Compassionate hero (WAS Re: Appeal of the story to the reader)

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 175616

> Nita replies:
> In Potterverse, things are the other way around. Either it's just OK
> to shut down compassion (Ginny is so much better than Cho because 
she
> doesn't cry! Let's double-cross the goblin! Crucio!), or even it's 
The
> Right Thing To Do (ignoring the baby-soul, gloating over various 
stuff).

zgirnius:
Not my main point, but I did not want to let it pass - Ginny's lack 
of crying does not have to do with a lack of compassion. She does not 
cry *for herself*. The young man she loves is going to war, and she 
does not get all weepy and woe is me-ish about it, and Harry 
appreciates that. I think he figures if he was still with Cho, he 
would be treated to a hysterical display about her being left alone, 
yadda yadda (probably a bit unfair to Cho, but Harry is busy thinking 
nice thoughts about the girl of his dreams <g>, I would be pleased if 
my guy thought about his ex a bit unfairly in a similar manner).

But in DH, the hero is compassionate just like the guy in the Russian 
folk tale you cite, and the recipients of this compassion come to his 
aid, just as the animals do in the fairy tale. Kreacher is a notable 
example. When Harry manages to be compassionate to him, he learns 
valuable information and gains a useful ally who provides material 
aid in the Horcrux hunt and joins the final battle on Harry's side. 

Snape is another example. If Harry had walked away like Voldemort, or 
had gloated from afar, he would never have gotten the information he 
needed that only Snape had. Instead, he went to the dying Snape, and 
was duly rewarded. (Snape, of course, had already helped Harry in 
other ways he did not then at all know about, for other reasons - but 
his final act for Harry was made possible by Harry's compassionate 
instincts).

Harry did plan to double-cross Griphook, but to be in a position to 
do so, he first needed to get him on his side! His rescue of the 
goblin initially, and the grief and respect Harry showed for the dead 
House-Elf Dobby, impressed Griphook enough to make him a temporary, 
if not totally reliable, ally, without whose aid the break-in at 
Gringotts would have failed.

Harry shows compassion for the Malfoys (most notably, by saving 
Draco's life). Draco's mother returns the favor. Just the examples 
that come to mind...

> Nita:
> Another thing I like about such fairy tales is that the awesomeness 
is
> usually divided between the Pretty and Clever, yet vulnerable Witch
> and the Brave and Kind, yet sometimes blundering Hero. Yeah, the
> gender roles are old and rigid (and, curiously, not that different
> from JKR's), but at least there's some balance.

zgirnius:
Are you saying this is lacking in DH? Hermione seems Clever enough 
for me, Harry is Brave and Kind, and we also have Ron for more Brave, 
and also Vulnerable, with both males managing to blunder. (And hey, 
this mixes up the gender roles! <g>)

> Nita:
> Well, thanks for that. I hope JKR really didn't intend any gloating 
there.

zgirnius:
Nah, she did not. I admit my reaction is probably not 
indicative...but if even Alla did not gloat, we were *not* meant to. 
<bg>