Bigotry in the Potterverse/Hermione and her parents

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 188160



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Lynda Cordova <sweenlit at ...> wrote:
>
> sistermagpie:
> 
> And I didn't actually assign any different motivation to Hermione than she
> had in the book. She's getting them out of Voldemort's immediate vicinity.
> (Though in defending her choice people often naturally have to make up other
> motivations to explain the memory charm, like Hermione protecting Harry and
> herself in some way by making it harder for Voldemort to crack her parents'
> minds--even though they don't really know anything anyway.)
> 
> Lynda:
> 
> I don't defend Hermione's choice by making up other motivations. She did
> what she did to protect them, short and simple. Other children and other
> parents have taken similar actions for the same reasons. And from  reading
> the books, Hermione said that she had told her parents quite a lot about
> Harry. I therefore believe that she did tell her parents "quite a lot" about
> Harry. Enough that she felt they needed to be protected from the possible
> danger provided by Voldemort. I'd rather protect my family from possible
> harm by removing them from harm's vicinity by whatever means possible than
> not take protective action and see them hurt, even if they were five steps
> away from something I'm on top of. Five steps is not very far and if I can
> keep my family safe, I'll do that. I think Hermione's motivations were the
> same.
> 
> Lynda
> 

Montavilla47;

Yes, the motivation isn't really at issue.  What's at issue is whether 
or not Hermione acted with or without her parents' consent.  While
the book doesn't directly state it either way, the most *plausible*
inference, given Hermione's past actions, and the *plausibility*
of any ordinary parents, is that she did act without their consent
or input.

That doesn't make Hermione a bad person.  It just makes her very
arrogant.  Especially since common sense (and the book itself) provide
other, less drastic alternative ways to keep the Grangers safe.