Bad Writing? (was: JKR and the boys)

[Bruce Alan Wilson]

No: HPFGUIDX 162916

Lupinlore:

"There are several examples of this: the Dursleys, Snape's abuse of his
students, and Umbridge being the most egregious."

Anent the Dursleys, I have seen abusive guardians in my work both as a
schoolteacher and as a court staffer, and their efforts in that direction are
quite halfhearted.  And, for all he had to put up with at their hands, he is
still alive, which is certainly better than the alternative.
Anent Snape, I don't see that he's abusive.  Mean, yes.  Unfair, yes.  But
abusive?  No.   As above, I've seen abusive teachers, and he doesn't even come
close.  And whatever you may say about his teaching methods, his students LEARN.
Harry and Ron were able to pull off good OWL marks in Potions, and even Neville
passed.  "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."  I'd rather have a
knowledgeable and competent teacher with a rotten personality than a
sweet-natured but inept one any day.
As for Umbridge, I agree with you there, but look what happened to her.
Dumbledore, for political reasons, couldn't move directly against her, but he
did the next best thing--gave her plenty of rope and let her hang herself.  And
one might argue that Harry's suffering under the Umbridge Regime was necessary
for his development, to toughen him up.


Bruce Alan Wilson

"The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man.  Other forms of
transport grow daily more nightmarish.  Only the bicycle remains pure in
heart."--Iris Murdoch



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