Emotional connections with the characters WAS: Re: Connections Interview

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 171681

> > Jen:  Insightful paragraph here, Dung.  There are times the Snape 
> > character makes me boil, especially when he appears to be using 
his 
> > position as an adult and authority figure (with Dumbledore's 
> > permission by omission if nothing else) over those in lesser 
> > positions by age, circumstance or power. It feels like injustice 
to 
> > me and not something others should have to tolerate.  
> 
> Dungrollin:
> I have to admit that I don't engage at such an emotional level with 
> the books; I think the only time I got annoyed with a character was 
> with Harry in the Occlumency lessons because I read Snape as having 
> made a massive effort (not entirely successful, granted, but a 
> massive effort all the same) and Harry didn't even notice, let 
alone 
> make any kind of effort in return. I can dispassionately see that 
> Snape's nasty and cruel and emotionally retarded, but I would react 
> to someone like him so differently to the way that Harry reacts 
that 
> I find it difficult to take his nastiness personally, all I feel is 
> pity. (Mingled with admiration for his way with words...)
<BIG SNIP>


Alla:

Hey Dung. Are you sure though that you do not engage on such 
emotional level with the books or you are just engaging with the 
different character then Jen does and myself does as well?

Now, this is not meant to be doubting your words - I do not like when 
somebody tells me that I do not really mean what I write and I would 
not do it to you or anybody else myself.

The only reason why I am asking is because this statement of yours to 
me stands in contradiction with you saying at the end of the 
paragraph that you feel pity for Snape and with your earlier 
statement that you really do not want Snape to die.

If after reading my post, you will still tell me that you do not 
engage on emotionl level with the books, I will absolutely accept it.

I guess this is just asking for clarification, I suppose.

Now, as I said many times I am absolutely emotionally attached to 
several characters in Potterverse and see nothing wrong with it.

I think a lot of people are, hehe.

I mean, that is how I read books, that is among other things how I 
figure whether the fiction book is good or not - if author makes me 
feel for the character as if the character is real person, that is 
for me the first sign when the author succeeded, hehe.

In "War and peace", no matter how many times I read it, I still do 
not want prince Andrew to die and I cannnot ever like Natasha as much 
because she betrayed him, hehe.

Yes, the book is fascinating as the encyclopedia of russian life in 
the 19 century of the sort, but without emotional connection with the 
characters, the book would never be as good for me as it is right now.

So, to go back to Potterverse - absolutely I am attached to Harry's 
character, want him to survive and be as happy as possible and want 
his tormentor to suffer a lot, as I said gasillion times.

I mean, what does it mean for you to engage with the book on the 
emotional level?

Certainly I do not think about Harry's character 24/7 - there is that 
RL stuff going on and all that <g>( okay, maybe few days before book 
7 comes out I think about the book a lot LOL, but you get what I 
mean), but when I do, I feel for him and I want him to to triumph.

So, when you are saying that you feel pity for Snape and do not want 
him to die, do you not think that you are engaging on the emotional 
level with the books?

I mean, if you were just saying that Snape is amusing for you on the 
intellectual level, his gift with words, etc, I would understand that 
this is not the emotional level connection, you know?

Thanks Dung.

Alla