Ron WAS: Re: DH reread CH 4-5

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 186286

Magpie:
<SNIP>
In that paragraph instead of development I really should have said "grow" or
"learn." Neville grows, seeming to reach his potential. Ron seems more defined
by the thing that gets in his way and keeps him from reaching his potential.
With practice, Neville gets over his fears and is just brave. With Ron, well, we
get something like the Quiddtich story. Sure a real person could easily get
nervous all over again the next year, but in a work of fiction you sort of feel
like...what was the point of that payoff last year? It didn't go beyond Ron
having a nice moment he could be comically boastful about. Then he ran out of
whatever good feelings he got from it and was back again to the beginning. <SNIP>

Alla:

See to me, what Neville does is just overcoming his childhood trauma, because as you wrote upthread, to me his inner essence really does not change at all, he just learns to show it to the world. But I see what is happening with Ron to be as something very very realistic, because to me things like that often never completely go away. In a sense I actually feel that for Neville it was much easier to overcome what happened to him, than Ron. I mean, of course he witnessed a horrific traumatic event, which Ron did not, and it was horrible. But to me this event just made it harder for Neville to tap into who he really is versus Ron being insecure is who Ron really is 

As an aside to the thread, not just to you I am sure you know from the past debates that I really do not think that even in literature character's development should only go up and it should all make sense, and that payoff should necessarily happen or it is not satisfying.

I brought Russian literature of 19 century as example in the past, but I will bring it again, because really I think it is a perfect example of amazing literature works, which VERY OFTEN have no resolutions, characters do NOT develop necessarily, it often feels that changes are about to happen, almost happen and then, nothing, really really nothing.
"A Hero of our time" by Lermontov would be perfect example and in a sense I see what is happening to Ron as similar in a sense that something happens to him that should have make him to overcome his insecurities, but then it really does not. Of course Ron at least gets his happy ending, which Pechorin does not, he gets senseless and unresolved ending, which to me is the whole point, but I do see the similarities as I said.

In my view, if person has insecurities that became part of who they are, often all such person can do is work on them and make sure that they do not interfere with our lives, you know? I was always shy, always, but when I told my colleagues that I am shy, they laughed a lot. I behave as exact opposite of shy person with the people I know and comfortable with, it does not matter how many people, I just need to get to know them. But  make me go to a social party where I do not know anybody and trust me, I am not going to have a good time, even if I will not show it.  It still manifests, you know?

So, again, my disappointment was that JKR chose to make Ron's insecurities show in such important moment, that she did not show him to be strong enough (IMO) to shove his feelings down and tell them, no, I know it is all in my head, Harry and Hermione love me, they NEED me. I am disappointed that Ron **acted** on his insecurities, NOT that he had them.