of his desire for action. If he is 
reckless, no more than Mr. & Mrs. Weasley, putting themselves at 
risk when they are responsible for their children, no more than 
Dumbledore, taking the responsibility of the prophecy on his 
shoulders, no more than Harry, running to Sirius "rescue" or 
Hermione or Ron or Neville or Ginny

The people in JKR's books are like real people, very few of us are 
completely good, or all bad. We have seen more sides of many 
characters in this book to pity or to judge. 

I for one thought Sirius deepest motivator was love, and from this, 
as well as other things, his actions spring.

Dorothy