OOP: James' Behaviour normal? [Was: Humor and Tone (Was Questions for JKR)]

[newdella]

No: HPFGUIDX 68189

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "medeacallous" 
<medeacallous at y...> wrote:
 
> This is a question to anyone who has an opinion: I've read several 
> emails (I'm very behind in reading posts, unfortunately) that 
> suggest that James' and Sirius' behaviour towards Snape in the 
> Pensieve (assuming it's a truthful depiction, but that's another 
> discussion) is normal for 15 year old boys.
> 
> What exactly does that mean, 'normal'?  I don't know if I grew up 
in 
> some kind of utopia, but where I come from, physically restraining, 
> hurting, humiliating and exposing the underclothes of a schoolmate 
> in front of a crowd of people is not only abnormal, it would result 
> in a jail term.
> 
> MC

I'd like to add that bullying and physical violence in school yards 
is not rare or unusal.  Nor is it just 15 year old boys.  When I was 
about 12 I was regularly taunted and on several occassions beaten up 
by another girl in my class.  I never told anyone.  My bruses were 
explained away by the fact that I was atheltic and would be injured 
during sports.  These memories still hurt, the wounds are still 
there.  However, if today, I were to see the daughter of my 
tourmenter I would not treat her unjustly.  

I am not excusing James behavior towards Snape at 15 nor am I 
excusing Snapes behavior to Harry.  I think they were all wrong.  But 
in RL it happens and it hurts both physically and emotionally.  Those 
emotional injuries don't always go away.    

Okay, back to work.

Rosebeth