Ron in the Background ....... or not

[pennylin]

Hi --

I *knew* I would eventually get some responses from the Ron fans.  <g>

First ---- FILM CHARACTERIZATION/DIMINISHMENT OF RON ---- 

Debbie believes that Rowling is only concerned with preventing errors that affect future plot developments, and hasn't concerned herself with characterization so much.  I can go 2 ways with this.  I do agree that she views the films as an entirely different and distinct creative medium, so I can certainly see how she might not get so involved in finer details.  Certainly it sounds like Cuaron did some things artistically that she didn't know about beforehand and that gave her goose-bumps at the premier, due to what will happen later.  BUT, on the COS DVD interview with Rowling and Kloves, I have the distinct impression of collaboration ..... or at least that Kloves has great access to JKR when he wants it.  This implies to me that if Rowling were truly as upset about Ron's characterization in the films, she might have stepped in.  I do believe I remember reading also that she has script approval.  So, I think all in all, I'd still be a little disturbed by this trend in the films if I were a Ron fan.  Which I am not.  <g>  

HERMIONE AS HEROINE / RON ON THE SIDELINES:

Jo said: <<<<I'm afraid I do disagree about the OOP arc showing Ron being > relegated to the "sidelines" while Hermione is becoming a heroine, > but this post is long enough already ;-).  I'd love to explore this > later, though if you'd like to pursue the topic.>>>

And Debbie agreed: <<<<I have to agree with Jo here.  What happened in OOP continued a theme that JKR introduced when we first met Ron aboard the Hogwarts Express in PS/SS and he laments that "everybody expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first."  This sets up the running theme of Ron's lack of self-
confidence.  For Ron to be shunted off to the sidelines in favor of 
H/H as hero/heroine in the last couple of books doesn't seem 
consistent with the attention JKR has given to Ron's self-
confidence.  In OOP, Ron showed signs of confronting this problem, 
but it was important that he learn those lessons for himself, which 
means that his story had to take place offstage.  Now that he's 
developed enough confidence to play Quidditch, I can't see it ending 
there.>>>>>>>>>>

I could have sworn that I posted my long essay now on the Lexicon here on this group at some point, and I was going to reference a message number, but alas ..... can't find it.  I won't bore you with it.  If you want to read it in full, go to the Lexicon.  

While I agree Debbie that we will see some resolution to Ron's self-confidence issues, I'm not sure that this means he will take on a greater role in the action sequences necessarily.  He might.  We have Ron doing some very active things in the first 2 books ....... but then, it all slacks off, which makes me wonder.  GoF wasn't too terribly obvious in that regard, and so it wasn't until we had OOP that I started thinking about whether this was a narrative arc, a trend.  We have the Harry and Hermione Show in the true action of PoA (beautifully done in the film, I might add!  <eg>), whilst Ron is "unable to walk."  In GoF, we have really Harry on his own more than ever before ....... with Hermione having perhaps a slight edge in that Harry and Ron aren't speaking for a time, but really Ron and Hermione contribute somewhat equally overall to the main action of GoF (which is to say, not much).  But, in OOP, we're back to the POA model and then some.  

Not only is Hermione the one who's most involved in the key action sequences (with the glaring omission of Ron), but also Harry and Hermione seem to be cutting Ron out of conversations throughout the school year.  This is from my essay:

"Significantly, Harry and Hermione share in the key moments of the events depicted in OoP as a pair.  It is Harry and Hermione together who accompany Hagrid to the Forest to meet Grawp (604-618).  It is Harry and Hermione together who steal into Umbridge's office to check on Sirius' whereabouts (651-653).  It is Harry and Hermione together who accompany Umbridge into the Forest (660).  
 

And, finally, Hermione is with Harry and Neville (both of whom may be integral to the final resolution of the series) when the group is split in two at the Department of Mysteries."

Again, I do think that there is authorial choice involved in all these decisions, and in each case, I'm not entirely clear why Ron wasn't included.  Yes, he's playing Quidditch when Harry and Hermione meet Grawp.  But, he *could* have been included in the other sequences, had Rowling chosen this route.  Maybe Debbie's right, and she's setting up a more dramatic "Big Fall" for Hermione.  Maybe.  But, I think it is obvious that Ron has a lesser role in OoP than he might have done, and I have to wonder, in combination with what's being done to his character in the films, what that might mean.  And, if you start thinking that maybe PoA was simply the beginning of a big arc with regard to Trio dynamics ..... it's just interesting to consider.

I also think that it's incredibly significant that it is Hermione and Neville who are left with Harry in the DoM.  I'm not at all convinced that Rowling just flipped a coin or randomly decided to split the 6 characters up in this fashion with no goal in mind.  Certainly I would expect that if it had been *Ginny* who was with Harry and Neville, the H/G shippers would be proclaiming the narrative significance of this choice with great glee ..... so I feel justified in reaching the same conclusion.  Obviously Rowling was signaling Harry and Neville as doppelgangers ..... as two people linked by the Prophecy ..... and two characters who may both have equally big roles to play in the final end-game.  If Hermione is included with them, isn't that significant?  I think so.  

Penny 



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