Bullying (was: SPOILERS.Re: JKR site update)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 114914


SSSusan:
> > I found it interesting that JKR answered that question *not* in 
> > the "About the Books" category, but in the "Other Stuff" 
> > category.  I think, as many have pointed out here, Hogwarts is 
> > very definitely not like modern Western education (esp. not like 
> > modern American public schools).  It's also been discussed here 
> > that there isn't exactly a counseling system in place at 
> > Hogwarts, at least not that we see.  Students seem to be 
> > expected to be pretty tough and to "buck up" and just take a lot.

> > I think she's writing to today's children, living in RL, not 
> > *necessarily* equating it to what our crew is dealing w/ in her 
> > fictional WW.

Dzeytoun:
> That's quite true.  However, I think the reason it's in "other" 
> and not "on the books" is because the question did not come to her 
> as a question specifically about the books.  That is, she wasn't 
> asked "What do you think about bullying at Hogwarts?" but rather 
> her opinion, in general, of what bullied students should do.  
> 
> As to how this relates to the books, perhaps it shows in OOTP. I 
> don't think she made Harry's silence out as all that heroic in 
> OOTP.  After all, in at least two major scenes people strongly 
> urged him to speak to somebody about it.


SSSusan:
Indeed, it's very possible that JKR's answer to the bullying 
question came in that category because it was asked more 
generically.  This is probably rather dumb of me, but I've just 
realized I've been assuming these weren't necessarily actual 
questions JKR has received, but rather simply the things she has 
decided she wants to address with us.  But it could well be that she 
DID choose this from questions submitted to her.

I'm not sure "heroic" is a word I would have even thought of 
bringing in here, but I do think that JKR's portrayal of Harry's 
silence/stiff upper lip in OotP gets put forth as NOT necessarily a 
smart move on his part.  As you say, Harry *was* encouraged to talk 
to someone--was it DD and MM who were suggested, or just DD?--and he 
refused.  At that point I think we could chalk his refusal up to at 
least three things:  1) Harry's belief that DD has rather abandoned 
him; 2) Harry's somewhat reticent nature [though less so in OotP 
than earlier]; and 3) the fact that Hogwarts as we've seen it really 
doesn't have much of a mechanism for assisting students [see 
above].  

Still, I'll grant you that it wouldn't have hurt Harry to have TRIED 
talking to someone.  McGonagall, perhaps?  Does Harry not do so 
through five books because he feels it's wimpy to do so?  Because he 
sees no one else around him doing so [i.e., Neville regarding 
Snape's meanness]?  Come to think of it, presumably he never did so 
in the Muggle world, either, when he could have asked for help 
regarding his treatment by the Dursleys.  

Siriusly Snapey Susan