[HPforGrownups] Digest Number 5709

[Valerie Flowe]

No: HPFGUIDX 123448


Betsy:
> I'd argue that Harry's lack of trust in adults is a strength,
> especially for a boy whose actions may take down Voldemort.  (I see
> some shades of "Ender's Game" in this.)  And Harry does trust his
> friends.  I was actually surprised by how deep his trust in them
> goes. 

Alla:
> First of all, I disagree that it is Harry's strength. As we
> witnessed through OOP, Harry could not bring himself to fully trust
> ANY adult, not just Snape and all of that lead to MOM disaster.
> 
> So, I fail to see how it is his strength. Regardless, though whether
> it is his strength or weakness, the question was to show effects of
> abuse and inability to trust adults IS the effect of abuse.
> 
> I agree that Harry trusts his friends very deeply, but without that
> plot would not be able to move forward.


Ah, but Harry trusts Sirius, doesn't he? At first, he is obviously mistrusting,
as he thinks Black is out to kill him! But he quickly buys the story that
Lupin tells him about Peter being the bad guy, not Sirius. In OotP, he is
rather devastated to learn through the pensieve that his father and his
godfather have a mean streak in them. And he even starts to feel a bit sorry
for Snape...which you would think would be impossible considering how much
Snape verbally abuses him. But then he is so quick to run to Sirius's rescue
when he thinks he is being killed by the snake at the MoM. Sad, really. He
grew up so unloved, that he is just craving "parental" acceptance, even from
someone as unconventional and depressed and borderline psychotic as Sirius
Black! Don't get me wrong...JKR somehow has me totally infatuated with
Sirius. Even though he is unnecessarily cruel to Snape and very insensitive
to poor Harry. I think Sirius is (was) the kind of guy that people
(particularly girls!?) were drawn to, even though he was aloof and cold.
Maybe Harry is caught up in the inexplicable charisma too? Though I think it
is more the desire for "god"-parental love. Really fascinating the way JKR
has developed Harry's character, isn't it? It must be wonderful as an author
to be able to take the time (through five and a half books so far!) to fully
develop and then continue to evolve a character like Harry. Sometimes I
wonder if she is sick to death of Harry and Hogwarts and the wizarding
world. If she feels "trapped" into finishing a story that she started so
long ago, and may have outgrown. Ya know??? But fans like us wouldn't let
her get away with not finishing the series. Strange, really, that she
predetermined that it would be 7 books. I mean, what author does that, in
advance? Is it really true that she had the story all figured out in her
head, from start to finish, from day one? I've heard the "details" have
changed and evolved as she went along. But did she really have the fate of
Harry vs. Voldemort all figured out? How it would all end? And has she told
ANYONE the ending, I wonder? Her editor, perhaps? Or is she the
secret-keeper of the mystery of Harry Potter?
And while I'm digressing horribly (sorry! it's late, I can't sleep!), why
does the Harry Potter series grab some people (kids and adults alike, like
me!) and draw them into the HP "universe" (as Cuaron constantly calls it?!)
My husband thinks I am insane to be so obsessed with a "kids book". He
obviously isn't getting it, right?! It just keeps getting deeper and deeper
and more interesting to me...I couldn't not read it to the end, if I tried!
OK, I'm signing off! If you've read to the end of my super-long monologue,
thanks! :-)
Val