Bad Writing? (was: JKR and the boys)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 162910

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Bruce Alan Wilson" 
<bawilson at ...> wrote:
>
> Lupinlore, when did JKR condone child abuse?  I can't find it.  
Certainly it
> happens in the stories, but I can't see that she approves of it.
> 
> Bruce Alan Wilson


Well, at least we are in agreement that it happens.

This falls into the category of messages that get sent whether JKR 
intends to send them or not -- and in this case I don't think she 
does.  We have a character who is defined as the "epitome of 
goodness" who "knows pretty much everything that happens at Hogwarts" 
and who "has watched [Harry] more closely than [he] can have 
imagined."

Well, said epitome of goodness has stood by and allowed said abuse to 
happen when he could easily -- being both headmaster and most 
powerful wizard in the world -- have stepped in and put a firm stop 
to it.  As silence implies consent (at least in a court of law) then 
said "epitome of goodness" consents to said abuse and tacitly 
approves of it, and when your moral avatar approves of something, it 
is approved.

There are several examples of this: the Dursleys, Snape's abuse of 
his students, and Umbridge being the most egregious (others might 
bring up DD's bizarre inaction during the Marauder era and other 
examples).  Let us take Umbridge as one example.  DD is watching 
Harry "more closely than [he] can have imagined."  And yet DD managed 
to miss the little bit about Umbridge's detentions?  Unbelievable.  
Which means that the moral avatar of the series tacitly approves of 
Umbridge's abuse of Harry, which means abuse is, in the moral 
universe of the series, approved of.

The other issue, brought out be Alla on many times actually, is that 
DD has a seeming inability to clearly express regret and remorse over 
these issues.  Instead he hems and haws, beats around the bush, and 
makes cryptic comments that imply the abuse Harry has suffered is 
part of some grand plan of his -- which is frankly contemptible.

A precis of the issue, but there you have it.


Lupinlore