Harry, Ginny, and age appropriateness

[Marianne S.]

No: HPFGUIDX 136002

Other H/G "shippers" and I have already posted evidence from HBP that show our 
satisfaction with Harry and Ginny's relationship. Many have said that they prefer not to 
have every detail of their private time together, and actions such as the way Ginny's look 
shows complete understanding and acceptance, the way she can communicate with  Harry 
by touch, and the intimacy that they share right in front of Ron (leaning on Harry's leg, 
kissing him good night), all show a good deal of maturity and age appropriate behavior for 
a relationship that has futur3e potential. 

That aside, we also have to not forget the age (and gender) appropriateness for Harry 
Potter's READERS. 

I was tutoring a twelve year old girl today (math, not reading) and afterwards we talked 
about the book. She told me she was very excited about Harry and Ginny `cause if she 
were Ginny, she'd love Harry too. I took that opportunity to ask her if there was enough of 
them in the book because, I told her, I knew of a lot of adults who are not satisfied with 
the way Harry and Ginny were written. 

The twelve-year-old's response was that she was glad there was no "idiotic" stuff like all 
of Ron's kissing between Harry and Ginny and she liked how it said that Ginny made Harry 
so happy and she's sure they'll be together in the next book.  Her 10 year old brother 
(wearing an oversized T-Shirt that said "I Solemnly Swear I am Up to No Good" on the front 
and, of course, "Mischief Managed" on the back) piped in. "There was way too much 
kissing in the book. Why can't JK Rowling just SAY that Harry's going out with Ginny or 
that Ron is going out with someone? Why does she have to tell us that they kissed. I don't 
want to read that kind of stuff." 

This touches on TWO important reasons to support the way Harry/Ginny was written. In 
the eyes of a very mature 12 year old (don't let "tutoring" fool you into thinking she's not 
bright), she could already tell that Ron was acting like an idiot with Lavender and that 
there was something special and real about Harry and Ginny. I am glad that she was able 
to apply her own frame of reference and hope about Love to the characters, not just to see 
what is good, but what is "idiotic" as well. The second reason I support the way it was 
written refers to the 10 year old. He is definitely a somewhat zealous Harry Potter fan
 
the books, the movies, the legos, the video games, the card games... he has them all. Yet, 
he hated all the kissing! Of course, he's 10 and a boy. Nevertheless, I am willing to bet 
that a lot of  JK Rowling's young and/or male fans feel the same way. 

I wouldn't want JKR to write a romance novel, or even a book that forces people to accept 
only one interpretation of the time that Harry and Ginny spent together. Certainly a 12 
year old is going to have a different idea of what happened than myself, and  I'm sure 
when both (and most) kids are older, they'll be able to read into it what they want. It was 
unnecessary to show every kiss, every touch, every cuddle, every private word
 for the 
very facts that it would potentially turn OFF readers, and it would show less of a distinction 
between how one feels about the wrong kinds of teenage "love" (Ron and Lavender kissing 
more than talking and Lavender holding tighter the more Ron tried to let go, Cho being 
jealous of Hermione and Viktor being jealous of Harry without having any understanding 
of the strictly friendship Harry and Hermione have, Harry being more and more 
uncomfortable with Cho and not at all understanding each other) instead of seeing the 
kind of healthy progression of attraction, denial, and then definite connection and obvious 
intimacy Harry has with Ginny. So, let's allow JKR to satisfy the majority of her readers, 
who are certainly younger than us, by giving them enough proof that Ginny makes Harry 
happy and there are good kinds of teenage love and ridiculous kinds
 and by not giving 
them so much information that she turns off readers. I bet JKR might even care more 
about if her non-adult readers look forward to the next book than if her adult readers do. 

Marianne S.