Lupin and Tonks characterization in HD --- Was: Initial critique of DH

[pattiemgsybb]

No: HPFGUIDX 172963

persimmon76 wrote:
> Did Lupin's behavior in DH strike anyone else as odd? A Lupin
> "deranged" is such
> a hard image to shake.

Yes, yes, yes. And that really bugged me because I think Lupin is one
of her best creations -- the gentle werewolf trying to make his way
through a world that, by and large, doesn't want him. I adored him in
PoA; he was surely the best teacher we've seen (McGonagall was
probably good too, if stricter).  He was patient, funny, caring -- and
that continued throughout the series until DH. I don't think DH Lupin
makes any sense, and I don't think this Tonks makes much sense either.


guzuguzu:
> YES-- I was extremely disappointed by the way Lupin (and Tonks)
were> written in DH. First we had "deranged," irrational Lupin (would he
> actually think that ditching his kid would make the kid *less* ashamed
> of him?).  He wants to leave Tonks because she's become an outcast?--
> she seemed quite happy from the tiny glimpses we saw of her. Lupin
> freaking out about a new wife and kid (who he is positive will be a
> werewolf-- but more on that later*)  could have been a realistic minor
> subplot, but apparently it wasn't too much for him to overcome, since
> all he needed to get over it was to have his friend's 17-year-old >
> son call him a coward. That was the end of that.


Lupin's face looks grayer, more lined at Privet Drive; his face falls
into lines of misery at the wedding, he's quite willing to leave a
pregnant Tonks with her folks – all because he's bitter at himself for
making her an outcast.  Meanwhile she's glowing and grinning and full
of life because she has her man. Clearly Tonks couldn't care less
about being an outcast, but it seems all Lupin does is agonize about
what a horrible mistake his marriage was, and his only happy, playful
moments revolve around his son (once the kid's born, anyway).
WIFEY!Tonks is so squeeingly oblivious to Remus's misery that I can't
believe she's for real.

And then there's the afterlife business -- I understand why Tonks
wasn't present, she's not one of Harry's "family" at the time of her
death -- but as you guys have said, what, no mention of the woman at
all? Even though Harry directly addresses Lupin, and discusses Lupin's
son?  Weird. And of course Lupin looks happier than Harry's ever seen
him. The moral is: if you have to marry Tonks, pray for an early death
and then run away to find your mates. Poor Tonks! Thank heavens she
has her Daddy for company, at least.

Oh, and that nasty verbal tongue-lashing from Harry, at Grimmauld
Place? Ick. Too too harsh; I could almost picture Snape saying some of
that stuff. But then what the heck was up with Lupin going for his
wand (not so different from going for a gun, in their world) and
hexing Harry, blasting him up against the wall? That shocked me as
much as anything in the book and I can't see how we could accept that
as being in character. (For a while I wondered: was it a red herring
to make people think Remus had "gone over"?  I saw some possible hints
of that, which worried me greatly – I kept saying, "if she turns Remus
into a bad guy, I'll burn this book.")


> Tonks: This actually got me angry. Glad to know that the newly qualified
> Auror who trained to be part of an elite force to take down dark wizards
> and who is also a member of the ever-shrinking Order of the Phoenix
> decided to sit the war out to have a baby. What a noble thing to do.
> Especially with a husband who, until Harry gives him a tongue-lashing,
> is not particularly keen on reproducing.


Thank you. Who is this madly fertile woman, and what did you do with
OotP Tonks? Oh, and can someone tell me why a man who so desperately
wanted to avoid having children, and who is very intelligent, couldn't
figure out how to get hold of some birth control! It's hard to imagine
these two flying into bed overwhelmed by passion and making wild,
thoughtless love (I could see Tonks being up for it, but not miserably
depressed Lupin...), so I do think they'd have had enough time to
attend to that little matter.

I really liked the book, overall, but I'm absolutely bewildered by the
Lupin we meet there.


pattiemgsybb