I’m not actually going to write a review of any Harry Potter novel, because either you’ve read it or you haven’t. If you don’t like these books then there is nothing I could say to change your mind, though you do have to admit that J. K Rowling really knows how to plot things out.
Instead, I would just like to talk about my favorite character in the series, Ron. I mean sure, Harry is always going off and being brave, but he’s also always wanting to do it alone. I think if you’ve read enough children’s books, you know that doing it all by yourself is just silly. There is a time and a place to be a lone wolf, and it is almost never when fighting the forces of evil. Without Ron and Hermione, Harry would have died multiple times. Now although Hermione is smart, loves to read, and loves the library, she isn’t actually my favorite. She is the smartest in the year, she’s helped the guys with their homework on too many occasions and without her we wouldn’t have had the intricacy of plot of the Prisoner of Azkaban. My problem with Hermione is that when she is being at her worst, a know it all who is shocked that you haven’t read Hogwarts: A History, she reminds me too much of myself, and some other people I know.
No, why Ron wins in my books is because he is useless. He is not the smartest, nor the bravest. He isn’t even the best at magic. He knows all of this, especially since he is the youngest boy in his quite large family. He comes along anyway.
Harry and Hermione have a purpose in the trio, they even have names that start with the same letter, but Ron is the prop that keeps them all upright. When he goes missing, things are worse. He is the guy who will tell you a funny joke and cheer you up, and yes, he makes many, many mistakes, but he always apologizes and he’s always genuinely sorry. He’s also Harry’s first real friend, and his family always treats Harry like he’s one of their own. The movies have definitely added to my love of Ron, especially since he has the best actor of the trio, but it started with the first book.
As a side note, I would also like to note my love of Snape, for the obvious reason, as well as because all of his visible plans; stopping Quirrel, capturing Sirius etc. always come to naught because of Harry. Can’t Snape have anything good?
Huh. Somehow I thought commenting was complicated. It is not.
ReplyDeleteThe way you describe Ron made me think of Samwise Gamgee, if Samwise and Merry and Pippen were smushed into one red-headed, befreckled body. Apparently useless, and yet incredibly important.
And then that was it...I can't think of any other supporting characters who fit in that character, though there must be so many. Bruno and Boots trade it off, I suppose? Are girls ever that, or always Brainy Hermiones?
In conclusion, yay for Ronald Weasley.
This post made me laugh. Especially when you talked about Hermoine, at her worst, reminding you of yourself and some people you know. Ha! And Ron's uselessness. I never thought of it before, but Ron is a bit of a bumbler, isn't he? I guess that's why I love him. At HIS worst he reminds me a bit of myself. Ha.
ReplyDeleteGirls never really get to be bumbling and useless in fantasy novels, which really bothers me. Either they're love interests or warriors or intellectuals. That doesn't really reflect the girls and women I know. Someone should write a novel with a bumbling lady who isn't clumsy, but actually messes things up. I'd love to read it.
ReplyDeletebrittany, you aren't a bumbler... you have style, which is more than Ron can manage.