Being Good and Evil (was:Re: Harry's arrogance (was Evil ...

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 154795


> houyhnhnm:
> 
I don't have nearly as much invested in Marietta 
> as a character as I do in Hermione.  Therefore Marietta's 
> irresponsibility doesn't concern me as much as Hermione's 
> does.  It was badly done.  Hermione's skills as an orgainzer 
> of underground resistance movements is about on a par with 
> her talent as a gumshoe in "Draco' Detour".  Her decision 
> to meet in a honky tonk like the Hog's Head where they would 
> stick out like sore thumbs instead of the Three Broomsticks 
> where no one would notice them was a poor one, as Sirius 
> pointed out to her.  Not recruiting carefully, not sounding 
> people out before letting them in on secrets poor tactics also.
> 
> The hex on the parchment was not well thought out either.  
> As many others here have pointed out, it did not serve as a 
> deterrent because no one outside of the inner circle knew 
> about it.  It did not give them any advance warning of 
> betrayal.  Its only pupose was revenge and its action, 
> apparently irreversible facial disfigurement, was overkill.  

wynnleaf
I agree with this.  There is no way Hermione could say that the facial
disfigurement was a deterent, when she gave no warning to the signers
of what would happen if they broke the contract.  All evidence points
toward the fact that Hermione didn't use the hex as a deterent, but as
a rather vengeful punishment.  Nor did she really consult any of the
other leadership of the DA beforehand to see if they thought her form
of punishment was right.  Her use of an irreversible disfiguring hex
as revenge for breaking the contract shows, in my opinion, a large
degree of spite.  The fact that she made no attempt over the next year
to help Marietta get rid of the disfigurement shows a continuing level
of spite.  

houyhnhnm:

> It parallels Harry's use of sectumsempra and I think we 
> are meant to see it that way.  

While I think Harry's use of sectumsempra a big problem, I don't
consider it in the same light as Hermione's hex.  Hermione knew the
hex she used and its effects.  Harry did not know the effects of
sectumsempra.  Harry's use of the curse was in ignorance (albeit
inexcusible to plan to use a spell in ignorance), while Hermione's hex
was in full knowledge.

houyhnhnm:
> I think it also parallels Hermione's S.P.E.W. involvement.  
> In the case of Hermione's house elf crusade, the author's 
> judgement is unambiguous. .......  But 
> in no way are we supposed to conclude that it is wrong to 
> care about the welfare of enslaved and mistreated peoples.  
> What is wrong is the rash, egocentric, condescending way 
> she goes about it.  Hermione knows what's best for everybody.  

wynnleaf
Like the hex on the parchment, Hermione doesn't solicit the opinions
of others before making these decisions.  Hermione, in my opinion,
exhibits a classic weakness of some people who are very intelligent --
more or less "I know a great deal more than everyone else, therefore
*all* of my opinions are correct, and my decisions are better than
those of others."  I sometimes refer to it as the "I am right"
attitude.  It's not conscious, but more a habit.  It's an easy habit
to form and a reason why it's often unfortunate for a highly
intelligent kid to have no real peers around to show them the
fallibility of some of their opinions.  

It reminds me of what JKR said about Dumbledore.  Being very
intelligent and not having any real intellectual peers has given
Dumbledore the weakness of having no real peer to tell him when he
might be wrong.  In a way, this is also true of Hermione, on a teenage
level.  Actually, though, I think Hermione does have teenagers around
her who could be her peers, but she doesn't recognize them because
they don't show the same degree of academic achievement that she does
(I'm thinking of Fred and George, who I tend to think are probably
just as smart as Hermione and far more creative).

houyhnhnm: 
> I don't think cruelty was her motive in putting a curse 
> on the parchment that would scar someone for life.  I don't 
> think she thought it out at all.  And that's the problem.
>

wynnleaf
Well, she had a year to think about it in HBP and apparently never
tried to help Marietta get out of the hex.  If cruelty wasn't her
motive for starting the hex, why has she done nothing to alleviate it?
 Someone else (can't remember who) said if she helped Marietta get rid
of the hex in Book 7 it would be "magnanimous."  The definition for
magnanimous is "Courageously noble in mind and heart. Generous in
forgiving; eschewing resentment or revenge; unselfish."  Wow, I just
could never say that about Hermione's treatment of Marietta even if
she did help her with the hex later.


wynnleaf