tTuchy-Feely Armchair Psychologist (was: No Sex...We're British)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 83701

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "grannybat84112"
<grannybat at h...> wrote:
> Caipora replied to me:
> > ...edited... 
> > One of the most puzzling aspects of romance if not sex in Rowling  
> > is Hermione's cool explanations of how girls behave in OotP. Her 
> > demeanor has an air of "been there, done that, got the T-shirt" 
> > but her only romantic relationship we know of is with Viktor, and 
> > that seem largely epistolary. How does she know so well how other 
> > girls behave? 
> 
> I was particularly irritated by the passage in which she explains 
> Cho's convoluted feelings to Harry after the Valentine's Day fiasco.  
> Since when did superbrain Hermoine turn into a touchy-feely armchair 
> psychologist? 
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> Grannybat

bboy_mn:

This particular insightful aspect of Hermione seems to irritate a few
people, although I don't understand why. 

Isn't what Hermione said about Harry's date with Cho pretty much what
you were thinking when you read it? 

Wasn't it obvious that Harry was clueless, and wasn't it obvious what
Cho's motivations and feelings were? 

I'm a guy and even I could tell what was going on, so when Hermione
was explaining it to Harry and Ron, I was right there with her saying
'too right you are', and laughing at how oblivious boys are. I really
think JKR got all aspects of this 'boy/girl stuff' right on the money
on all fronts. And I thought that Hermione's insight was very
believable for an intelligent, although admittedly inexperienced, girl. 

I think Hermione's insight is based in the principle that guides most
problem solving of this personal nature; it much much easier to
understand and solve other people's problems than it is to solve your
own. That's why going to a councilor or psychologist works. The
pschologist can understand and solve your problems because, he/she
doesn't have any personal involvement or emotional attachements to
cloud his/her judgement. 

It's the same with Hermione, it's very very easy for her to understand
the relationship between Harry and Cho because she views it from the
outside. In the same vein, as readers, we also understood the dynamics
of the date with Cho, because we viewed the event as detached outside
observers. But at the same time, because Hermione is very much on the
'inside' of her relationship with Ron, Hermione and Ron are both
clueless and at a loss for how to deal with that particular problem.
Although, I admit that Ron is far more clueless in that area than
Hermione is.

Conclusion, I see Hermione's insight as very likely and very
believable, and not the least bit irritating.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn