How many Rons per Hermione - numerical analysis of Ron's alleged decline

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 81904

Dumbledad wrote:

> I've done a little numerical analysis on 
> the texts.

The real purpose of my post is to induct Dumbledad into the League of 
Obsessed Nitpickers.  Induct, did I say?  The word doesn't capture 
the enthusiasm of this moment.  I can't remember anyone entering this 
select organization with such flair, with such breathtaking 
painstakingness, with, in short, such definitive LOONiness, since Ben 
Jones burst on the scene with the legendary "incidences of green and 
red" analysis of Ought One (messages #23407 and #23435).

Er, now I have to justify posting this to the list, so let's see what 
I can come up with.  Only that, as valuable as name-counting is, a 
character's importance does not necessarily correlate neatly with the 
frequency of his/her appearance.  At times it can be pointed up by 
his/her conspicuous *absence*: viz. Hermione during her petrified 
period in CoS, and Ron during his falling-out with Harry in GoF. 

I also wonder if the Ron/Hermione ratio is actually a bit weaker than 
it appears because it is necessary for JKR to mention his name a bit 
more often, due to male pronouns being ambiguous when Harry is around 
(as he almost invariably is).

Amy Z