OOP: Re: Fred and George: The Bullies You Do Know - Round II

[David]

No: HPFGUIDX 65839

Eileen wrote:
> I must be crazy to start this again, but hey! we've got new canon!
> 
> Message 43024 - August 22, 2002
> 
> Elkins:
> >But I just have to say it. I do not like the twins. At all. 
> >I think that they are a pair of mean insensitive bullies, and 
> >I tend to feel that the only reason that readers don't generally
> >perceive them as such is because we see the story through Harry's
> >eyes -- and Harry happens to be inside of the magic circle of 
> >people the twins perceive as their in-group, and who are 
> >therefore protected from their harrassment.
> 
> The entire, quite spirited discussion can be read in the archives. 
... 
> Anyone up for discussion?

Yes, I think there's lots to reconsider.  I think some crucial 
things emerged in OOP:

1) Harry bullies Dudley in chapter 1.  This had the effect on me of: 

a. (sorry for the bullets, Melody!) thinking that Harry and Dudley 
have more in common than Harry recognises;

b. remembering this thread on HPFGU.

In the light of the later revelations about James, that the book 
starts in this fashion is IMO telling; like Harry's use of Crucio, 
it tells us to expect that the good guys are none of them exempt 
from serious moral flaws now.

2) When Harry is revolted by James' behaviour in the Pensieve scene, 
he consciously compares James and Sirius to Fred and George (a 
comparison foreshadowed by Hagrid in POA).  So we are invited, IMO, 
to consider that what F&G do isn't quite right (even though Harry 
concludes that J&S were worse than F&G).
> 
> 2. Train... Incident II
> 
> Cindy - Post 43140
> >See, Harry is not a bully and he knows it would be *wrong* to 
> >step on an unconscious person out of spite. So Harry steps 
> >*over* the three unconscious people rather than tread on them, 
> >even though I suspect he would dearly love to jump up and down 
> >on them. 
> 
> What does it say that when Fred and George have left the scene, 
the 
> Train... Incident becomes a matter of cool self-defence with no 
> trodding on unconscious bodies?

Hm, not sure about this.  I think that though Malfoy attacks first, 
there's still a flavour of comeuppance for reader satisfaction here.

David