Ginny's development

[Arya]

No: HPFGUIDX 72185

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "David" <dfrankiswork at n...> wrote:
> Penny wrote:
> 
> > As for Ginny, yes, she is a stronger character, albeit through an 
> unsatisfactory handling of her from my perspective.  Ooh, Ginny is a 
> prankster like Fred and George!  Ooh, Ginny has a sense of humor!  
> Ooh, Ginny has lots of friends!  Ooh, Ginny has boyfriends!  Ooh, 
> Ginny is a talented Quidditch player!  Ooh, Ginny is super woman!  
> Please.  Could we have had some *hint* of all that Ginny in previous 
> volumes, please?  I do like the stronger and improved Ginny, don't 
> misunderstand.  But, I as a reader feel cheated about how she was 
> developed in one fell swoop into such an overwhelming super-star.  
> So, while H/G is, IMO, in pretty much as strong a position as H/H, 
> I'm no closer to being in favor of H/G than ever before.  It doesn't 
> feel at all right to me.  So, I'll continue to hope that I'm right 
> and it's actually H/H in the end.    
> 
> I feel this is overstating it a little, in two ways.
> 
> First, while there is much about the detail of OOP Ginny that could 
> not have been predicted with certainty, many readers were able to 
> figure out, despite her lack of screen time in POA and GOF, that she 
> is in fact a major character.  There certainly are hints of her 
> forceful character, in standing up to her mother, and her worth, 
> notably that Hermione has time for her.  And we were given fair 
> warning that she is interested in boys.
> 
> Second, she is not a super-star.  Certainly not overwhelming.  She's 
> just come into focus.  I'm not sure whether OOP really leaves the 
> impression of a strong, integrated, fun-loving, feisty Ginny, but if 
> it does, IMO that's misdirection too.
> 
> I think we now have plenty of evidence from other characters that 
> apparently forgotten weaknesses may reappear in future.  So I think 
> it quite likely that we will see again the Ginny who wondered if she 
> could ever get Harry Potter to notice her - not that that's a H/G 
> point, just that desire for attention may reassert itself in a new 
> way.  And the girl who pestered her mother for a sight of him on the 
> train may reappear.  And the one who wondered if she'd be expelled.
> 
> How about a Ginny who's just certain she's going to fail all her 
> OWLs?  F&G's legacy is not all good.
> 
> David, who thinks *some* weak female characters are not a bad thing


I have heard this from others I have chatted with-- that Ginny just poped out of 
nowhere with a fully more developed character.  My answer to this is that 
these books are told from just over Harry's shoulder or in the back of his head, 
if you will.  The narrative is from Harry sees.  It is entirely possible and quite 
likley that a 15 year old boy never noticed this one-year-younger girl as 
anything more than "Ron's little sister" and  also that her being comfotable 
enough to be herself around him was the thing that prevented him from ever 
getting a chance to see Ginny the Person.  Harry noticed Cho because she 
was pretty.  Harry notices Hermione at the Yule ball because she is pretty 
(then realizes it was Hermione).  It is quite likely that Harry will begin to notice 
many others simply because they happen to be girls and he is a 16 year old 
teenager who likes to look at girls.  

Arya