Percy versus Neville (and other Weasleys) (long...)

[scoutmom21113]

No: HPFGUIDX 89285

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sophierom" <sophierom at y...> 
wrote:
> I've really found this discussion of the Weasley brothers to be 
> extremely interesting. As I've started to reread the books, this 
> discussion has been in my mind.
> 
> So, just a few minutes ago, when I was reading through part of 
GOF, 
> I began to think a bit about the way Percy handles teasing versus 
> the way Neville handles it. Granted, it's not a great analogy 
> because Neville isn't a part of the Weasley family, but he's a kid 
> who doesn't have much self esteem, is often teased, and has had 
some 
> really hard knocks in his life.  
> 
> In chapter twenty one (The House-Elf Liberation Front), the twins 
> give Neville a canary custard cream. Poor Neville turns into a 
> canary.  Here's the scene: <snip> 

> But, I was also struck by Neville's laugh. I don't think this 
makes 
> Fred and George's thoughtless, attention-getting antics any 
better; 
> but I certainly love Neville all the more for the way he's handled 
> the situation.  If Percy had been able to laugh at his own 
> embarrassing situations, even just once, I'd like Percy a bit 
more, too. 
> 
<snip> In many ways, it seems to me that Percy should have the self 
> confidence to laugh at himself a bit more.  <snip) But, Percy 
can't laugh.  <Snip> Not only would he have been stronger 
> for it, but the twins proabably would have stopped picking on him 
> because they wouldn't have gotten the reaction they wanted.
> 
<snip> Neville also needs to learn how to turn himself from a victim 
to a survivor (particularly in Snape's class), but I think he's got 
the right idea when he laughs at himself in genuinely silly 
situations like the canary scene.  
> 
> Given that this comparison is based on one tiny scene from GOF - 
and 
> a scene that only applies to Neville, not Percy - I'm sure this 
not 
> the strongest comparison in the world.  But I thought I'd offer it 
> up, nonetheless.  At the very least, it could raise the question 
of 
> why JKR wants us to like certain characters over others ... and I 
> really do believe that in the end, she wants us to admire Neville 
(a 
> butt of many jokes) more than Percy (also the butt of jokes).  

Bookworm:
Sophie, this was a great discussion of Percy's personalily.  I had 
to snip a bunch of good points, but wanted to focus on the scene you 
quoted.  Can you imagine Percy in that scene?  Instead of laughing, 
he would have stormed out in anger.  IMO, the similarities between 
Pency and Ron are superficial.  I find it very telling that Percy is 
never seen with a friend.  The twins are seem to have a lot of 
friends, and Ron is friendly with all the other Gryffindor boys, not 
jut Harry.  Percy is always alone. (Not counting Penelope, of whom 
we know nothing - and that makes me wonder too.)

Percy reminds me of a girl I went to college with.  She was a 40-
something woman in a 20-year old body.  She got along well with her 
roommate, but other than that was a loner.  Even when she went out 
to dinner with her husband (then boyfriend) they dressed and acted 
like they were our parents' age instead of barely past teen years.  

It's easy to picture Percy in Fudge's green derby (figuratively) 20 
years from now - he is so much a younger copy of Fudge.  He just 
isn't like anyone else in his family. Neither is Ron or Ginny.  In 
fact, I think Ginny may be the most ambitious of the younger 
Weasley, but others don't mind because she is personable.  She 
certainly has the strength to go for what she wants, and can work 
around others to get it.  Think of her using the twins' brooms to 
teach herself quidditch.

Ravenclaw Bookworm