Harry : compassion vs saving-people thing

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 115138


Alla wrote: 
<snip>
> 
> How about that question? Does Harry, in your opinion has more 
> compassion than any other character in the "Potterverse?"
<snip>

Carol responds:
If I understand you correctly you're suggesting that Harry is the most
compassionate character in the books. Is that correct?

Without arguing with you, because I do understand and accept Del's
distinction between heroism based on the desire to save lives and
heroism based on the desire to relieve pain, I'd like to suggest that
there are certainly other compassionate characters in the books. One
is Molly, almost the only person ever to hug Harry, who just wants to
make him feel better after he witnesses the death of Cedric and
undergoes the ordeal in the graveyard. Another, rather surprisingly,
is McGonagall, who on at least two occasions (IIRC) has tears of
compassion in her eyes (e.g., when she allows Harry and Ron to visit
the petrified Hermione--ironically, she was only their *excuse* for
being out of class.) And Dumbledore, I think, has compassion for
Cedric's parents, tactfully referring them to Professor Sprout, "who
knew him best." These are all adults who have lived long and suffered
losses that are in some ways greater than Harry's loss of the parents
he never knew. Certainly, even after witnessing Cedric's murder, he
didn't understand Cho's need to cry for Cedric and talk incessantly
about him. I think she needed to hear how he died; needed to see Harry
grieving for him, too, but Harry couldn't understand or identify with
that and did not even explain why he wouldn't or couldn't talk about
it. I think the death of Sirius may teach him to feel the grief of
others more deeply and help him to express that sympathy. It may also
help to increase his compassion for Neville to the point where he's
able to tactfully express it. Or so I hope.

Carol