Harsh Morality - Combined answers

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 121108


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" 
<delwynmarch at y...> wrote:
 
> My point, and it's not an easy one to explain clearly, is that I get
> the distinct feeling that the books do not promote such more-
objective
> judgements as you and I make. I get the clear feeling that whatever
> Harry thinks or feels is right, even when he is wrong, simply 
because
> he is the hero on the side of Good.
> 
> As Lupinlore explained, I feel that the characters' motives and
> circumstances don't matter, it's only their actions that matter. If
> their actions support the side of Good then they are good, but if
> their actions don't support the side of Good (for example, if their
> actions hurt Harry), then they are bad.
> 
> I personally DO NOT agree with such a view of things. But I do get 
the
> distinct feeling that this is the morality that is applied in the
> Potterverse.
> 
> For example, when you say that the books clearly show that Harry was
> as responsible as Seamus for the rift between them, I would say yes
> and no. The *facts* given in the books do show that Harry has his
> share of responsibility. But the *judgement* passed by the narrator
> denies this responsibility. The narrator clearly judges Seamus and 
his
> mother for being entirely responsible of what happened, and relents
> only when Seamus apologises to Harry. As you said, the narrator does
> tell us that Seamus tries to talk to Harry, but then immediately he
> gives us "good" reasons for Harry not to talk to him, which in 
effect
> means that the narrator agrees that Seamus didn't deserve a second 
chance.
> 
> The narrator is partial to Harry, and because of that things are not
> at all presented in an objective way. The readers *can* try and make
> their own judgement, but if they don't want to or simply can't, then
> they *will* adopt the narrator's opinions. Which is why I say that I
> think JKR does intend the readers to condemn whoever goes against 
Harry.
> 
> I have a feeling I didn't make myself any clearer, somehow...
> 
> Del

Hickengruendler:

You did make yourself clearer. If I understood you right, you said 
that because the narrator is partial to Harry, everybody who does 
something that hurts Harry (no matter what their motives were or if 
they meant to hurt him), is automatically seen as bad. I can see 
where you are coming from, but I don't necessarily agree with this. I 
think JKR expects from us, to see beyond Harry's point of view in 
giving us the other characters' motives.

I searched for Canon to back this up, and found this quote from JKR.

"Ron has to deal with his jealousy - he's made friends with the most 
famous boy in his year and that's not easy, it's not easy to be in 
that situation."

It's from here: 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_1634000/1634400.stm

I know that it's probably not the very best quote, since it concerns 
Ron, who is generally a very positive character. It would be more 
interesting to read JKR's opinion about Percy and Marietta, but she 
never said anything about their behaviour in book 5, other than that 
Percy was acting out of free will. But this quote clearly shows, that 
she understood Ron and emphasized with him during the fight with 
Harry in GoF, and that she expets from us, to do this as well. 
Therefore I'm willing to believe, that she expects us to do so with 
other characters as well. Especially since it wasn't really Seamus, 
who started the fight with Harry, since she showed Percy's concern 
for his family members in the earlier books (and likes him enough to 
wish him a "Happy Birthday" on her website), and since she put some 
defense for Marietta in her books, even if Harry didn't agree with 
it. Therefore I think she expects from us, that we see the other 
character's point of view and their situation as well. Of course even 
if this is her intention, there's still the question if she succeeds 
delivering this message in her books. I think she does, if only 
because so many of the users here tend to feel sorry for Marietta or 
to understand Percy.

Hickengruendler