Annoyed with Harry, etc. **Spoilers**

[Milz]

No: HPFGUIDX 63085

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "anandinisekhar" 
<anandini77 at h...> wrote:
> REPOST:
> > Did anyone else think Harry was a bit of a whiny baby-butt? I 
> couldn't believe that he was constantly complaining. I mean, yes he 
> is brilliant and all, but get over yourself. The only thing I can 
> chalk it up to is his being 15. (I have a 15 yr old sister so I am 
> currently getting PLENTY of experience with the age).
> > > Brittney - who is still fuming about Sirius
> > 
> 
> Brittney - you are the first person who seems to have picked up on 
> what I was feeling during and after reading OoP. Although I don't 
> like feeling this way (I adored Harry for his honest modesty and 
> innocence and genuine affection for others) --- I thought Harry was 
> annoyingly arrogant, bitter, jealous, and disrespectful in this 
book -
> -- maybe that makes him more like the James we saw in the Pensieve. 
> I hated the way he treated Ron, Hermione, and everyone ... 
especially 
> Dumbledore. I don't know why everyone seems to be blaming 
> Dumbledore ... and why Harry was justified for throwing the tantrum 
> that he did in his office. I, for one, was appalled at the way he 
> spoke to the one person who was working harder than anyone to 
protect 
> him and the one person who had saved his butt a million times. How 
> come everyone is sympathizing with poor little Harry? I was furious 
> at him for being so disrespectful to Dumbledore. Maybe he was just 
> behaving like a normal 15-year-old ... the angry teenager that 
hates 
> everyone and thinks the world is against him.
> 
> I was particularly miffed at Harry's jealousy of Ron ... 
particularly 
> when Harry got mad at Ron for being jealous in GoF. I was proud of 
> Ron for becoming prefect but not letting it get to his head or 
affect 
> his relationship with Harry ... and for (eventually) being good at 
> Quidditch (I hope he continues to improve) ... I even hope that 
Luna 
> Lovegood DOES like him. Ron deserves a little ego boost after all 
the 
> ego-bruising he takes from constantly being Harry's sidekick.
>
<snip> 
> Was ANYONE else annoyed with Harry? I still have 100% confidence in 
> Dumbledore ... and I feel sort of agitated whenever people blame 
him 
> or accuse him of things ... I still see him as the unfallible 
paragon 
> of goodness. I hope Harry apologizes for his behavior in Book 6, 
and 
> regains his admiration of Dumbledore.
> 

Of course. But Rowling wants to portray Harry as an adolescent and I 
applaud her for it. 

Harry is 15 and in "mid-adolescence"(ages 14-17). Psycho-socially 
this period is characterized by conflicts with parents, the "testing 
of limits", increased peer influence, sexuality, and risk-taking 
behaviors. I'd say Harry is right on target!

~Milz