I still don't like Fleur

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 135420

Quimpercaradec wrote:
"Hi, I come from this far-away country across the Channel, apparently
filled with arrogant people ;-), but I still think Fleur's behaviour
extremely rude and insensitive « even » by french standards ;"

Del replies:
I second that. I've known some people like Fleur in France, but they
are rather an exception, and they are not well tolerated by the other
French people, no more than Fleur is tolerated by the Weasleys.

Quimpercaradec wrote:
"there may be slightly different codes of conduct in each country, but
those cultural differences don't stretch that far : even in Paris,
you're not supposed to speak constantly about yourself, especially in
good, rather than listen to other people, nor is it well-thought of,
when you travel abroad, to criticize everything instead of trying to
adapt to a new way of life and enjoy it."

Del replies:
I guess every country has its stereotypes. I know that many French
people think that people from one particular country do exactly what
Quimpercaradec has described above, that they act very much like Fleur
(hint: there are a lot of them on this list, and they are not Brits
;-) From experience, I can say that I have met a few of those people
who do act like that (especially among those who have not travelled
abroad), but I have also met a lot of them who are not like that at
all. It's a stereotype, a caricature.

I'm sure that anyone who has ever actually *met* a significant number
of French people knows that most are not like Fleur. Fleur is not just
a stereotype of French people. She's also a caricature of
self-centered beautiful women. 

I also wonder how much of her personality is due to her Veela blood.
Hagrid shows psychological signs of his Giant parentage (his love for
monsters, his inability to recognise the danger they pose to the
humans around him). Could it be that Fleur's behaviour is partly due
to her Veela ancestry? We know very little about Veelas, but they seem
to be the embodiment of the ugly person hidden under a beautiful
surface. They seem to be concentrating very much on seducing people,
while at the same time exhibiting signs of short temper, agressivity,
lack of fair play, and so on. So maybe part of Fleur's bad manners
could stem from her very biology. Maybe her Veela blood gave her more
than just an ability to seduce people, maybe it also gave her a
tendency to be self-centered and to not tolerate any kind of competition.

Just a possibility,

Del