ANTIVIRUS - humble attempt of building a ship

[Shanoah Alkire]

No: HPFGUIDX 129188

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Mira <anurim at y...> wrote:
> I thought a while ago that one source of inspiration,
> probably secondary, for the plot of each book might be
> the illustration of one deadly sin versus one cardinal
> virtue. It is only now that I'll take the time to
> elaborate on the idea. I know there are some very
> interesting essays in the Files section relative to
> this subject, but they seem to me more general rather
> than about the HP world specifically. I haven't seen a
> similar theory yet, but I don't doubt that somebody
> has thought of it before, which is why I'll call it,
> for the time being, ANachronical Theory about
> Ineffable VIRtues and Ugly Sins (ANTIVIRUS).
> 

I've actually thought a bit about something similar before: I feel the
DADA teachers are meant as examples of the deadly sins in question...

<snip>
> 
> I am having trouble with the PoA. We see instances of
> Sloth (for instance Harry and Ron's failure to help
> Hagrid) vs Hermione's Zeal, we can argue that victims
> of Dementors can either lazily lament their fate or
> zealously seeking to fight it, we see Peter's
> complacency versus Sirius' stubbornness, but I am not
> entirely sure about the best interpretation, because
> there might also be there a few possible examples of
> Gluttony or Pride. I would welcome any help on this
> one. Small details like the totally unprofessional but
> miraculously effective Knight Bus might support the
> Sloth vs Zeal theme, but it is not the only possible
> interpretation.
> 

What you are missing here, is probably partially because it's subtle
(and spread over to OoP a bit), and because most of us like the
character in question. Lupins deadly sin, and the one that undermines
him in the end of the book, is sloth. 

The first time we see him, he is sleeping on the train, arguably
sleeping on the job. He hasn't really spent any time on his appearance
(surely he could have bought a new set of robes for the first day, or
at least a less used set!), and doesn't appear to be taking care of
himself.

We also find out that he is a friend of Harry's dad, who has never
bothered to let him know he exists, visit, send presents, check on his
wellbeing, etc, for the last 13 years, even after Harry found out
about the wizarding world.

He then goes through the whole year sitting back and not doing
anything, sitting on the information that a dangerous mass murderer on
the loose is an animagus, much as he sat back and did nothing during
his time in school while James & Sirus harassed Snape, and Sirus
crossed the line to attempted murder.

At the end of the term, he resigns because he *forgot* to take the
medication that stops him from turning into a rampaging wolf with a
taste for human flesh.

Admittedly, some of this can be attributed to circumstances
surrounding him, but he has shown a pattern of being a good man who
does nothing. Not that I dislike him: I'd see a lot of the sloth on
his part as stemming from severe depression. 

Remus does, however, stand out as the main example of sloth in the
books, IMHO...

--Arcum