Harry's emotional scars (was: In Defense of DD)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 126715


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:
> So I guess that's a long way of saying, along with John, that I'd be 
> interested in knowing these examples of many deep emotional scars in 
> Harry.
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan

Well, that's a fair question.  Unfortunately, you have already dealt 
with the examples I would probably raise.  :-).  That's fair enough.  
I think that we are dealing with different perceptions of what is and 
is not pathological behavior (or evidence of emotional distress, if 
you prefer a less clinical term).  Nora or Alla or I could list the 
behaviors we see as evidence of scarring from the Dursleys and other 
Dumbledore decisions, others would say there are other sources (or 
that this is not emotional distress at all), we would disagree - 
perhaps very strongly, and round and round we go.

To take this in a slightly different direction, I think the series is 
on the edge of a series of revelations about JKR's view of these 
things (i.e. emotional scarring).  We have hints we are going to learn 
a lot more about Voldy in the next couple of books, and Snape as 
well.  Some have postulated that the theme of emotional scarring will 
be very big.  Others that emotional scarring will have no place as a 
major theme in the narrative and that "free choice" will be the 
deciding factor.  We have hints in both directions.  Dumbledore's 
constant talk about "what's good over what's easy" points to free 
will, but then the talk about how "some wounds run too deep for the 
healing," points another way.  

Then, that's making the presumption (which I feel is always a 
dangerous one) that JKR really HAS a very clear philosophy on the 
matter.  It's entirely possible that she will come down somewhere in 
the middle, or give us yet more mixed signals and contradictory 
episodes.  Either way, I suspect we are going to have a great deal 
more to argue about very shortly.


Lupinlore