Occlumency redux, redux

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 139448

nrenka wrote:

> 
> 'Damaged' was JKR's adjective.  The modifier was mine, and a bit 
of 
> an extrapolation.  It seems applicable in some situations, 
although 
> not all.
> 

 a_svirn:
Oh, well, I made a quick dash to TLC and here is what I 
found: "Harry's problem with it [Occlumency – a_svirn] was always 
that his emotions were too near the surface and that he is *in some 
ways too damaged*. But he's also *very in touch with his feelings* 
about what's happened to him. *He's not repressed*, he's quite 
honest about facing them, and he couldn't suppress them, he couldn't 
suppress these memories" [emphasis mine – a_svirn].  And about 
Draco: "But I thought of Draco as someone who is very capable of 
compartmentalizing his life and his emotions, and always has done. 
[snip] So he suppresses virtually all of the good side of himself. "

To sum up: Harry is damaged "in some ways", *but* --  there is a 
distinct juxtaposition in the JKR quote – not emotionally. He is in 
touch with his feelings, whereas Draco is not. It is Draco, not 
Harry (again according to JKR)  who is damaged emotionally – because 
he "suppresses all of the good side of himself". 


 nrenka wrote:

> But Dumbledore's detachment is *precisely* the cause of many of 
his 
> errors, although we may disagree about what they are.  <snip>

a_svirn:

I am not sure about that, but Dumbledore himself seems to disagree. 
At the end of OoP  Dumbledore admits his mistakes, but these have 
nothing to do with the excess of his ability to detachment. On the 
contrary, he clearly states that it was his great love to Harry and 
his *inability* to suppress his emotions made him to ignore the 
needs of the wartime and try to shelter Harry from the horrifying 
truth. 

 nrenka wrote:

> I can see Dumbledore developing a more integrated approach to 
> Occlumency, one more subtle and less based upon the walling off 
> principle...but actually, he's not the most emotionally healthy 
> character, either.  <snip>

a_svirn:
I kind of intrigued, is there an emotionally healthy character in 
the whole Potterverse then?