[HPforGrownups] Re: CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 13: Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw

[Shelley]

No: HPFGUIDX 190002

June:
> It is hard to lose a pet. Those of us who keep them regard them as
> family. I myself have had to endure the pain of losing a pet (4 at
> once when my landlord sprayed poison into the walls with holes in my
> wall that she never had fixed). I believe that even if you do not
> understand someone crying over a pet who has passed away you should
> be aware that they too have feelings and be supportive and if you
> can't then leave and don't talk to them at all. No offense but I
> found your remarks to be a lot worse than Hermione's and very
> insensitive.

June, first of all, ask a question, better be prepared for the answer, 
but don't expect everyone to agree with you or for you to like every 
response.  Yes, I have had pets, I know what it's like for them to die. 
I am not heartless.

But the question was of Hermione's response in the book, and did we find 
her insensitive. I answered I didn't find her insensitive. I would have, 
in that situation, been too annoyed at everyone making more to do of a 
rabbit dying than just the rabbit- using that emotion to say Trelawney 
was right, which Hermione clearly felt was wrong. She isn't going to 
give into the emotional reaction of a bunch of crying girls to allow her 
to distort what she feels is the truth. She's seeing past the emotion. I 
get that some readers will side with that emotional reaction of "poor 
rabbit, poor Lavender", and will miss the fact that Hermione is using 
her head instead. It's what makes Hermione her, and it's what makes me 
me, and frankly, I don't give a care if anything thinks that I'm 
insensitive for it. Logical people are not heartless. If Trelawney 
hadn't been involved, I am sure you would have seen a kinder response 
from Hermione right then.

You have to realize that this also a creatively written book, and 
Rowling uses the distractions to hide important facts. She uses the 
emotional response the reader will have ("poor rabbit, poor Lavender") 
and only later will you step back to connect the facts- Trelawney never 
mentioned a rabbit. It's not insensitive to look past emotional 
reactions to see what's really going on behind the scenes. She's showing 
Hermione's character of valuing truth over emotion, and it's what in 
later books allows her to keep her head in times of danger to act 
quickly and very smartly (using Accio to aquire the book on Horcruxes 
from Dumbledore's office, for example). I value those traits- 
brilliance, people who keep their heads in a crisis, and I don't find 
those people insensitive at all but the kind of people I would want to 
be my doctor for a surgery, or the EMT called to save my life, and I'd 
much rather that kind of person being driving the car should an accident 
ever happen, versus the emotional person who is just going to scream at 
the oncoming car.

Shelley