A Choice I Made For Very Personal Reasons

[angua9]

In my recent post about reconsidering JK Rowling's writing of romance in the Harry Potter series in light of the additional information from her later works, I declared myself puzzled by the following words of Rowling's:

What I will say is that I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment.

I wrote:

And it is not quite clear

Comments

[chocolatepot]

I completely agree, but it's so weird to think of it in these terms because of the fannish atmosphere, as you said, of Hermione taking Ron being the big challenge. <3

[kate34books]

I admit I read the title and got knots in my stomach, because this event still bothers me very much. (and even when I have no interest in the 'Cursed' Play [why couldn't she let the trio be?! why did she got convinced to bring them back by other people, just to throw them into more DRAMA?!) I seriously,seriously hope that the new scriptwriter/director get Ron/Hermione and their love RIGHT and don't go 'Hermione is too good for Ron and Ron is just a boring funny guy) (I say scriptwriter/director because I think Rupert & Emma did got them right

commentary part 2

[kate34books]

the other thing

Re: commentary part 2

[angua9]

I ... no. I don't really "get" tumblr but this seems to me a bit long for that format. I've never actually posted anything there, just reblogged a few things.

You make some good points and I don't really think Hermione would be bored with Ron. I think they would be happy together! But I was trying (not always successfully) to think and write about what J K Rowling might have been thinking, and trying to feel my way into explaining/justifying some of the things she said like "but the combative side of it… I’m not sure you could have got over that in an adult relationship, there was too much fundamental incompatibility" and "in some ways Hermione and Harry are a better fit." You might say I'm trying to reconcile my author-worshipping with my R/Hr-shipping

Re: commentary part 2

[connielane]

It would make a nice gif.
I was thinking this exact thing yesterday when I saw the video, but I hadn't been able to find one. So I made one. :P

Re: commentary part 2

[angua9]

Oh, excellent!!

[connielane]

I don't have much to add to this, except my whole-hearted agreement. :P But reading this reminded me how glad I am to have taken up with the corner of fandom that I found after reading the books. I can't imagine that I'd have much affection for them if I shared the version of Hermione that some people have in their heads -- the snobby girl who's incapable of falling in love with a "loser" like Ron because she thinks she's better than he is.

It also reminded me of something I saw a while back on my Tumblr feed -- just a short text post, but it got to the core of something I love so much about these characters -- that one of the greatest things about them (the Trio, anyway) is that all three of them think they're the "third friend." Not necessarily in a jealous way, but just feeling like you're lucky the other two let you hang out with them.

[author_by_night]

Aww, that's very true! Although I think that's more true of Ron and Hermione, but certainly of Harry to some extent. Remember that he tells them he's going to find Horcruxes on his own, and in OoTP constantly feels betrayed by them. I don't think he's the sort of person to actively think "I'm the lucky one!" but I do think he feels it in his way.

[keleri]

Oooooh, this is a great essay. I definitely found myself thinking "jeez, what's wish fulfillment about marrying Ron versus a sports prodigy or The Boy Who Lived?" but thinking back to book one Hermione, who was an abrasive know-it-all, quick to correct and to deliver stern pronouncements of fact... yes, what a victory to fit in with Harry Fucking Potter and well-integrated wizard guy Ron.

I think that's easy to forget for a lot of internet nerd types, we've abandoned mundane achievements like "fitting in" to go after the superlatives in our wish fulfillment-- best marks, best boy/girl, best ability, best powers, best achievement, beat the bad guy and save the world-- but even these ordinary achievements can be a profound struggle for a given person.