How do the books affect children? (was: Why down on all the characters?)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 179605

Magpie:
<SNIP>
Saying that Harry
is "unpopular" has certain meanings when you're talking about
school. Snape, Luna, Neville meanings. Having everyone angry at you
because they think you did something bad (lied about Voldemort, set
a monster on everyone, stole the championship) does not make
you "the unpopular kid" in terms of your usual social standing.
<SNIP>


Alla:

I think this is the crux of disagreement and I think I already came 
to agree to disagree point. I believe calling the kid unpopular only 
when the kid is **constantly** unpopular is limiting the meaning of 
that world, because I do not buy that only kids who are constantly 
disliked to the extent Snape was and Luna and Neville were (up to 
certain point only though) can be called unpopular.

To me popular means likable, always was always will be. Harry - well 
he is important, sure, who can dispute that, he is liked sometimes by 
his limited circle of friends OR the whole school, but since I see 
him just as violently disliked and hated by the majority of student 
population at least if not the whole school, I can never call him 
popular kid all the time.





> > Alla:
> > 
> > Yes, and to me those times in PS and OOP Harry sounds if not as 
> > social outcast, then pretty darn close to being one.
> 
> Magpie:
> The whole reason those times stand out for Harry is because they're 
> not normal. If he was actually just an unpopular kid his whole 
> school experience would just be one grey haze of loneliness, not 
> isolated painful memories when he did something bad or was thought 
> to do something bad and lots of people got mad at him for it 
(though 
> luckily in every single one of those times he still actually had 
> friends standing by him).

Alla:

So, wait, only if kid disliked all the time, kid is deemed worthy to 
be called unpopular? Is that what you are saying?

My experiences contradict that.

To go back to Potterverse, I would certainly call Harry famous and 
important, but not popular, no. If whole school consistently liked 
him and worshipped him, then absolutely I would call him popular. I 
do not see it in the book.

The very fact that it changes from love to hate so fast to me means 
that he is not popular.

JMO,

Alla