Harry Potter being annoying

[Calantorntain]

I don't think it was just me, but Harry was really annoying in this book. Just his whole attitude and everything. All mad, and grumpy, and stuff. Do you think it is because he is 15 now? Or does it have to do with Voldemort being part of him? All I know is, it is very irksome.

And what is up with the :redsy smiley? I keep meaning to ask, but I keep forgeting.

[LadyBeelze]

Yeah harry has a bit of a temper in the book. But if you were forced to live with the dursleys a major part of your life, everyone acting like your some hero, and a guy wanting to kill you would make you a bit grumpy.

:redsy this..this is reds (v)u-ha-ha-ha

[Airemia]

Um, ok, I'm getting tired of everyone saying that Harry was whining or whatever. I didn't find him very whiny at all, perhaps a bit angsty, though you can hardly blame the kid.

I know what it's like to be 15, because I am 15, and a lot of 15 year olds can be very melodramatic. Whilst Harry wasn't particularily melodramatic, you must expect him to act like a teenager, you know, moody and stuff.

PLUS, on top of all that, look at all the stuff the kid has to deal with. Taking all of this into consideration, I thought his attitude was good, when you take everything into account. Yes, he overreacts at some things. He's a teenager. Would you rather J.K. Rowling didn't write him realistically?

End rant. :p

[Mackinsie]

:rolleyes: That is SUCH a 15-year old thing to say...



;)

[Airemia]

That is SUCH a 15-year old thing to say...

Hehe, yes yes it is. Luckily we grow out of it.... eventually. ;)

[The Red Badger]

Y'know, I think the problem with Harry is that there was no transitioning. She went from point A, the Harry from the first four books, to points C, moody Harry, without stopping at point B making the change not realistic at ALL.

People try to justify it with "He's fifteen! Fifteen year olds are moody!" generalizations, but the truth is not *all* fifteen year olds are moody and this *isn't* a switch flipped overnight. Hormones do not override one's basic personality, which seems to be the case everyone's making for the switch. Harry's basic character was firmly established over four years as that of a grounded, genuinely good kid. Even when angry like that spat where he didn't talk to Ron in book #4. In book #5, we have Harry deriving pleasure from the fact that Hedwig pecked Ron and Hermione until they bled, switching (in the course of a month story-time, mind you) from someone who hates the fact that he's famous to thinking that because he IS "The Boy Who Lived" he SHOULD have been made prefect or SHOULD be info'd on all Order dealings or. . . whatever. Hormones do not rewrite your personality in that way and give you a previously nonexistent ego the size of Dallas. If it was living with the Dursley's, this change would have started years ago. So, poor excuse.

Furthermore, even BEFORE his little tirade against Dumbledore after Sirius' death at the end, I got the distinct impression he was not only losing respect for Dumbledore, he was beginning to feel contempt. I was watching the Chamber of Secrets movie the other day and I had a TOUGH time reconciling the Harry who yelled "Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world!" at Tom Riddle with the Harry I saw in book #5. We needed a point B, guys.

It would have been a GREAT out if they'd explained the more pronounced of his moodswings as a result of his connection with Voldemort, such as their wands crossing in #4. Voldemort's personality beginning to creep into Harry's until he can learn Occlumency. But, we're left with no such explanation and are instead forced to believe we can get to point C without passing point B.

I thought he was more in character for the second half of the books, at Hogwarts, up until his last vision of Sirius being killed as he kind of ran on adrenaline until the end. It was a more believable Harry, Dumbledore feelings aside. But the first half he was definitely out of character, hormones and all.

[Martin the Warrior]

I'll just say I agree with Reds. ;)

[Airemia]

Well I disagree. ;) As for his feelings towards Dumbledore; how would you feel if suddenly, inexplicably, someone you looked up to like Harry looked up to Dumbledore just started ignoring you, acting as though you didn't exist. Personally, I think I'd be a little annoyed.

[Martin the Warrior]

Airemia
Well I disagree. ;)

Well, then, you're wrong. ;)

Personally, I think I'd be a little annoyed.

See, but you're equating "a little annoyed with" with our observation that he was "contemptuous of". As I said in the other thread, it's not that we're saying he should feel nothing, it's that the extreme he went to seemed a little too far and against the grain of the character, even factoring hormones into the equation. What it boils down to is-- we think Harry's personality is markedly different from what it was in the first four books. I don't think anyone can read the book without admitting at least that much. And we feel that "hormones" is a poor excuse, that's all. :)

[Airemia]

Well, then, you're wrong.

No, *you're* wrong! ;)



See, but you're equating "a little annoyed with" with our observation that he was "contemptuous of".

It was an understatement. I do it a lot. I shouldn't. :o



And we feel that "hormones" is a poor excuse, that's all.

Then I respect that. :) But I'm 15, and hormones are *my* excuse, so I figure they might as well also be Harry's. :p

[The Red Badger]

Hormones affect a teen's judgment, ergo since you freely admit you're suffering from them, your judgment is impaired and you simply cannot see what is right in front of your nose! When you grow out of them you'll see things OUR way! :redsy

:lol:

[Matthias of Redwall]

You can't just blame on Harry, it depends on the mood of the author actually, you know if Rowling is quite unhappy at that movement, she is more likely to reflect her feeling in the book.:)

[Madd The Sane]

Harry kind of reminded me of myself when he was angry, but only a bit. One reason why we probably didn't see part B is because he was at the Dursly's when it happened. In a way, I accepted Harry being mad; he had been through so much in such very a short time. Not to mention he felt distant from Dumpledore. He probably thought that Dumpledore didn't want to talk to him. Harry might not even know what to think or feel.

__________________
Yay! I finished reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheniox last night! I finished it in less than a week!

[Matthias of Redwall]

Originally posted by Madd The Sane
Not to mention he felt distant from Dumpledore.



Please pardon me for saying so, but it is Dumbledore, not Dumpledore ;)

[Treerose]

Originally posted by The Red Badger
Y'know, I think the problem with Harry is that there was no transitioning. She went from point A, the Harry from the first four books, to points C, moody Harry, without stopping at point B making the change not realistic at ALL.

And Reds hits the nail on the head yet again. ;) That's exactly what I've been thinking about Harry's character. (Began the book Sunday around midnight and just finished it now - don't ask how much sleep I've had, or rather, *not* had. <g>) Harry's abrupt character change and sudden inability to control his temper or voice level bothered me a lot. It was so stupid and ungrateful, especially when he acted so against his best friends and Dumbledore. People who actually liked him were far and few between in the beginning of the book, so he's lucky he has such great friends that they were able to put up with his behavior. It was interesting that we saw James acting the jerk, too. Overall, Rowling was really bringing out the darker side of her characters... to show how seriously bad things are getting, I suppose, but it was disappointing to see old and favorite characters like Mrs Weasley and Sirius raging at each other.

But that's not to say that I didn't love the book, especially with the "aha!" moments as old plot twists and mysteries got resolved (Mrs Figg!), and new ones appearing for pondering. I also liked the fact that Ginny's character became more developed in this book, and Fred and George were *beyond* hilarious, as usual. I hope we see their shop in the next book! :D

I'm having trouble accepting Sirius' death as real, though - we didn't actually see proof that he was dead, what with him falling conveniently into a doorway like that, and even though Rowling worded the description of his final battle to sound like it was really the end for him, I can't help but feel that he's still alive, and she'll bring him back somehow. But if he's really gone, then I'll have to gnash my teeth and wail about authors sacrificing great characters for plots and sensations... ;)

Tree

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