Which characters are dynamic?

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 141780

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:

<snip>

> Betsy Hp:
> Ah, but have we seen *any* character make a thematic change?  The 
> only one I can possibly think of is Draco Malfoy, and even that 
> change has yet to be verified.  So are we expecting Snape to be 
> *more* developed than any other character within the Potterverse?  
> That seems unrealistic to me.

We've seen Ron struggle with his fears, and work on overcoming them.  
He gets over his fears about werewolves; one is particularly amused 
by the comments in FBAWTFT about how 'all werewolves aren't bad'.  
Hermione has developed thematically with her relationship to the 
rules and necessity.  Neville has come into his own, definitely 
changing in how he reacts to other people and the various 
challenges.  Harry has certainly come to many realizations about how 
the world works, including this vaunted embrasse of his 'slytherin' 
side in HBP.  Of course, everyone has areas where they are not 
dynamic as well.

Not huge changes, perhaps, and JKR's ideas about fundamental 
character are certainly at work.  I don't recall ever having 
advocated *massive* changes, just a line of development of changes in 
the character.  One could argue that Neville has always had his 
potential, and just failed to actualize it.  But he *has* changed in 
these meaningful ways in how he faces daily life, and we get to see 
this because he enteracts with the same people in different ways.  
Ron and Hermione actually getting down into their romance makes them 
dynamic in their relationship to each other.

I don't see Snape being depicted as making these sorts of gradual 
changes and adjustments--but then again, I remember the image of 
Harry separating him and Sirius in OotP, so I wouldn't put him on an 
elevated plane of control there, either.  Particularly his 
relationship to Harry, which is the most important one (as everyone 
in the books exists in a literary relationship to Harry), is rather 
one-note.  If you think he's being sincere about his general 
attitudes.  Well, at least after next book the "just you wait" 
argument no longer obtains...

-Nora sez: a character who shifts is more complex than one who does 
not, generally