James the Berk?

[lifeavantgarde]

No: HPFGUIDX 105439

> Carol:
> > Just out of curiosity, are there any James fans on the list? If 
so,
> > please step forward and defend your favorite character. I'd like 
to
> > hear how I've got poor James all wrong.
> 
> For that matter, I'd looove to hear someone explain how the 
Malfoys 
> are misunderstood. They seem so purely dreadful. Any takers?

Stefanie:
::Dons a "Gryffindor Chaser Fanclub – 1976" T-Shirt and steps 
forward::
I'll say it straight out: I *love* James. Love him. I'm maybe one of 
three other people out there (or as far as I've seen around the 
fandom) but his character (and the mysteriousness thereof) has me 
hook, line, and sinker.

I've had the question asked of me before of how on *earth* could I 
possibly be so devoted to a character who, save for an approx. 20 
minute snip, we know only third-hand information of. I admit, it is 
a shaky platform to stand on...but...

What do we know about him? Perhaps it's because I read all five 
books in my best imitation of a chain smoker, but the "Saint James" 
to regular "guy transition" was never so jarring in my mind. The 
first thing that maybe got me intrigued by the character was the 
description of both James and Sirius in PoA during the Three 
Broomsticks scene. Right there, we get a picture of two extremely 
bright boys with a penchant for using their magical precociousness 
for their own devices simply because they *could*. James was right 
along with creating the map, with becoming illegal Animagi, with 
being foolish and simply careless on full-moon nights, with being 
the second half of that brotherly duo who would make Madame Rosmerta 
laugh. Granted, we do hear about James's honor and bravery through 
little quips from people (and through the recounting of the event 
surrounding "The Prank" which I'm sure has been exhausted 
extensively. When it comes down to it, sure, James could've been 
going into the tunnel with the mindset that he was simply saving 
Lupin from being thrown to the hands of the MoM from whatever 
results may've transpired, but honestly, he saved Snape's life at 
the risk of his own. Judging from the fact that Dumbledore didn't 
know about their Animagi forms, and Snape didn't bust out with the 
information to get the boys he hated in trouble, James went into the 
tree as a human, and therefore at the same risk of being killed as 
Snape was.), but the overall image I got from this book wasn't of 
St. James – how boring would that be?

So what, right? From all of that, Sirius was just like that in 
school...never saw one without the other...inseperable...might as 
well go with the guy we actually get to meet alive in the series, 
right? The thing that got me is that, while we don't know what 
would've happened to the other boys had the turn of events not been 
so tragic, we do know that James got married and had a child. I 
think that separates him a great deal from the others. That he had a 
wife and son and loved both of them dearly enough to give up his 
life is, as I believe, great insight into his character.

Ah, but "Snape's Worst Memory!" you say? Perhaps because I had 
already started to flesh out a background to James given the 
disregard he obviously had for rules he felt he could safely break, 
I wasn't that shocked to see the scene that played out. It fits with 
the rest of the characterization in the books (::bows to JKR::), 
really. I won't defend his actions...he was being a stupid arrogant 
teenaged boy. But, other things in that scene struck me, such as the 
obvious insecurities underlying his cocksure attitude (the running 
of his hand through his hair and, what I saw as the feeling he 
needed to continuously prove himself as superawesomeJames). Again 
(and again, and again, and AGAIN) I cannot defend what he does in 
the scene because what he does is indefensible. He picks on Snape 
blatently...however, I don't believe Snape was continuously the 
victim. It is said later, when Harry is speaking to Remus and Sirius 
(and yes, I do understand that these could very well be biased 
remarks) that Snape dealt it as he took it. (Well,' said Lupin 
slowly, 'Snape was a special case. I mean, he never lost an 
opportunity to curse James so you couldn't really expect James to 
take that lying down, could you?' - OotP 29) Like I said recently I 
will forever don the sandwich-sign o' "20 minutes of their lives, 
folks...20 minutes. Not their life's story, eh?" (Well, maybe my 
sandwich-sign will be more catchy than that) Simply put, we're 
getting a situation that was important to Snape...James is clearly 
not alive to let us look into whatever memories he would pour into 
his own Pensieve.

I could delve so much further into why I love his character, and the 
characterizations that I've gleaned from little hints JKR has 
dropped (James and his family taking in Sirius after he runs 
away...and actually, since we know even from Sirius that James hated 
anything to do with the Dark Arts, the fact that both boys became so 
close. Plus the fact that he was even friends with both Sirius and 
Remus...how easy would it be for entirelypigheaded!James to 
kick "that Black boy" and "that Dark creature" away from his high 
and noble ideals – character insight right there) but I'll leave it 
here. 

I love James because he had a family, and loved his family; I find 
that *very* important. James looking out of Moody's picture of the 
original Order struck me – not only was he willing to put his life 
on the line for his wife and his little boy, but he put himself in 
right in the crosshairs to further the defenses of others in the WW. 
Saint James? Hardly. Good guy? Absolutely.

Stefanie 
(a.k.a. in some internet circles Prongsphile)
(Who is leaving for vacation for a week and will not be able to 
defend James due to a sirius lack of internet connection and *hopes* 
that there are those who will fight for the cause!)