OOP: Re: Sirius the Jerk

[gabnai1]

No: HPFGUIDX 63823

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Diana Williams" <diana at s...> 
wrote:
> Actually, the things that make me think of Sirius as a jerk are the 
way he
> treats his *friends* even more so than the way he treats his enemy 
(Snape).
> He makes a comment in the Pensieve scene that show he has little 
thought for
> anyone but himself - he's bored and he wishes it was the Full 
Moon.  Lupin
> is sitting right there, already starting to look bad as it's 
approaching the
> Full Moon (or so Harry speculates from his appearance), and Sirius 
must know
> what horrible agonies his friend goes through during his 
transformation, not
> to mention the loss of his mental control.  And yet, he's bored and 
wishes
> it was the Full Moon so they could go out and play.  That's utter
> insensitivity to me, and his "Sorry, Moony" comes across as very 
insincere
> and more of a response to Lupin calling him on the matter.
> 
> Diana Williams

You are right.  Book five seems to be all about showing a different 
side of pretty much every major character, to give them more depth.  
Sirius turns out to have a dark wizard family, and he does not treat 
Kreacher very well, nor his Mom (well she isn't a sweety but still).  
Than the memory in Snape's pensieve puts the friendship of the four 
friends in a different light, also James and Sirius are definitely 
bullies; Snape is a victim of a problematic family, being shy and not 
washing his hair.  

Sirius is definitely a flawed character and that makes him very 
real.  Even if he would be genuinely nice - which he is not - his 
experiences would make him an angry person.  There are definite 
parallels to Sirius and Harry - both being angry at being locked up, 
wanting to go and do things, wanting to save people, take unnecessary 
risks, and have problems controlling their tempers.  Both being 
brought up in a less-than-loving family.  Harry even compares Privet 
Drive to Grimmauld Place, and decides that he is luckier than Sirius.

Seems that a lot of the "had a bad childhood" stuff is coming up for 
many of the characters...

Marta