How Close Are Harry and Lupin?

[caesian]

No: HPFGUIDX 96832


> Alla: 
> > I have to admit that Lupin's deathgrip on Harry bothers me. The 
> > reason I find this scene to be suspicious is that Lupin was waaay 
> > too calm for someone who just lost his oldest friend.
> 
> Renee:
> When assessing a character's reaction to something, it's a good idea 
> to look at how (s)he usually behaves. <snip>
> 
Also:
> > Justine:
<snip>
Plus, Remus seems to have done a 
> very good job over the years of learning the proper technique to 
> bottle everything up--keep control, if you will.  Perhaps we'll see 
> some grand explosion of feeling in the next book.  I think if anyone 
> needs a good cry, it's Lupin, if he hasn't already in private.  And a 
> hug.  He needs a hug too.

> > 
now Alla
<snip> If anything, I find Canon!Lupin waaay too perfect for my tastes.
> 
> Harry and Sirius (and even Snape sometimes :o)) are so much more 
> huggable, IMO. 
> 
> What I find troublesome in that scene is the lack of reaction from 
> Lupin.
<snip> I mean, come on. You see you best and oldest friend falling throuh 
> the veil. Wouldn't you be a little... I don't know upset? Surprised?
> 
> Yes, narrator says later that Lupin looked like every movement caused 
> him a great pain, but still, I am troubled by the lack of initial 
> reaction.
> 
<snip>

Caesian:
Many observant points in this thread, thank you to those who have made them!  I am 
probably not the only one to find it fascinating that the interpretation of Lupin's behavior 
is so often contested.  Maybe I'm under-estimating, but we never seem to get such 
searching, almost bewildered, analysis of, say, Hagrid or Ron's inner motivation.

Dumbledore is perhaps the most mysteriously-intentioned character in the books, but it 
has been well established that we are to trust him, because almost every other character 
does (and, the author backs him up).  He is the wise sage.  While we may not understand 
him and second-guess him - and his powers of self-restraint and appropriate decisive 
action seem beyond human comprehension - we do not question that these are 
fundamental aspects of his character.  

But Lupin, who is Dumbledore-like in many ways, (and is also, to some extent, backed-up 
by the author) is often questioned, and we see his sage-in-development-like 
characteristics interpretted as an act to conceal something, perhaps even something 
sinister.  

Clearly, he's not a sage on the level of Dumbledore, but his calm, tolerant, forgiving and 
somewhat spiritual characteristics seem to be a never-ending font of questions.  How 
many times has the "odd shudder" connected with the werewolf admission spawned 
theories of his secrets?  How many people are disconcerted by how he is just a bit too 
perfect?  Many example exist, so I won't ennumerate them.  

The reason I find the conflicting responses to Lupin so fascinating is that (IMhumbleO) 
they reflect well the conflicting, real-life confusion about his characteristics.  When 
someone is tolerant, calm and self-contained - perhaps a bit morose, and openly 
reflective and depressed by their own failings - it's just confusing.  They don't fit in an 
acceptable box - nor would they want to, I suspect.  I think many of us would argue that 
the personal development of Lupin's character is at a high (or at least deeply-reflective) 
level, and then he's got some failings.  But, unlike Hagrid, or Fred and George, Filch, 
Hermione... we don't seem to accept these failings (or his struggles against them) as an 
integral part of his character.  We might even believe he's faking his calm or nice 
characteristics.  It strikes me that we seem to be so hard on him, and his imperfections, 
*because* he is really trying to be nice.  I mean, compared to Lupin, (character of your 
choice) is a prat.  Why is this Lupin's problem?  

Perhaps it is because Lupin himself seems conflicted.  He feels he should stop James and 
Sirius, but he doesn't.  He feels he should tell Dumbledore about Sirius being an animagus, 
but he doesn't.  He feels he should grab Harry's shoulder to comfort him about hearing the 
murder of his mother, but he doesn't.  His self-doubt is contagious.  Maybe his character 
will conquer it, maybe not.  But I don't think it lacks authenticity.