JKR's dealing with emotions /Harry's grief over Sirius - realistic or not?

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 147416

> Karen:
> 
> I understand that is Lupinlore's take, I'm just saying that it 
rings 
> true with a lot of us so it really can't be that badly done. I 
really 
> don't think we are squeezing our life experience around to fit the 
> book. The book portrayal fits what we know. Lupinlore's experience 
of 
> grief is obviously different. I'm just saying if I saw a lot of 
moaning 
> and agonizing with Sirius death (after the initial angry DD office 
> scene) I would have found that *highly* melodramatic and it would 
have 
> put me off and I would feel it was ooc for Harry.


After OOTP you would have found it OOC?  I would have found it very 
in character at that point.  Nor do I think "moaning and agonizing" 
would have been in the slightest bit melodramatic or unrealistic, in 
and of themselves.  ONLY moaning and agonizing would not have been a 
good way of handling it, just as ONLY "being strong for Sirius' sake" 
was a terrible way of handling it.

I expected a GREAT deal more complexity and sophistication on JKR's 
part in dealing with this issue.  I must say I lost 90% of my respect 
for her as a writer when she came out with that remark about not 
grieving for Sirius' sake.  It seems clear to me that she forced her 
characters to comply with the demands of her plot schedule, no matter 
how unrealistic, and frankly silly, those demands were.

As Magpie points out, a better handling would have shown grief, 
perhaps subtle, overshadowing Harry throughout HBP, just as trauma 
overshadowed him throughout OOTP.  There would have been a much 
deeper and more sophisticated look at what that grief meant for Harry 
and how it related to his relationships and his goals.  Instead we 
get a few throwaway lines and a couple of stock catchphrases so she 
can get on with fighting Voldemort.

There is NO WAY that Harry's relationship with Dumbledore should have 
settled down into a harmonious and completely trusting and respectful 
pattern after all the revelations in OOTP, despite the blow up in 
DD's office as a "pressure valve."  Far too many revelations were 
made and issues opened for that.  Not the least of these is 
Dumbledore's claim to have been responsible for Sirius' death.  A 
more sophisticated, and realistic, way of dealing with the issue 
would have been to deal with the re-development of the relationship 
slowly over the course of the book.  Instead, "all is forgiven, now 
let's fight Voldemort!"  Excuse me while I guffaw in derision.

Harry's response to Kreacher was not repressed, it was catatonic.  
The being who betrayed his beloved godfather presented to him and 
what does he do?  Protest that how dare Dumbledore bring Kreacher 
into his presence?  Demand that the villain be punished?  Explode in 
anger?  No.  He goes, "uhhhh, okay."  Yeah, right.  Another guffaw of 
derision. (And it is interesting that Hermione forgets all about SPEW 
for the time being, isn't it?)

The bits with Lupin were deeply disappointing, but actually 
believable if somewhat underdeveloped.  Lupin is such a therapy-case 
himself I could see him reacting with near apathy (in terms of any 
changes in his relationship with Harry) to Sirius' demise.

Harry believes Snape is responsible for Sirius' death and he still 
speaks with the man, school rules or no school rules?  He does NOT 
demand a greater explanation from Dumbledore, whether the man is 
reluctant or not?  He does NOT recall that Dumbledore dodged his 
question about whether it was "all right" for Snape to hate James?  
Excuse me, a third guffaw of derision.

Oh, Harry does NOT ask about some kind of memorial service for 
Sirius, even when the subject of the will comes up?  And the 
supposedly kind and wise Dumbledore doesn't seem to even think of 
that, either? Oh, and we know from the end of HBP that such things do 
indeed happen in the WW. A fourth guffaw of derision.

Harry has lost his beloved godfather, there is no body, and he 
doesn't demand to know something about the veil?  A fifth guffaw.

Harry has nightmares about Cedric, but his sleep in HBP, at least 
after his stay at the Dursleys, seems quite untroubled?  A sixth 
guffaw.

Harry gets a book scrawled with comments that sound remarkably like 
something a young Sirius might have said (not saying that Harry 
should have thought of Sirius as the HBP, since he knew Sirius was 
pureblood).  Does this fact resonate in any way with him?  Nope.  A 
seventh guffaw.

Harry knows his failure at Occlumency (granted it was Snape's fault) 
led to Sirius' death.  But he accepts DDs explanation that there is 
no need for Occlumency now, that what happened with Sirius won't 
happen again, at face value and never seems to feel a twinge of worry 
or unease about it.  An eighth guffaw.

The ministry has acknowledged that Sirius was innocent.  Yet during a 
pitched argument with the former head of the auror office Harry never 
brings this fact up.  You can read it in between the lines if you 
like when he's thinking about Stan Shunpike, but I think you'd be 
reading in something that isn't there.  A ninth guffaw.

I have several other guffaws, but those serve to illustrate.


Lupinlore, who is a "he" by the way






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