Young Adult Fiction, Spring 2019: Unlikable Characters in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Unlikable Characters in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I have read Harry Potter many times. My sister and I used to reread the books yearly, but we often read them more than that. It was far and away my favorite book for most of my life, up until my Junior year of high school (go read Shadow of the Wind if you haven't). However, when rereading it for this class, I was surprised by how much I didn't like the characters at the beginning of the series, and I believe Rowling did this on purpose. Most of the characters, outside of Harry, are meant to be disliked until you get to know them better. While I could deep dive into hundreds of characters, I would like to focus on just Hermione and Neville for the sake of time.
We discussed last class that Hermione is meant to be disliked at the beginning. She comes off as a rude know-it-all with little social experience. She is unpleasant to interact with and I even found myself rooting for her to fail once or twice so she wouldn't be so stuck-up. This is summarized in her line “I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed” (162). Rowling understands this however and spends time developing Hermione into a lovable character and many reader's favorites. Much of this took place with the troll encounter, which both served to show Harry and Ron's heroic side as well as Hermione's kinder side. After this, Hermione is a staple of the gang, as “There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them" (179). She does a 180 and becomes a rule-breaker who is as loyal and brave as any other Gryffindor student.
Neville takes a much longer time to develop, as he isn't a main character, but shares a similar arc to Hermione. Our first introduction to Neville portray him as a helpless and scared boy who continuously loses his toad. He is even more untalented than Ron and is ridiculed by his enemies and friends alike, with Ron even saying "Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down" (192). By the end of the novel however, Neville is close friends with the main three character's and his bravery is the reason (arguably) that Gryffindor wins the house cup as Dumbledore states that "“There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends" (306). Much like Hermione, Neville gets more development in order to make him a lovable character.

Rowling is a master when it comes to developing characters. Many of my favorite characters from across different media are characters that start out hated, but through greater development become as interesting and loved as the main characters. Rowling gives her characters these arcs to allow us to understand them from multiple different perspectives. I do not believe that this choice detracts from the story, but rather adds to her characters' depth.

I would love to here some other examples of this arc. Some I can think of off the top of my head would include: Snape, Malfoy, Dudley, and Petunia. There are bound to be more, so hit me with them.

2 comments:

Mariah VillaromanApril 16, 2019 at 12:07 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Mariah VillaromanApril 16, 2019 at 5:24 PM
As you’ve explained, Rowling focuses on Hermione and Neville’s respective transformations in her first book. Nonetheless, readers receive a glimpse into Snape’s complexity as a simultaneous hero and villain. Through several instances of incorrect deductions, Rowling implies Snape does not deserve harsh judgment despite moments that make it easy to do so. Harry’s initial evaluations of Snape prove grim; the first look that they exchange sends “a sharp, hot pain...across the scar on Harry’s forehead” (126). Harry mistakenly attributes his pain to Snape, not realizing that Voldemort’s presence actually causes his scar’s inflammation. This moment catalyzes readers’ distrust towards Snape. Later on, Hermione notices during Harry’s first quidditch match that Snape is “muttering nonstop under his breath” and “‘jinxing the broom’” (190). Contrarily, Snape is performing a countercurse to protect Harry. Again, the three protagonists falsely pin Snape as the perpetrator. Eventually, Harry, Ron and Hermione conclude that Snape wants to steal the sorcerer’s stone. When Harry discovers that Professor Quirrell and Voldemort actually stand responsible, he “[can’t] take it in,” for “this couldn’t be true, it couldn’t” (288). Rowling has made it impossible for both the characters and readers to believe that Snape could possibly be good. While his characterization has been villainous, his actions and loyalty resemble heroism. In her first book, Rowling incorporates subtle warnings for readers to mind their judgments and prejudices towards Snape. His unlikability increases readers’ sympathy and overall shock when Rowling presents one of the greatest plot twists and redemption arcs at her series’ final culmination.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Blog Guidelines

Throughout the semester, we will use the blog to expand upon the readings, to ask and answer questions, and to pursue new directions in class conversation. For those of you who may be shy, the blogspace is also an excellent place to express yourself.

I encourage you to be creative and innovative in your postings. However, as you post, please keep in mind the following guidelines:

· Postings are always due by either noon or 8 p.m. on the date indicated on the syllabus. There is a time stamp. Don’t be late (no credit for late postings).

· Postings should be 350-500 words and should incorporate material from the reading (such as small quotes or phrases, key words, or imagery). The post must clearly demonstrate that you have completed the assigned reading and thought about it. Think of the Blog Post as a mini-essay. Your responses to Blog Posts should engage with the details of that post. Explain why the post is valuable. Comment on how the post revised, strengthened, or changed your view of the novel. Feel free also to build on, or extend, the claim made by the post. Once again, quote the novel you are discussing. Each comment should be 200-250 words in length. If the post is due on Sunday, you must demonstrate that you have completed and thought about the reading for Monday; if the post is due on Tuesday, you must demonstrate that you have completed and thought about the reading for Wednesday

· Your tone may be less formal than the tone you might use in a paper, but you should remember that you are writing on a course-related blog. In other words, the blog is not your Facebook page or a personal blogspace. Please make sure that the content of your postings is related to the course, its readings, or our class discussions.

· Suggested Topics. There is no need to answer all of the questions that follow. I include them to help you think about what to write: (a) Is there a question you have about the reading? If so, ask and suggest an answer for it. (b) What did you learn from the reading? Why do you find this aspect of the reading illuminating or interesting? (c) How might you connect the reading for Monday and Wednesday? (d) You may respond to the reading and class discussion—is there anything you don’t understand? Do you have a different interpretation that we haven’t discussed in class? (e) You may also respond to one of the essay questions about the novel you’ll find posted at Oncourse.

· Respond respectfully to another person’s blog posting. If you choose to do so, please avoid personal attacks. Remember to be professional.

· Remember that the blog is a public space, accessible and available to anyone. One useful way to think about it: avoid posting anything that you wouldn’t want a future employer to read.

· Please review the course plagiarism policies, all of which apply to the blog, and remember to cite page numbers or outside sources when appropriate.

Blog postings will either receive a check mark or they will be graded. See the schedule above for details about grading blog posts.