Thoughts on Ron Weasley

[greatelderone]

No: HPFGUIDX 72000

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "karenoc1" <karenoc1 at y...> 
wrote:
>I've been catching up with some of the recent posts, and I thought I 
> needed to get something out....  Basically, I'm kind of concerned 
> about perceived weaknesses in Ron; I don't see him as weak at all.  
> Is he the weak link that will ultimately betray Harry to Voldemort 
as 
> Peter Pettigrew did to James.  

Not in the fashion of actively going de and handing them to 
Voldemort, but ultimately the one who inadvertently betrays his dear 
friends and places them in danger in a rash moment of weakness.
 
> Ron is strong, as strong 
> as Harry and Hermione;

No he isn't. He was extremely susceptible to the jeers of the 
Slytherins and only remained because Angelina refused to allow him to 
quit and only overcame them during the last game against Ravenclaw. 

>Ron is a leader, as are Harry and Hermione.

He is more of a follower. He for example never questioned Harry about 
his false vision while Hermione did so and didn't encourage him to go 
back to Snape and ask for occlumency lessons. Furthermore as prefect 
he never rose to the occasion of leadership and instead allowed 
George and Fred to boss him around.

>helping  Harry practice for his Tournament tasks; 

By making himself the guinea pig is more like it.

>(and  standing up for Harry)

 Only when Hermione did. And don't forget this is the same friend 
that became actively jealous of him for being picked for the 
triwizard tournament and didn't listen to his denials when he said he 
didn't put his name in and who was still jealous of his friends 
wealth and fame afterwards. 

> Sure Ron is jovial and fun-loving, but he also has a great sense of 
> responsibility-- for his family and for his friends.  Personally, I 
> feel Ron does indeed have a lot in common with another character in 
> the Potter Universe: his father, Arthur Weasley.  

How so? Arthur is the iconoclast who willingly goes against the 
societal norms and does what he believes is right and treats those 
regarded by his society as inferiors with a certain amount of respect 
while Ron is the one who is still held in check by his prejudices and 
who is relatively immature. 

>  And we have seen time and again 
>that Ron respects his father's opinions above all others.
  
What? Ron has said over and over again that he hates being poor and 
that he thought that his father had a crappy and boring job which 
just shows how much respect he has for his father.

Besides if he holds his father's opinion in such high regard he would 
have treated Hermione and her SPEW campaign with a greater amount of 
tact and respect.

> Ron ultimately turn out to be weak?  Based on the evidence, I don't 
> believe so.

Trying to turn a blind eye I see :). We'll see who is right when the 
last book is out and then you can laugh at me or admit that I/We were 
right.