Thoughts on Ron Weasley

[Alia]

No: HPFGUIDX 72492

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "greatelderone" 
<greatelderone at y...> wrote:
*snips galore*
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "karenoc1" <karenoc1 at y...> 
> wrote:
 
> 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.

Yes! Ron is rash and acts without thinking this is where he might 
truly prove a danger to those he is close to. Also, I still say that 
though I don't believe he'd turn to actively supporting the baddies - 
he *will* be tested more than many others. The jealousy, and 
dissatisfaction with his own life make him a prime target.

>  
> > 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. 

YES! YES! YES! He flys off the handle at everything - and all they 
have to do is look at him funny and he's completely off his game. The 
rest of the team, Harry and Hermione do their best to keep him 
grounded with /some/ success.

Ron is one of the weaker characters - certainly the weakest of 
the 'developed' characters in Gryffindor. Neville stands up when 
needed (even since the first book - against his friends when they 
were headed for trouble - for them to warn them about Malfoy - even 
for himself when pushed (earning a leg-locker curse for his effort, 
but still).

Ron is also a whiner - I just want to smack him and tell him to shut 
up when he complains 'I hate being poor' oh, boo-hoo. He's got a 
family, every member of which he *knows* would die for him, a roof 
over his head and nothing his family is able to provide for him is 
witheld. Worse, he's still jealous of Harry - and he *knows* how dead 
opposite Harry's situation is... I could go on...
> 
> >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.

Ron is only a leader when it comes to getting to the table to eat, it 
seems. As a prefect he takes the easiest way - ignoring duties... 
letting Hermione take the lead. That Harry is a leader is quite 
plain - Hermione less so (see how she leans on established rules 
sometimes) but she is still much more a leader than Ron

> 
> >helping  Harry practice for his Tournament tasks; 
> 
> By making himself the guinea pig is more like it.

Yeah - a friendly thing to do as a friend - and also attempting to 
make up for his lack of support earlier??

> 
> >(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. 

Yeah, and how, as a prefect, he did his duty and reported what 
Umbridge was doing to Harry right from the beginning of the year - 
oh, wait, that's right he didn't.

> 
> > 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. 

He belittles his Dad's job, and ridicules Hermione's efforts for 
House elves - a cause Arthur stated he agreed with in the forest 
after the Quidditch world cup - not so supportive. And 
responsible?!: "Ron was now so low in his seat that his nose was 
ruoghly level with his knees.  'Thank-you for your support, Ron,' 
Hermione said acidly.  'You handled it fine by yourself,' Ron 
mumbled." (OotP Raincoast pp.230) when Ron was /Responsible/ enough 
to support Hermione trying to stop Fred and George from experimenting 
on first year children to test their inventions...
> 
> >  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.

It seems that the evidence is actually getting stronger that in spite 
of all the support and opportunities he's been given to grow and show 
some resposibility and leadership, he's getting weaker - character-
wise...

Cheers, 
Alia