How dim is Harry? - Abuse and Oppression.

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 98384

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "meriaugust" <meriaugust at y...>
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "melclaros" <melclaros at y...> 
> wrote:
>
> > ... he never asks ANY questions! I mean...really! Kneasy's right. 
> > If someone told YOU that you were in a book I BET you'd run out
> > and find a copy. Especially if you'd just found out your entire 
> > life was something knew nothing about. HE DIDN'T! ...edited...
> > 
> > 
> > Mel, nosy.


> 
> Meri replies: 
> You have a valid point. But remember, Harry spent ten years of his 
> life reciting "don't ask questions", which was rule number one for a 
> semi-quiet live at No. 4 Privet. ...edited...
>
> Meri - defending Harry despite his faults.

bboy_mn:

There is one HUGE factor that people are forgetting when discussing
Harry and why he never asks question. Meri has touched on it, but it
goes far far beyond 'don't ask questions'.

People need to give much greater consideration to a kid growing up in
a highly oppressive and abusive environment.

To a kid in an abusive home, every minute of everyday is lived in an
unmarked mine field; one mis-step, one wrong move, sometime just the
slightest tremor is enough to set the bomb off. Adult who perpetrate
that kind of environment are violent, irrational, illogical,
unreasonable people who actions don't make any sense even to an
intelligent informed adult, and are far far far far far beyond the
comprehension and logic of a helpless little kid.

There is only one thing a kid can do in a situation like that, and the
is keep you head down and stay as anonymous as possible. As I said, to
a kid like this, adults are hopelessly irrational, illogical, and
violent. Asking a question in far more likely to result in punishment
than an answer, and that is unrelated to the reasonableness of the
question. Making the slightest noise result in punishment. Making the
smallest mistake is a miserable disaster.

A kid doesn't turn to adults for help, when his full scale of models
for adults indicate that to do so is a major disaster waiting to
happen. A kid like this doesn't ask questions, because he knows that
knowing the answer could never ever be worth the pain and misery that
result from asking.

So, Harry is a loner. There are few people he trust in this life, and
even fewer that he would even remotely consider confiding in. He even
keeps some distance from Ron and Hermione. His experience in his early
life has taught him, that friends are something that can easily be
driven away by the likes of Dudley. 

So, Harry finds his own answers in his own way. He fights his own
battles because life has proven the HE is the only person that he can
truly depend on. He doesn't ask for help because life has taught him
that he has no reasonable expectation that help will be given. In
fact, the bulk of the evident in his life is that asking for help
brings pain and misery. 

Given all those circumstances, Harry actions are not that
unpredictable. It is most unfair to say, well, I would have done this,
or I would have done that. Unless you have grown up in a grossly
oppressive and abusive environment, what you might do carries no weight.

Some will argue that now Harry does have people he can trust. Who?
Dumbledore who selectively feeds him the truth at Dumbledore's own
convinience? Hermione who aided McGonnagal in confiscating he
magnificent broom? Ron who was jealous of Harry entering the
Tri-Wizards tournement? Lupin who he trust, but who deserted him after
one year? Sirius who has his own demons and is never around? 

We all know that Harry CAN approach these people, but Harry is
fighting a decade of evidence and conditioning to the contrary. To ASK
is to RISK, to stay quiet is to be safe. Considering that he has way
too much danger in his life, I see no problem with him continually
taking the safe route in these matters.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

bboy_mn