Harry's Characterization (was:Satisfaction of the story to date)

[Amie]

No: HPFGUIDX 163384

Harry's Characterization (was: Re: Satisfaction of the story to 
date  (was: I Hate Horcruxes Society)

Mike commented:
<small snip> Harry's failure to apply himself in years 1-5 can be 
explained away as typical juvenile male behavior. And other than 
being forced to learn new spells (the Dementors in PoA and his 
participation in the TWT in GoF), he doesn't really apply himself in 
the first five years. (Yeah, I know he taught the DA. But what new 
spells did Harry learn?) That is the character Harry. That's how he 
is written. I can accept that.

But after he finds out he is the "Chosen One" at the end of OotP, 
how can he be shown as the still uninterested youth of his first 
five years? There is more of the "hormonal-Harry" in HBP than the 
guy destined-to-bring-down-Voldemort-who-better-start-getting-
prepared-Harry. If that isn't regression it is at the least an 
appalling lack of progression. Where's the urgency? Where's the 
resolve that he seemed to have in the Weasley's broomshed? Harry is 
more interested in Quidditch and how his Captaincy will be viewed in 
retrospect than whether he can cast a defensive spell non-verbally. 
Huh? This is the priority our hero has set for himself? IOW, what 

Amie now:
I agree that his behavior in the first 5 books is typical juvenile 
behavior. This also makes Harry's behavior in HBP believable as 
well. I think his commitment to Quidditch and short-sitedness on 
nonverbal spells is typical of Harry's previous behavior. If he had 
suddenly become completely and 150% committed wouldn't we be having 
the reverse discussion now? In my view, Harry was attempting to have 
as normal a life as he could under the circumstances. Sure he should 
have taken his studies more seriously, but shouldn't everyone? I 
know he has to save the world and all, but wouldn't that become 
quite a bit to take without anything else. I'm trying to imagine a 
story in which Harry had become so committed to learning things and 
was suddenly a perfect student. I'm finding it quite hard to do with 
the characterization we have so far.

<snip>

Carol continues:
Maybe he and Ron (who also needs to learn that skill, apparently) 
will practice them with Hermione.

Mike, unable to help himself, interjects again:
Our hero can't muster enough self-discipline to learn some of these 
skills himself, without Hermione's help. I'm not disagreeing with 
you Carol. On the contrary, I think you're spot on with what 
needs/will happen. And that's the problem. It's not really 
believable as far as the story has progressed. I think I'm 
channelling Lupinlore now. ;-)

Amie now:
Why isn't it believable? As you said above, he hasn't done anything 
alone before now. I think that this idea that you can't go it alone 
is one of JRK's main themes. We need everyone, even those people who 
we see as our opposites - all of that business of house unity, 
working with the elves, etc. Even Dumbledore didn't think he could 
wage this war alone, he formed the Order to help in the fight. 
There's no way that Harry's going to be able to go this alone. I, 
personally, think it would be quite a boring story if he did. I 
guess I'm someone who doesn't see Harry as the "end-all-hero". He 
needs the people around him. He's no Superman
more of an X-Men. Yea 
he has the powers, but what good can he do without the team? Maybe 
not the comparison, but somewhere in my head it makes sense.

<snip>

Carol continues:
To the extent that this series is a Bildungsroman, JKR can't have 
him learn the most important lessons in the penultimate book. They 
have to be saved for the last book. He also needs to realize, as JKR 
herself has said, how much he already knows, and put it all together-
-much as we, the readers, have been trying to do, but with more 
success (I hope!).

Mike:
I don't need him to learn the most important lessons by now. But I 
do think that JKR should have shown him to be a little better 
prepared. Or lacking that, with a little (alot) more purposeful 
drive to
prepare than she has shown Harry to have so far. (BTW, what's a 
Bildungsroman?)


Amie now: 

(bil•dungs•ro•man or Bil•dungs•ro•man (bl'dngz-rô-män', -
dngks-) 
n.  - A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, 
and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character.) 

I have to say I agree with Carol. Harry may be the "hero" of the 
book, but he's not adult. As a reader, I wouldn't expect Harry to 
have this unyielding commitment to the cause. While some may prefer 
to have their hero be all-knowing and full of purposeful drive, I 
think this flaw in Harry makes him a more believable, and 
interesting, character. I don't really see it as a flaw though, just 
more of adolescent behavior. This is supposed to be a story for 
adolescents after all, so they're likely to identify with this part 
of Harry's character. 

<snip of the rest of the conversation>

Amie – Who looked up Bildungsroman at answers.com because I could 
remember learning it in a class, but had since forgotten.