Barbara,
I read a similar complaint about Harry's whininess in a review of the fifth
movie in reference to the fifth book. The author claimed that Harry spent
all of the fifth book sulking and feeling sorry for himself. So I went back
and reread the fifth book, and yes, Harry does spend the whole book sulking
and feeling sorry for himself. I was prepared to be annoyed by this fact,
until I thought about my experiences with fifteen/sixteen-year-old boys.
How would any of the boys I've known (I've taught middle school for six
years) have reacted in these situations? Pretty similarly, I think. The
teenage years are the ones in which people think the world revolves around
them, everything that people say has to be about them, people are always
looking at them. It makes perfect sense to me that Harry thought every
decision made by the Order of the Phoenix had to do with him. That's what I
like about the HP books; while they're fantasy, the people in them behave as
the real people I have known behave. Does every student you know remain
attentive for every moment of class? I like it that JK Rowling makes her
people real, flaws and all. And she doesn't reward them for their flaws.
Harry never claims to be a great student, and doesn't get the grades of a
great student, either.
I can understand that you may not have enjoyed the books, and I'm sorry that
the hoopla around the Harry Potter books makes individuals feel left out if
they didn't. However, most of the criticisms I've heard about the books
have been directed toward the things I believe are among the books'
strengths. I, for one, am grateful the books are "too overly long and
repetitive" because it allows me to spend more time in a world that has
captivated my imagination.
Tammy McCartney
LMS Student, Northeastern State University
Broken Arrow, OK
darcy05@hotmail.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "barbara" <bawall@NORTHNET.ORG>
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 7:18 PM
Subject: Had enough of Harry POtter? redux
> Thank you Sam! for saying what some of us have simply thought about. I
> thoroughly enjoyed the first 3 HP books, but then Harry got whinier and I
> noticed - look back at the first 3 as well - that Harry actually seemed to
> do very little work or study at Hogwarts and his friends were always
> learning the magic for him. I personally find this a disturbing message
> for
> kids tho perhaps they do not see it. The last 3 books were overly long
> and
> needed a really good editor. The hype on the most recent and last book
> was
> too over the top. I eventually bought the book - the kids at school will
> want it and I teach children's lit at Syracuse so I need to read it. It
> too
> was overly long and repetitive. However, at least parts of the story and
> the wind up of the many story lines was pleasant and "fun". I am
> thrilled
> that kids began reading more because of these books, but the quality has
> really gone downhill and there is better stuff out there, I know!
>
> IMHO
>
> Barbara
>
> Barbara Wall
> Teacher-Librarian
> Krieger Elementary School
> Poughkeepsie, NY
>
> bawall@northnet.org
> bwall@poughkeepsieschools.org
> "Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose."
> Lyndon B. Johnson
>
> "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre
> minds." Albert Einstein
>
> " No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor
> Roosevelt
>
>
>
> Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:51:04 -0700
> From: Sam DiMartino <chicagosam1@YAHOO.COM>
> Subject: Had enough of Harry Potter?
>
> Is anyone else here as happy as I am that this is the last of the Harry
> Potter books? To see children lined up at midnight to get their Potter
> book
> to me is sisturbing. Why? Because I think they are victims of the Potter
> Media Machine that has turned this book into a "must have" or you're not
> cool thing. I think that children are being manipulated and used by the
> marketing firm who markets this book. I wonder how many of those children
> standing in line will actually read the book and not just have it in their
> collection as a kind of status symbol?
>
> Sam DiMartino
> Technology Coordinator
> Prosser HIgh School
> Chicago, IL 60639
>
> chicagosam1@yahoo.com
>
>
>
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