Neville's Search for Cool

[rattlesnakeroot]

I thought I would just ask my readers their opinion of two statements JKR made about Neville:

1999 Interview, WBUR Radio
Neville Longbottom, who is a - who is a comic, but I - he's not a - wholly comic figure to me, Neville is actually quite a tragic figure to me as well because there's a lot of Neville in me - this feeling of just never being quite

Comments

[alwaysholly]

Killing the giant Snake-Crux Nagini and standing up bravely to Voldemort are not enough for Neville's students to find him "cool."

Well it definitely is for me. I love Neville. One my favortie characters.

I certainly hope JKR is not feeling inadequate. I suppose everyone feels this way at some point in their life. I never gave a Sh*t about being popular or "cool" once I saw how that sort of crowd acted and treated others. Treating life like a popularity contest is not for me.

[clair_de_lalune]

Clearly, Rowling used to feel that way, since she says that she identifies with Neville in terms of not quite fitting in. Perhaps that's also why she's so sympathetic to Lupin - she can identify with his desire for friendship. If so, it would make sense that she might forgive him the mistakes he made as a result of that.

Now, though, Rowling seems to think that Neville is cool. And, perhaps she also lost her own uncertainty as she gained fame. But, making him live over a pub makes him "extra" cool. So, I agree with your basic premise - what she finds cool is not the same thing I find cool. But, after years of hearing how sexy Sirius is, we don't need her comment about Neville to know that! *lol*

[rattlesnakeroot]

*LOL* So true!

JKR wants everyone to be extra, extra, extra cool, and sexy too.

Maybe next time she speaks, she will tell us how Neville got his groove back (or got it for the first time!) :)

[shyfoxling]

I think Snape is cool.

But then, among my high school friends, "cool" was "smart-arse, geeky, wear black all the time" (theater techs ftw), so I guess one can see how I might think Snape fits the bill. ;)

[rattlesnakeroot]

Back in the day, JKR used to wear a billowy black coat, and I'm sure she thought it was cool. In fact, I made this gif to try to persuade some dunderheads that Snape was going to be a good guy before DH came out:

[billywiggy]

Yep. Kind of sad really, that she's put her own characters into these little 'popularity' contests.

Plus - wouldn't Neville live at the school most of the year, as he's a professor there?

[rattlesnakeroot]

I think Neville would inherit his Grandmother's house, too, wouldn't he? How much privacy would he have, living at the Leaky Cauldron. That's probably JKR's fantasy, and not Neville's, as I read the character.

[clair_de_lalune]

I agree - I don't really see Neville enjoying living above a pub.

Maybe his uncle would inherit his Grandmother's house, though?

[rattlesnakeroot]

Yes, I did think about the other Longbottom relatives, so you could be right.

[spirit_serpenti]

JKR's ambition to make a character "cool" in order to make him likeable, is truly deplorable.

Again, she tried to make Neville fit society's idea of coolness, making him live in an environment which he himself would probably not be comfortable with. I wonder if JKR herself would find it cool to live in a pub, being a writer who needs time, solitude and quiet to do her work? She'd probably find it extremely irritating.

[rattlesnakeroot]

That's a good point because she had to check into a hotel in order to finish DH, leaving her husband, kids, and other interruptions behind.