Harry, Ginny, and age appropriateness

[Marianne S.]

No: HPFGUIDX 136022

My last post for the day... 

Sienna <snip> :Elizabeth Helmann (www.about.com), argues that potrayal of romance 
inbooks matters because:

"...adolescent girls read in a realist manner, texts represent a
dangerous seduction. Girls tend to read romance texts as preparation
for the romances they foresee as part of their immediate future."


Now me: I agree with this completely. 

Sienna again: 

I dare suggest this applies equally (if not more) strongly to pre-
adolescent girls. Whether you decide that the H/G subplot is full of
positive messages or, like me, potentially dangerous ones, it is
still an issue that warrants careful discussion. (Thus my very
serious problem with the Ginny versus Hermione characterizations in
HBP).

I agree with this, too. Which is exactly why I believe, and my student's view supported, 
that the Harry/Ginny relationship is a POSTIVE role model. 

1)	Harry with Ginny shows neither the pleasure/pain/confusion that Harry felt with Cho 
(who I think he was attracted to for her looks and Quidditch skills, not because of qualities 
that really matter in a relationship) nor the no friendship/no conversation/ just snog type 
of relationship that Ron has with Lavender. JKR was wise enough to write those 
relationships in a way that left my student, and surely many more like her, with a sour 
taste in their mouth. I applaud JKR for showing the contrast between these relationships.

2)	Harry's feelings for Ginny follow a path that I think is responsible for young readers to 
see. They're friends
 then he realizes he's thinking of her in a different way, and since 
she's his best mate's sister he tries to talk himself out of these feelings, and as much as 
Harry would like to punch Dean or whatever, he doesn't make his move until after Dean 
and Ginny are broken up. Well done. 

3)	Harry with Ginny shows that the girl has a better chance of getting the guy of her 
dreams if she's being herself. If not, then he's not the right guy. How many girls out there 
try and be something they're not just to get a guy? Too many, I think. (In no way do I think 
that Ginny dated Michael and Dean to make Harry jealous
 she was just getting on with 
her life, even if it did have the effect wise Hermione predicted. Similarly, Ginny's quidditch 
prowess was not intended to win over Harry... we learn she's been breaking in the broom 
closet since she was six.)

4)	It is normal for teens to try romance with often several people. I think it is better for 
Harry and Ginny that they were not each other's first relationship
 and better for the 
adolescent readers as well. 

5)	Harry with Ginny shows that being friends first can lead to the most satisfying kind of 
relationship. We read several times that Ginny has made Harry happier than he has been in 
years
 that she is his greatest source of comfort. We read that she accepts and 
understands him. Perhaps she knows "if you love something, set it free
" or maybe she'll 
devise a plan to let Harry know she can be a help, not a risk. 

6)	Harry doesn't fall for Ginny `cause she's pretty or popular or skilled
 it's a lot more 
subtle than that. How much better is it for our kids to see someone being physically 
attracted ONLY AFTER realizing they like the other person for many more reasons first?

7)	Harry's breakup with Ginny (which my pre-teen student did not think was the end) 
shows the kind of maturity and acceptance that I hope all teens have. Ginny, for all I can 
guess, is not giving up on Harry
 but she's letting him do what he Must. 



Sienna: I know it veers slightly off the topic you have started here, but I think that 
ultimately it is not about whether Rowling showed them snogging away or not. It is about 
how she set up the dynamics of the relationships between them and I think she has a 
greater responsibility there than she accepts.


Marianne S: I agree and disagree with that. I agree with the first sentence completely (and I 
do think you were right ON topic), but I disagree because think JKR accepts her 
responsibility very well. She doesn't overdo the romance part of her books, but she shows 
a growing and satisfying relationship in the background, as it should be in a teen's life (as 
much as they might want to think it's the only thing worth living for). We have to trust JKR 
that both Harry and Ginny are as happy, comfortable, and important to each other as it 
says
 and despite others' feelings to the contrary, I don't see any reason to believe 
otherwise. JKR also accepts her responsibility by not showing so much detail about Harry's 
strong feelings for Ginny and their private interaction that it turns off young readers. Yes, 
adolescent girls are very impressionable and yes, they often look to literature as a model 
for relating to boys. JKR does not show anything that would scare off readers, but shows 
what the result of a healthy relationship can be. She is fulfilling her responsibility by 
making Harry the hero because of his choices
 because of his love
 and I wouldn't be 
surprised if they make some choices to work together in the next book. As a fan and an 
educator (and, frankly, my students tend to be the ones most likely to be reading these 
books) I am confident that Rowling lived up to her responsibility in HBP
 and she makes 
us anxious for what More we will see in the series' conclusion. 

Marianne S, who cares not only about the books and the characters, but also about how 
they influence, educate, and inspire young readers.