Ron and Pig- part 2

[viewsonpotter]

No: HPFGUIDX 59524

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Morgan D." <morgan_d_yyh at y...> 
wrote:
> 
> In the same message, Darrin reminded us: 
> > THEN, after Molly leaves, Pidgwigeon gets an owl treat stuck in 
his 
> > beak and Ron vents about, "Everything I own is rubbish."
> > 
> > HELLO! THAT WAS A GIFT, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE GIT! Sirius GAVE 
Ron 
> > a gift of an owl, saying, "It's my fault he no longer has a rat."
> 
> I remember being taken aback when I first read that passage in GoF. 
> Because I was already becoming very fond of Pigwidgeon and because 
> Sirius is my favourite character, but moreover because Ron was 
> calling "rubbish" a present from Sirius *in front of Sirius' godson!
* 
> I've been wondering if this is a cultural thing, maybe this is not 
> such an appalling faux-pas in England, but I can't help thinking of 
> it as a horrible, horrible gesture. 
> 
> Picture this hypothetical scene: Gryffindor dorm, Christmas 
morning, 
> our heroes open their presents. Harry holds up the newest jumper 
> knitted to him by Molly and mutters, "Everything I own is rubbish." 
> Wouldn't Ron feel insulted? *I* can see the smoke coming out his 
> ears, but maybe it's just me. 
> 
Ok the Mods are going to kill me.
Actually i dashed off the previous post without reading all the 
earlier ones so this point actually belonged right there, i just 
forgot. sorry.
My point is. This quotation is taken out of context. It comes right 
at the end of the much discusssed Dress robes scene. Ron is very 
upset, not just about having to wear something he will be laughed at 
but also his mothers seeming indifference. (Come on, as someone 
pointed out, she could have done the severing charm herself, and done 
a neater job)
So i read the comment as directed toward the robes, havent we all 
sometimes taken out our frustration at whatever is at hand, rather 
than the actual cause?
And that is exactly how Harry saw it, not as a disparagement of his 
Godfather's gift but a venting of anger at things beyond control.

> So maybe my reaction was not what JKR had intended to get from her 
> readers when she wrote that scene? Maybe it *is* a cultural thing, 
> and having Ron complaining about a gift from Sirius in front of 
Harry 
> was meant to be endearing? ("Poor Ron, such a bad luck, even his 
new 
> owl is rubbish...") Maybe I was the only one cringing in disgust 
and 
> thinking Ron and Draco have more in common than either of them 
would 
> like to admit?

The only thing Ron and Draco have in common is the letter R in thier 
names
But that is just my opinion :)

Shaggy