Harry : compassion vs saving-people thing

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 114886



Annemehr wrote :
" I'm just left with the question of what exactly the heroism is, if
it's not motivated by compassion (not even a half-blind sort of
compassion that only kicks in when extreme peril is involved). It's
not thrill-seeking, otherwise the TWT would have been more thrilling.
 Could it be a sublimated reaction to his parents' murder coming out?
 Some form of his feeling that he's the only one he can count on,
extended to a feeling that he's the only one he can count on to do
what's necessary when people are in danger?  I'm not ascribing these
ideas to you -- I'm just trying to imagine motives to playing the hero
that don't involve him caring about the potential victims.  Can you
elaborate?

It's always been my attributing Harry's willingness to go into danger
to save others that made me believe Harry was very compassionate.  I
figured he risked his own life because he cared so much about the life
of the other.  If you can explain how that might not be true, that he
plays the hero for some other reason, I'll understand you much better
I think.  :)"

Del replies :
First off, I'm sorry you had to re-read my original message. I
realised very quickly, based on several messages saying the same
thing, that I did not clearly say that I believe Harry has indeed some
compassion, a normal level of it, just not an exceptional amount of
it. I knew what I meant, but I didn't express it clearly, sorry about
that.

Now, Harry's heroism. I believe it might be caused by several factors :

1. Circumstances. Harry repeatedly finds himself in situations where
he can save people's lives, which is not a normal occurence in most
people's lives.

2. Nature : Harry is pretty rash, he acts before he thinks, most of
the time, and he's also very courageous and cool-headed in stressful
situations. So when he sees someone needing to be saved, his natural
instinct is to go and help them, and he isn't stopped by
considerations of his own limitations or by simple fear.

3. "Nurture" : I believe the death of his parents accounts for a lot
in Harry's heroism, as well as the way the Dursleys raised him. His
parents were murdered, and Harry couldn't help them. That might have
triggered an unconscious desire to prevent other deaths around him.
You might even say that he's got some kind of unconscious compassion,
in that he might want to prevent other people from suffering the loss
he's suffered. Moreover, as you've pointed out, the Dursleys have
taught him that he must take care of himself because nobody else will,
so it would make sense that he would apply that reasoning to other
people too. Other people have to take care of themselves, but if they
can't, nobody will care for them. Well, he, Harry, will change that.

However, it is one thing to want to save people (either literally or
figuratively) and another to share their pain. Harry doesn't want
people to die, because life is his own most precious possession. But
he cannot and doesn't want to deal with people's feelings, because he
doesn't even know how to deal with his own. In fact, like many
teenagers, he is barely aware of the emotions that rule him, and he's
even more oblivious of the fact that he can master those emotions. So
how and why could he relate to other people's emotions, and how could
he help them deal with them ?

Did I answer your questions satisfactorily ?

Del