Lack of re-examination (was:Re: Secrets (Long) OLD POST REPOST)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 186492

> >>Montavilla47:
> <snip>
> And even I'm not going to force anyone to re-examine the books
> in light of Snape's memories.  After all, do people need to 
> go back and re-think Croody bouncing Draco off the stone floor
> in GoF once they realize that he's someone different than they 
> thought he was the first time they read that chapter?  No, of 
> course not.  
> 
> I consider it more fun to go back and consider different 
> motivations and perspectives.  But you're not *obligated*
> to do it, just because I like it.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Honestly, that the books don't obligate readers to go back and re-examine things like that is a reason I'm so squirmy about them.  Morally, I mean.  I don't think she does it on purpose, but JKR has a terrorist she identifies as particularly sadistic (he was at least a witness to, and possibly a participant in the torture that broke Neville's parents' minds) torture two school-boys (physically Draco, emotionally Neville).  Not only is that fact never driven home (Harry never has a squirmy moment of realizing he enjoyed watching a Death Eater mistreat a classmate, nor does he rethink what happened to Neville), in a later book one of the Gryffindor's praises the Death Eater as being a good teacher.  To Umbridge, iirc. 

Again, I think this is merely sloppiness on JKR's part.  But it's a big reason I don't recommend the series as good reading.

Betsy Hp