PoA Question (foreshadowing books 6 & 7)

[caspenzoe]

No: HPFGUIDX 106044

[Snip!]
>  Casey:
> 
> "Perhaps, however Cuaron is not really being so non-textual after-
> all, given the "old married couple" reference you provide. I'd  
> assumed JKR's focus on Harry's various father figures beginning 
> (esp.) in book three had to do with lending some verisimilitude to 
> her portrayal of male adolescent angst, as well as furthering her 
> identity theme. I think some amount of homoeroticism is inherent in 
> that process, but maybe she really is going somewhat further with it?
> 
> Adding to it the overall theme of "normality" as an anti-value lends 
> a really interesting perspective. Thanks."

[Lissa]
> 
> On the one hand, consider some of Cuaron's other movies: 
homosexuality and homoeroticism are not topics this man will shy 
away from.  (I get a kick out of picturing the arguments that may 
have occurred between Steve Kloves, who seemed quite convinced that 
Lupin loved Lily, and Cuaron, whom I'm imagining (for no concrete 
reason) supported the Sirius/Lupin theory.)
> 
> Although JKR doesn't really focus on it, I've noticed something 
interesting about her: she's very inclusive of different cultures in 
her books.  I don't think she does it to be PC or make a point- I 
think she does it because it's the way society actually is.  A lot 
of different races are represented at Hogwarts: Cho is Asian, 
Pavrati and Padma are Indian, Dean is black, etc.  She doesn't 
really go out of her way to point this out, but she does represent 
more than just Harry's walk of life.  She's also played with 
different economic status (statuses?  stati?), the impact of 
disabilities (Neville's parents), different family structures 
(single parent families, extended families, other non-traditional 
families), etc., so it wouldn't shock me if she made one (or two) of 
her characters homosexual.  (I mean, heck, Aberforth "practiced 
inappropriate charms on a goat"... lol)
> 
> Although the Harry Potter books have been marketed at children, 
the books were not written for children.  So... why not?  Especially 
since Sirius, well, he's dead.  Lupin and Sirius wouldn't be present 
as an active, obvious couple, and the focus would be on the 
emotional side of their relationship at this point, rather than the 
sexual.  But I can see where Harry would be terribly upset, at least 
at first.  (And regardless of the relationship between Sirius and 
Lupin, I definitely think Harry hasn't given much thought to Lupin's 
feelings about the matter, and I could really see them rubbing each 
other the wrong way eventually.)
> 
> I think the foundation is there, if she choses to go that way.  
She's laid enough ambiguous hints that it wouldn't be a total 
shocker, but said hints HAVE been abiguous enough that it wouldn't 
be a shocker if I'm wrong about them, either.  I wouldn't put either 
one past her!
> 
> Lissa

Again, very interesting comments! Thanks!

I agree that JKR is very inclusive of other cultures, and also that 
there's no "trying to be PC" feeling to it. Her inclusion, even 
championing, of the various differentnesses of her characters seems 
to come from some deep sympathy for those rejected by normal, 
average society: those who are abandonned and/or abused as children 
(I think this kind of history creates a shame so deep that it is 
very near impossible for those exposed to it to ever feel entirely 
at home among their peers, even as adults - regardless 
how "successful" they may become); those who are too fat, or 
otherwise not attractive enough, stigmatized by disease they have no 
control over, or just far too often overlooked in the crowd, etc. 

Many, if not all of her major characters carry these burdens - from 
our hero Harry, and our champions Lupin, (and one can only surmise) 
Sirius (obviously deeply disturbed and fast on his way to becomming 
a raging alcoholic prior to his untimely (?) death), Hermione ("I 
have bucked teeth, am a know-it-all, and - surprisingly - none of 
the other girls like me"), Neville ("both my parents are in a loony 
bin, and my grandmother still never lets me forget that I'm not as 
good as they are"), Luna (my mother's dead, as if she didn't even 
care enough to survive for me, and I know no one takes me seriously 
if they take me a t all") Ginny (I was helplessy and totally 
possessed by VM and I didn't even know what was happening to me"), 
and even ("I hate maroon but my mother keeps making me maroon 
sweaters as if she can't even hear me say so - and I'm so poor!") 
Ron, to the highly controversial Snape ("my father beat my mother, 
and I'm a repulsive person too"), and even our arch-villian ("my 
father clearly hated my guts and my mother couldn't survive for me 
either") VM, a.k.a. Tom. Childhood and adolescense can be really 
brutal experiences. That's why one reason a magic -world - with it's 
surreal wonders and horrors - can work so well to portray them, 
while cushioning reality somewhat. 

Based on a number of JKR interviews I've read, some I've seen, where 
her shyness and intorversion cannnot help but be noticed, I'm pretty 
sure that she and many of the real-life friends of her youth were 
deeply anxious - as are most of us at one time or another - 
especially the artistically inclined ones - over these "fear of 
rejection" issues. I also strongly suspect that she's witnessed the 
difficult lives of gay friends up close and possibly even lived 
through the horror of seeing one or more of them die of Aids. If you 
were anywhere close to experiencing that in the 80's when so many 
beautiful and vibrant people were dropping like fies for no good 
reason you know that horror is the only appropriate word.

I'll be really surprised if JKR overtly explores homosexual themes 
in the last two books, but covertly, I think it's always been there 
to some degree and can't be denied. And, as I've mentioned before, I 
think identity itself, which includes sexual identity, is a major 
(if not the major) theme of the books. In any case, if Lupin and 
Sirius were ever truly in love I say good for them!

Casey