Harsh Morality - Combined answers

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 121100


 > Valky wrote:
> "No Del, it is the frame of reference you're using that is 
> oversimplified. You speak of morality in a human character as 
though it should be some automated machinery turning cogs in set 
process. "
> 
> Del replies:
> No, I'm not the one doing that : that's the way things are 
presented in the books. More precisely, anyone who doesn't see that 
Harry and DD are right is evil. 

Valky:
I'm sorry, Del, but I have no idea what you mean by that. I don't 
recall that happening, precisely. 
 

Del:
> The fact that Percy was overstressed and badly hurt by what his 
father told him, the fact that Seamus and Marrietta were stuck 
between conflicting loyalties, the fact that Harry looks so much 
like Snape's past tormentor, all those things are presented as not 
mattering, not being any kind of excuse, and those people are 
presented not only as wrong but even evil for making the wrong 
choices they made. I happen to disagree strongly.
>

Valky:
I see your point, but I don't think that the books misrepresented 
these people so much as you say. 
Percy had been behaving like a jerk for years, especially in his  
holier than thou attitude towards his family. Most of the 
interpretations of Percy are based on the development of his 
character, and not essentially on his defection from the Weasleys to 
Fudge. Basically, we all saw it coming a mile off, and whatever 
Arthur would or wouldn't say to him was always going to be entirely 
inconsequential. Percy's choice was made long ago, and his loyalty 
to his career was the natural progression we expected. Arthur simply 
made it easier, or harder depending on which side of the ESE fence 
you like to sit, for him to follow through with it.
Seamus is easy, the book IS sympathetic to him, he was portrayed as 
a good friend embattled in his loyalties, he wasn't portrayed as 
evil at all. Our sympathy is, of course, with Harry, because he is 
continually being wronged and it's out of his control. We aren't 
divulged the entire life story of Seamus Finnigan, so we only see 
him suffering a small injustice in comparison to the hopelessness of 
Harry's whole summer. 
When "Seamus Finnigan and the Injustices of 1995" is published I am 
sure that the tables will turn and the onesidedness of it all will 
lean the other way. ;P
Marietta OTOH broke a promise, and she *is* portrayed pretty 
unsympathetically, by the book. She was an unfortunate pawn in the 
story wandering in above her depth, but for the most part, Harry and 
co veiwed her deed is evil, which I will concede isn't really fair, 
under the circumstance. However, in wartime which we face in the 
next two books the code of honour among small rebel groups, such as 
DA, will count for much more, and people like Marietta won't have 
the excuse of not knowing what they are about to do.