Re: Harry, that useless character – oh, of course!

[errolowl]

No: HPFGUIDX 69581




Good call Josephine. Get your coffee and come pull up a chair.

Why, oh why do we read the HP books? Plot, narrative, whimsy, 
delightful imagination, wry humor, mischief, life lessons, alluring 
amalgamation of folklore, cultural references, and characterization
– to name just a few of course. Oh, and simply Unforgettable 
characters. Harry included.

He didn't start out that way though. Harry himself definitely
would never consider himself a startling character or wonderful 
person. So when Josephine says:

>>Harry Potter is boring. Harry Potter is dull. Harry Potter never 
comes around to doing anything. He isn't particularly talented, not 
charming, smart, friendly, witty, good-looking, funny, or even evil 
or conspiratory. In fact, Harry Potter has no function except 
carrying the whole frickin' story upon his ruddy adolescent shoulders 
(...)<<


I'm compelled to admit that I whole heartedly agreed with her
–-up until PoA. Personally, I like a strong hero – especially
in a story that singles out one individual for attention, the hero 
has to be worth the hype and the page time devoted to him, or there 
is no *point*. In such cases, the story would more pleasing as a 
narrative among equals. Which is why I (misguidedly!) did my best to 
ignore the title of the first two books. The HP stories, I told 
myself, were about a whimsical other world that co-existed with ours. 
The main character of the books *was* the magical world. No need to 
struggle desperately to convince myself that Harry was special. He 
was just another kid. A nice one, but uninteresting, flat, 
transparent, and very so-so. 

But I couldn't let it be. I inexplicable started *liking* that
kid. That complicated things, that did! Forced to go back through the 
pages to justify my unreasonable reaction, I finally noticed what my 
subconscious had got a hold of – Harry, the champion of personal 
courage. 

How else do you come through a bleak abused child hood with both 
dignity and humor intact? Harry wears his heart on his sleeve and 
refuses to give up on imagination or humor or kindness. Did that 
resilience come from the sheer fact of being magical? No, if Snape is 
any indication, I think not. Harry's resilience is his own,
springing from the core of his character – a stubborn belief in 
goodness, and a deeply ingrained sense of values. 

Re-reading even those first books from that perspective, Harry WOWed 
me. Self restraint in dealing with the Dursleys. The self belief to 
make up his own mind and strike out alone into the wizarding world. 
The lack of necessity to follow a crowd. Standing up for what he 
believes in – even while overwhelmed and alone in a strange and 
dangerous new world (Ah, how I cheered when he wouldn't shake Draco's 
hand!). The instinctive, unthinking, unselfconscious urge for 
heroism – setting that poor Boa free and defeating the troll were 
surely nacent signs of his "Hero Complex"? He is interesting
because of his dilemmas and his choices, not because he is a 
traditional `dashing hero'.

As Deb so nicely put it - >>integrity, honour, courage, honesty, 
loyalty etc. All of which Harry Potter has in abundance.<<

I couldn't agree more. All this, hidden in plain sight. Harry
takes all these attributes to be so normal and mundane, he never 
gives himself credit for it. Furthermore, we as readers are 
encouraged to take it at Harry's perspective. All these 
characteristics are present in everybody surely, what's such a
big deal? You and I could do as much. Perhaps. But that doesn't
make Harry any less heroic –it just puts heroism within our reach
as
well. 

Harry is the ultimate hero, his greatest asset being the heart of a 
champ. He teaches us to keep our sense of humor through tough times, 
that there is no shame in grieving, that fame and fortune are nothing 
compared to personal friendships and doing the right thing, that 
loyalty still counts, and that even the best of us are fallible. 

With all this, who needs him to be handsome, brilliant, suave and 
smooth? (not that he isn't, anyway! <wink to Jenny of Ravenclaw>) 
Compared to what he *does* have, those are nothing. No witty answers, 
dazzling swordplay, or cunning conspiracy will stand up to pure, 
unadulterated strength of character.

Harry frequently shames me into taking another good look at my life
– and that he can do so without being a preachy paragon of
virtue is his most amazing characteristic of all.

Harry moves the story just by *Being*.


Errol
Who is not usually into sappy essays. I swear!