Too "Good" Harry / The resolution of Snape

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 118699


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <bob.oliver at c...> 
wrote:
> 
>Lupinlore:
> It does seem to constitute a basic divide among readers, 
> this question of the adults.  I have to admit, I am of the 
opposite 
> inclination, and really don't see why people find the adults so 
> fascinating.  I mean, we have, (IMO of course):
> 
> 1) An emotionally crippled, semi-hysterical neurotic who seems to 
be 
> an adequate spy but other than that is rather a boring and 
> uninteresting Johnny One-Note with a penchant for acting the fool;
> 
> 2) a passive-aggressive werewolf with a severe inferiority complex;
> 
> 3) a teacher who, despite supposed decades of experience, seems 
> totally incapable of dealing with the most understandable of 
> behavior from adolescent boys, much less of communicating 
adequately 
> with said adolescents, and finally;
> 
> 4) a headmaster who, despite supposedly being the most powerful 
> wizard in the world, lurches from one spectacular failure and 
> misjudgment to another
> 
> I mean they really are a bunch of pathetic magical morons 
(chuckle, 
> IMO of course).  At the end of OOTP, when the order threatened the 
> Dursleys, I was waiting for Harry to say, "Gee, thanks idiots.  
> You're only about fifteen years too late.  Now, why don't you 
really 
> impress me and take care of your own Voldemort problems?"
> 

Renee:
Yes, they're a rather sorry lot, but that's the human condition, 
isn't it - magic or no magic. Part of growing up is learning to see 
how flawed adults really are, and these books *are* about growing up 
(among other things, but IMO it's a pretty dominant theme). And 
Harry registers the adults' flaws and weaknesses quite unmercifully, 
as all attentive children and teenagers do, so that's the picture we 
get. There are signs, though, that Harry starts to notice he's not 
precisely perfect either, and that he may turn into another flawed 
adult in his turn. We're probably going to see more of this in Book 
6. 

Renee