CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 9, The Woes of Mrs. Weasley - Discussion Questions

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 88392

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "kiricat2001" <Zarleycat at a...> 
wrote:
> I think that Hermione is indeed intended to be not only Harry's 
> guide, but also a character who functions to bring important 
points 
> or insights about other characters to the readers' attention.  
And, 
> it's the main reason I have a problem with Hermione.  <snip> her 
role of 
> interpreter of other character's internal emotional states seems 
> beyond her life experience as a fifteen-year-old.  <snip>

> This dialogue about Sirius is a case in point.  While Hermione's 
> interpretation may indeed be JKR's way of telling us the God's 
honest 
> truth about what Sirius was feeling and how that affected his 
> actions, she is much too emphatic and definitive about it.  What 
> experience does she have with people who have gone through 
anything 
> near what Sirius' life has been like to truly develop an 
> understanding of it?  

Yes, I see what you mean.  It didn't bother me so much, because, 
frankly, it never occured to me for even a second that Hermione 
might be right in this instance.  As you say, she has no meaningful 
frame of reference from which to judge Sirius' mental state.  I 
think it's telling that the only other person who thinks Sirius is 
confusing Harry with James is Molly Weasley, who doesn't know him, 
either, and doesn't even particularly like him.  Nothing Sirius 
actually does or says indicates any confusion.

However, I think it's perfectly in character for her to be wrong 
with complete conviction, and I also think it's in character for 
Harry to accept what she says as the truth, since he's used to 
Hermione being the voice of reason and insight in most things.  And 
when it comes to dealing with their peers at Hogwarts -- Ron, Cho, 
Neville -- Hermione is pretty reliable.  But she doesn't fully grasp 
the complexities of the adult world, either.  

I think it's no coincidence that JKR surrounds Harry with guiding 
figures -- Dumbledore, Hermione, Sirius himself, Remus -- who are 
wise in some things, but are also capable of being wrong about some 
very important things.  The process of growing up includes learning 
when to trust others for advice and when to go purely with one's own 
judgement, and to know which person to trust in which instance.  
Harry spends most of OOP being wrong about this.  Hopefully, by the 
end of book 7, he'll get the hang of it.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com