Birth, Doubt, Fear, Pride, Disillusionment

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 79800

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "susanbones2003" <rdas at f...> 
wrote:
> 
> I want to take issue with the idea that Harry is always playing the 
> hero. I think that is a red herring sort of charge to make against 
> him. He has been in situations in the past that demanded he take 
> action and he did. In some instances he was drafted. In POA, it was 
> only him (and Hermione) who could effect any different outcome (at 
> least as it was presented to him by Dumbledore). In GOF, he never 
> asked to be placed in the Tournament and he did as he was told to 
do 
> for the most part. It was only at the end that he tried to be 
> honorable and it got him thrust into a horrific situation. The 
first 
> two books demonstrate his most heroic acts. No one asked him to 
> confront Lord Voldemort but he saw himself as having unique 
knowledge 
> and felt he must act. Playing the hero is something calculated to 
> gain attention. Harry never did that. He wanted to save people, 
Ginny 
> for instance. He'd have gone along with Ron to the Chamber had 
> circumstances not separated them. Harry never played the hero. 
Maybe he miscalculated the best course of action in OOP but he never 
played the hero.


Personally, I don't think being a hero has to have a bad connotation. 
Like you said, when Harry acts he is usually thinking about others 
rather than dwelling on his own fears or personal gain, and to me a 
person with that kind of selfless motivation is a true hero. 

The "hero's journey" in myth depicts acts of great courage, but it's 
also about the inner journey of the hero from boy to man, innocent to 
wordly, student to master. Harry personifies this quest as he moves 
from being totally naive about the WW to potentially playing the role 
of saving many innocent lives through his actions. 

Harry is a hero because he can actually effect change through his own 
actions, and more importantly, by building the support of a 
community.  A character like Sirius has aspects of a hero, trying to 
save the Potters and Harry at risk to his own life, but he does so 
singlehandedly and is ineffective, ultimately disillusioned and 
paralyzed. Harry has many detractors, but he doesn't focus on them 
and magnetically draws the support he needs, when he needs it.

Jen Reese