Rowling's view on death and mourning (not to mention trauma) in OOtP - as shown in how she characterized Cho - is totally messed up. And the reaction of the fans who called Cho a manipulative drama queen and a bitch is equally so. People have different ways - and timelines - of reacting, and who is JKR or these fans to say that there's a right way or a wrong way to do so? Also, if any of these fans had a loved one die violently, I doubt very much that they'd be as stoic as JKR says they should be.
And, if anything, Ron should have had some insight into the impact of losing a family member to Voldemort and minions - does Molly not mourn Gideon and Fabian?
Sorry about that. I'm a blind user and am still trying to navigate my way around using this journal thing.
Anyway, what I meant to say was, hell yes! Ron should have had some insite into it! I mean, Molly is shown to be someone who breaks down and cries, so he should have been able to clue the gormless Harry in, at least! God, the way Harry acted on his date with Cho made me sick!
It's even worse than that, to me. Okay, grant for the sake of argument that maybe Cho and Cedric would have realized in a few months or years that their love was not as strong and amazing as they thought, more of a passing teenage fancy. So what? Would that make him dying not traumatic somehow
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Well, look at Harry's grief for Sirius. He's more or less over it by the end of summer. Under 3 months. In fact, we don't even hear much about it once Albus comes to get him after after 2 weeks at #4. Not once he's at the Weasley's - unless I'm remembering it wrong. Of course Harry doesn't actually know Sirius very well, but we only hear about his grief when he is reminded by the presence of Remus, Tonks barely corporal patronus or Snape showing up.
Okay, grant for the sake of argument that maybe Cho and Cedric would have realized in a few months or years that their love was not as strong and amazing as they thought, more of a passing teenage fancy.
That does make it way worse. She died right when her emotions were strongest. I'd equate that to crashing right in the middle of a dizzying high instead of coming down slowly. I mean, it's just such a shock to the system.
I'm glad Hermione at least attempted to scratch the surface of what Cho might possibly have been feeling, even if it was just a glance. The audience could do with a little more "think about how this person is feeling".
I will add that it is canon that in Harry's 'world' teenagers who are the very same age as Cho are dating their life partners. She is in 6th year when she is crying on Harry, mourning Cedric. To say that it is ridiculous for her to be truly in love means then to say the same for 6th year Harry's love for Ginny. Ron/Hermione don't actually get together until bk7, but I would still say they love each other during 6th year and until JKRs recent turnabout we have been encouraged to see them as a true match
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The one emotion/reaction that gets portrayed in (nearly) always a positive way is righteous anger, no matter what the character does while angry. Harry's capslock screaming, Ginny's flying into the Quidditch announcer's stand, Ginny's snapping at Hermione ("Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch"), Ron getting angry, I'm sure I'm missing a few other times. Oh, Hermione's refusal to eat when she finds out that the food was made by house elves. Maybe that was a more neutral portrayal, now that I think about it. Ron did point out that it was silly, so I'm not sure. Oh! Hagrid's giving Dudley a pig tail because Vernon insulted Dumbledore, that's another good one.
I get rebuttals like, "But she's only a teenager! She doesn't even know what love is!"This doesn't apply to Cho, but I read somewhere that the most honest kind of love is the "puppy love" that young children "fall into". Now, I'm going to botch the reason because I can't remember the source, but the reasoning was that at that age, there aren't any(?) As many
( ... )
Lavander uses a pet name for Ron. She does things like wanting to hold hand, giving gifts, being supportive. All that "mushy" stuff. We are supose to see Lavander as silly and foolish.
Ron's true love Hermione does none of those things. Hermione attacks Ron with birds, has to be pulled off from hurting him in the forest. Hermione is shown being angry and jealous.
Oh, ARRRGH, that treatment of Lavender. That's the one thing in the fandom that infuriates me. I can let other stuff go, but what was done to Lavender... it's disgusting. It's absolutely disgusting and unfair and so few people will point out how disgustingly unfair it was. Lavender had no idea about Ron and Hermione's little kindergarten pull-your-hair-because-I-like-you thing, and why should she have? She was just there because for some reason, in the Potterverse, happiness is finite, and so in order to have the most happiness, someone else has to be miserable.
You know, I bet the Potterverse believes in Heaven and Hell. I bet they believe in that version where people in Heaven can look over and get a view of the people being tormented in Hell.
Welcome back! You make good points. I do think there is something in the Zeitgeist that Rowling picks up on. We are very, very accepting of violence in entertainment, at least in the U.S. And, as others have said, there is the British tradition of the "stiff upper lip", and soldiering on, in spite of what one may be feeling. As such, young men may well find tears embarrassing, and even a sign of weakness. It isn't just Harry or Remus - Severus also turns away when Cissy is weeping, as if to give her privacy. You're just not supposed to cry in public
( ... )
After the final battle Harry sees Molly and Ginny together. He doesn't stop to comfort them. He figures there will be time later. He just wants to get away.
Then JKR skips ahead 19 years. So we never have to see Harry dealing with their grief.
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And, if anything, Ron should have had some insight into the impact of losing a family member to Voldemort and minions - does Molly not mourn Gideon and Fabian?
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Anyway, what I meant to say was, hell yes! Ron should have had some insite into it! I mean, Molly is shown to be someone who breaks down and cries, so he should have been able to clue the gormless Harry in, at least! God, the way Harry acted on his date with Cho made me sick!
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*Headdesks*
-- David W. from thehpn
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That does make it way worse. She died right when her emotions were strongest. I'd equate that to crashing right in the middle of a dizzying high instead of coming down slowly. I mean, it's just such a shock to the system.
I'm glad Hermione at least attempted to scratch the surface of what Cho might possibly have been feeling, even if it was just a glance. The audience could do with a little more "think about how this person is feeling".
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I get rebuttals like, "But she's only a teenager! She doesn't even know what love is!"This doesn't apply to Cho, but I read somewhere that the most honest kind of love is the "puppy love" that young children "fall into". Now, I'm going to botch the reason because I can't remember the source, but the reasoning was that at that age, there aren't any(?) As many ( ... )
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Lavander uses a pet name for Ron. She does things like wanting to hold hand, giving gifts, being supportive. All that "mushy" stuff. We are supose to see Lavander as silly and foolish.
Ron's true love Hermione does none of those things. Hermione attacks Ron with birds, has to be pulled off from hurting him in the forest. Hermione is shown being angry and jealous.
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You know, I bet the Potterverse believes in Heaven and Hell. I bet they believe in that version where people in Heaven can look over and get a view of the people being tormented in Hell.
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Then JKR skips ahead 19 years. So we never have to see Harry dealing with their grief.
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