Did Harry ever shed tears ?

[ellejir]

No: HPFGUIDX 80633

Nicholas wrote:

> What I would like to know is why JKR is so circumspect about Harry 
> having a cry. I suppose she's made Harry too stoic to cry in front 
> of others, if he can help it, but why does she have to keep her 
> faithful readers at arms length? When he was by the lake in OoP,
> how hard did he cry? How long? Did he make any noise? Did he feel 
> foolish, or better for it? I feel cheated for not having these 
> details. I think we get too much of Harry's agony, misery and pain. 
> What about a bit of contrast? 
>
 
Elle (Me):
I think that this is just another example of the story being told 
from Harry's point of view.  Harry is a pre-teen/teenage boy and it 
is *not* really cool for boys this age to cry (in UK *or* America.)  
Harry *does* cry because he is human and he has good reason to cry; 
however, we do not get a blubber-fest because boys this age *do* tend 
to hide their tears to attempt to preserve their own dignity. Think 
about Cho who is criticized constantly by the other characters for 
crying all the time (and !horrors! in front of others!)  
IMO, the scene with Harry crying by the lake at the end of OoP was 
very poignant.  He cannot find comfort in any of his friends or 
mentors. Significantly, JKR isolated him even from the readers by not 
letting us directly view his grief and tears. I believe that is the 
way Harry would want it. (I mean, that is the way he would want it if 
he was *real*.  Of course I know that Harry is not *real*.  At least, 
*usually* I remember that...)

Elle