JKR and the boys

[amanitamuscaria1]

No: HPFGUIDX 161545

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Miles" <miles at ...> wrote:
>
> After watching the PoA film again, I stumbled about a scene quite 
at the
> beginning that is not in the book. It's the scene where the boys 
have fun in
> the dormitory, imitating animals and having a small pillow fight 
afterwards.
<snip> AmanitaMuscaria now - Agreed, that was a scene that 
contributed and broadened understanding of the characters, unlike 
some of the movie contamination.

> Harry is... well, let's say "unprepared" and not very clever with 
girls. We
> have an insight in his thoughts, but this doesn't make the 
situation more
> clear. His desires seem to come from a dark place in himself that 
he is
> unaware of. 

AM again - Well, I can't imagine Harry (or Dudley, for that matter) 
would have got much insight or help with his emotions and identifying 
them. Anything that wasn't basic obeying of commands seems to have 
been treated by the Dursleys as frightening and dangerous. ("I won't 
blow the house up, honest!" But they never believed him .. I'm 
paraphrasing here) I suspect Harry has taken that to mean any 
emotions are frightening and dangerous.


> He has very few friends, and he seems not to be interested in 
students apart
> from those who are his friends. This is shown differently in the 
films, by
> the way.
> What makes this situation unrealistic IMO is Harry's past until he 
came to
> Hogwarts. He had a very hard time not only at the Dursley's, but at
> elementary school as well. A person being bullied so much will most 
probably
> develop good knowledge of human nature - especially a bright boy 
like Harry.
> It's vital for him to understand people and to "read their minds" 
in order
> to find out who will harm him and who will not. 

AM again - Another way of responding to such treatment is to be 
completely confused by people, to not understand their motivations at 
all, and thus to become resigned to people reacting in ways that you 
cannot possibly foresee. So Harry doesn't tell people things, because 
he can't predict their reactions. He doesn't open up to possible 
friends, because they may not be friends. He isn't socially clued up 
because he wasn't socialised from ages 1-11. Same with the emotions, 
he has very little information to work with. 
I find the reactions and actions pretty believable, if you accept his 
past as true. And because of that, I don't find it strange that there 
isn't more student life description, as we're seeing it all from 
Harry's POV, mostly, and he can't be an accurate reporter as he 
hasn't the social skills to be so.
Cheers, AmanitaMuscaria