Ron's career choice

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 127215


>Marcella wrote:
><snip>
> I don't think that Ron really wants to be an Auror because he 
likes 
> fighting Dark Arts, but mainly because it sounds "cool" to him.
> 
> I get the feeling that Jo is going to play a bit about Ron's 
career 
> choice, and give it as an example of how sometimes kids get some 
skewed 
> notion of a profession and idealize it.
> 
> In all honesty, I don't really think that Ron is cut out to be an 
> Auror.  But disregarding this aspect, I believe that he has not 
thought 
> about it as deeply as perhaps Harry or Hermione have.  Perhaps his 
line 
> of thinking is that he wants to fit in, match up to his two best 
> friends, and therefore he chooses same career as them (though we 
don't 
> know about Hermione's yet.)  
<snip>
 Perhaps Jo is building up for 
> a Ron that doesn't qualify for Auror training, thus setting up the 
> scenario of the typical case of 'not measuring up to the 
standards', 
> which teenagers unfortunately have to go through at around this 
age...
> 
> I came to this when I connected that Jo let us (and Harry) know 
that 
> Ron got the Prefect badge because of Dumbledore's decision to not 
give 
> it to Harry... why would she let us know that?   Then she let Ron 
have 
> an 'easy' year (on a personal level, of course, his family was 
going 
> through tough times), pretty much everything went his way: Prefect 
> badge, new broom, Keeper, Harry was not popular, Quidditch Cup.  
She's 
> probably setting up a difficult 6th. year for Ron...
> 
> What do you think?


Hannah:
I don't know if it was an easy year for Ron.  I think it was pretty 
tough - maybe not as bad as some years, and obviously not as bad as 
Harry's. But none the less, although Ron got what he wanted to some 
extent, as you say, he discovered it wasn't all it was cracked up to 
be.

I agree that Ron is unlikely to become an Auror, for the part of the 
reason you give.  It's not that Ron isn't capable, it's just that 
he'll eventually realise that it's not actually what he wants to 
do.  I don't think he's thought less about it than Harry, though.  I 
reckon they're both about the same in that they have no really firm 
ideas, but picked a fairly glamourous sounding profession from the 
available list.

I don't think Hermione wants to be an Auror, particularly.  I'm sure 
she'd have said so if she did.  I don't think it would suit her that 
well, though she's brainy enough and brave enough.  

I don't think it will be a case of Ron 'not measuring up.'  I think 
Ron already goes through a lot of self doubt and being overshadowed, 
and has spent most of his life feeling like he hasn't measured up.  
I doubt JKR will add on failing at Auror training as well.  Maybe 
Hermione or even Harry will learn that lesson.  But Ron, I think Ron 
will make his own decision about a career, without worrying about 
what others think.  That is what Ron needs to learn to do.

Just my opinion

Hannah