[HPforGrownups] Re: DH reread CH 4-5

[k12listmomma]

No: HPFGUIDX 186259

> Alla:
>> 
>> You know, totally did not remember that Ron's insecurities show up here. And frankly, find it, well annoying. I mean, really Ron it is not like you conduct things like this on the day to day basis. You participated in what? Two battles so far? Hermione isn't allowed to be surprised that you did something that Auror praises you for?
> 
> 
> sartoris22:
> 
> In my opinion, Ron's response is appropriate because Hermione consistenly underestimates him. She's not one who fills Ron with confidence. Early in the novels, she explains words to him that she thinks he doesn't know, and is always surprized when he has an idea, as in HBP when Ron tells Harry to take the lucky potion to get the information from Slughorn. Compare how Lavender treats Ron to how Hermione treats him. Clearly, Ron, at times, doesn't exhibit confidence (Quidditch is a prime example, but he has people around him--his brothers, Hermione, later even Ginny--who treat him badly and undermine his confidence. You know, it always bothered me that Harry never said anything to the twins about the way they treat Ron, because Ron would have said something if someone was mistreating Harry. And Ron consistenly sticks up for Hermione, too--remember the backfired slug attack against Malfoy in COS. In DH Ron knows he loves Hermione, but he also feels that she doesn't respect him. In fact, he thinks that she really likes Harry. Ron has to get the basilisk fangs and recognize the elves before Hermione thinks he is worthy. Funnily enough, Hermione doesn't have to do anything extra to gain Ron's love. So I think we can see why a weary, insecure Ron might finally say to Hermione, in effect, "get off my back."
> 

Shelley:
This is how I read this passage. I think Ron knows that he's not insecure, at this point, BUT I think Rowling wanted to show that he was beginning to figure out a way to manipulate Hermione. She already had her arms around his neck, and he puts that little jib in there to make Hermione feel guilty. Read in the epilogue this same manipulation, used 19 years later:

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confound the examiner." 
"No, I didn't," said Hermione, "I had complete faith in you." 
"As a matter of fact, I did Confound him," Ron whispered to Harry...

There's that pattern again: Ron verbalized his "weaknesses" to Hermione, expressed as a "you doubt me", and Hermione has to reaffirm the trust she has in him. Only this time, he's manipulating her with a lie instead of admitting the truth to her that she was correct. But, I can see how he would use this often to get her to express verbally, outwardly and openly, how she believes in him, because that's what Ron really wants to hear. I just think he had figured out how to get it. Hermione, no matter how smart she was, would be forced by the public situation and in front of old friends to repeat it again: "I have complete faith in you".

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]