Maligning Lupin was Re: JKR has Mystery Writer-related to Tower Theories-long!

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 149622

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "spotsgal" <Nanagose at ...> wrote:
>
> > Pippin:
> >I think what Rowling wants to 
> > show us is that the moral sense is fragile -- it can be damaged even 
> > before birth, as Riddle's was--but it can be damaged also by misuse. 
> > Ignore your principles too often and maybe they won't kick in when 
> > you need them.
> > 
> > It's true that if JKR reveals Lupin in this light it will destroy
> > some of our sympathy for him

> Christina:
> 
> JKR has already revealed that Lupin is a man who has weaknesses
> concerning moral choices.  People love him anyway.  We have to - if we
> lost our sympathy and affection for characters who have made poor
> moral choices, we'd have a precious few characters left to like 
> (Lily perhaps, and...that's basically it).
> 
>  
> > Pippin:
> > I don't think she means to allow us the luxury of feeling sorry 
> > for werewolves...
> 
> Christina:
> 
> Make way for Fenrir Greyback, seriously evil werewolf coming through!
>  I could kiss JKR's feet for introducing him, creepy fellow though
>> he is.  *shudder*
> 
> 
> > Pippin:
> > She's got no use for sympathy, IMO. Sympathy says it wishes there 
> > was something it could do. Sympathy turns the page. It's anger 
> > that says, "This can't go on."
> 
> Christina:
> 
> On first thought, I'm inclined to agree.  But thinking more about it,
> I don't know.  Hermione shows anger against the establishment through
> SPEW, but her indignation seems firmly rooted in sympathy for the
> house elves ("All those poor elves I haven't set free yet, having to
> stay over during Christmas because there aren't enough hats!").  
> 
> Harry's reaction towards Bella after Sirius's death is full of anger,
> but what does it achieve?  Harry is angry in Dumbledore's office, but
> what does *that* achieve?  T

<snip>

> Anger seems to be a rather "hot" emotion, one that perhaps might blind
> us rather than assist us in eradicating evil.  I think that JKR would
> rather us be loving and merciful than angry.  She's been banging us
> over the head with the "beat evil with love" theme.

<snip>

Renee:
Why not both sympathy *and* anger? Sympathy directed at persons: the
oppressed, the afflicted, the victims of prejudice. And the sympathy
resulting in anger at the *situation* - the productive kind of anger
mentioned by Pippin, the anger that wants to fight for change, not the
 negative anger that only wants to avenge, hurt and destroy. Yet even
the latter often has its roots in love and sympathy. Harry wouldn't
have tried to Crucio Bellatrix if Sirius had left him indifferent.
There's a direct link between the sympathy and the anger. 

If Fenrir Greyback would be the only werewolf in the series we got to
know, we'd hardly become indignant over the anti-werewolf prejudice.
ESE!Lupin, especially the variant who is responsible for almost all
the murders in the series that can't be laid at Voldemort's feet,
would forfeit, say, 99% of the reader's sympathy (my estimate - others
may have slightly different percentages in mind) and do about as much
good to the werewolf cause as Greyback. A werewolf we can sympathise
with is essential to JKR's message. We won't be introduced to any
major new characters, she says. So guess who.