lupin's motives (was Depression (was Re: DH reread CH 31

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 187498

Pippin:
 I think Lupin gives us a little insight into Merope and helps us see her as
something more than a "bad" mom who abandoned her child. 

If Lupin could think that his child would have a better life without him,
then imagine what Merope might have thought of herself: broke, friendless,
uneducated, abandoned by the husband she'd forced into marriage, and the
only family she knew in jail.


Sherry now:
First I want to say how much I liked the idea that the two mothers, Merope
and Lily, are two parts of JKR.  I had never thought of that before.  Thanks
Potion Cat!

But now to Lupin.  I don't think that Lupin was truly considering his child
at all in DH when he goes to Harry saying he wants to tag along.  I had
always liked Lupin in the series before, though I wanted to shake him a bit
for not stepping in and becoming more of a friend or parental figure to
Harry.  However, after that scene in DH, I despised him and my whole view of
him as a character was changed forever.  It's affected my reading of him in
earlier books, even POA, more than DH affects my enjoyment of other
characters in earlier books, like DD.  Lupin spoke out of cowardice and
shame.  Instead of accepting who and what he was, and trying to be a good
husband and father--nobody twisted his arm or used a love potion on him--he
wants to run away like the chicken he is!  It really pushes my buttons big
time.  He's always been the series metaphor for disability to me, and as a
person with a disability myself, I can sympathize with his fear and concern;
I can sympathize with the problems his disability causes him, but I can't
sympathize or respect him for wanting to run away from the people who love
him, and from his responsibilities.  To me, Lupin is another example of bad
fathering, another JKR dig at fathers in general.  She doesn't pain them too
well in her series, except for Mr. Weasley.

Sherry