Scene with likeable James WAS: Re: Eileen Pince

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 156329

> >>Joe:
> <snip>
> The entire scene lasts what, five minutes maybe?   
> I think making any deep character judgements about ANYBODY based   
> on a five minute segment of their life is deeply flawed.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
In real life, yes, in a work of fiction?  That's how it's done.  
Because the author gets to pick and choose what scenes she shares 
with us, so it's not really "five minutes in the life of". It's a 
key insight into various characters.  In the case of the Mauraders 
it's the *only* insight, so far, that we've been allowed to see for 
ourselves.  That this is the scene JKR chose to share should not be 
taken lightly.

> >>Joe:     
> Oh one more thing. Can we please stop calling people bullies      
> because they hexed someone? We have a good bit of canon evidence   
> that supports students hexing each other frequently. Its a guy     
> thing and I'm guessing girls don't understand but boys play rough. 
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
So I questioned my husband about this (I'm betting there are quite a 
few guys out there getting similarly grilled -- I'm sure they're 
loving you, Joe <g>) and he disagreed that what James and Sirius do 
to Snape is normal highschool play.  He also pointed out that any 
time a statement is made, "All guys __________", it's wrong.  Too 
much individualism out there.

Also, just because we've been told that James and Sirius regularly 
hexed people doesn't mean that it's a good thing.  The fact that 
they were punished so often for doing so is telling, IMO.  I'd also 
say that what we see happen to Snape goes far and beyond a mere hex 
in the hallways.  It was vicious, cruel and physically painful for 
Snape.  Harry was put off (and actually thought his father capable 
of rape) for a reason after witnessing it.  Harry, being a boy 
attending Hogwarts, should have a fairly good idea as to what 
consitutes normal boyish rough-housing at his school, and what goes 
above and beyond.

All that being said, of course we all know there's more to the story 
of James.  He grows enough to be named headboy by Dumbledore, and he 
breaks out of Sirius's thrall enough to save two friends and one 
enemy from a truly gruesome fate.  So yeah, we can't just write 
James off as an arrogant bully.  There's more to him than that and 
hopefully we'll get to see it in book 7.  But that doesn't mean we 
should white-wash this scene.  It's there for a reason.

Betsy Hp