Am I the Only One... Who -Doesn't- Like Harry?
@Candid_Ishida (659)
United States
June 13, 2007 1:35pm CST
Now of course, I'm not talking about the series of books, I'm speaking of Harry Potter the character. I didn't mind him at all in the beginning, back when he was clueless about the wizarding world, naive, not knowing what was going on. At least then he had an excuse for the way he acts, he was totally new to the magical world!
As the books progressed and Harry became older though, he started to get angsty, more stupidly rebellious as though the whole world has it out fot him, and rather self-important (though he claims he doesn't want to be famous) I don't think it's about fame, though, it just seems as if Harry always thinks he's right. He goes around acting as if its his duty to protect Hogwarts as though he's the only capable one, while of course he's supervised under the watchful eye of Dumbledore the entire time and couldn't have done any of his heroic acts without Dumbledore letting him.
Harry also always jumps to conclusions like crazy. He thinks he has everything all figured out, when half the time he's wrong. Then, he still ends up getting credit for his 'bravery'. I don't think Harry is really that brave, I think he just feels he's able to take on more than he actually can, and is also incredibly lucky. Then there's Ron and Hermione, who are responsible for fifty percent of everything Harry does and he could never have saved anyone from anything without their help.
Harry is kind of an undeserving hero and he's truthfully one of my least favorite characters. I loved seeing him get knocked down a peg just when he thinks he's the only one who sees what's happening. There are a load of older and much wiser wizards (Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius) who have really been at the heart of things while Harry knows close to nothing...
Sorry if this seems like a bit of a rant, but what is YOUR opinion of Harry? Do you agree with me at all, or do you really see him as 'Saint Potter' like so many others?
3 people like this
7 responses
@egortizv (225)
• United States
17 Jun 07
I never really liked harry too much. He was always to perfect. excluding the orphan, bad guardians, and half the time the whole student population liking him. Hes too...i dont know i just dont like him. My favorites are snape (for some od reason) hagrid, sirius, ron, hermionie and dumbledore...ohh and TONKS!! she the coolest...THe one book where i really did like harry was order of the phoenix...i love the way every other sentence someone said would tick him off and hed explode. And i agree he is like 'saint potter'. all the teachers love him although hes broken all the rules and some were probably created after he did it..like they probably made a new one,,"incase of a troll sighting,,do not go near it"
he sometimes irritates me.
1 person likes this
@vijigopi (991)
• United States
14 Jun 07
Well, Ishida.. It's not that I love Harry as the best character around. I would like to take Dumbledore and Hermione as characters worth emulating. But the reason why JKR chose Harry as the hero is because he is a normal person, and everybody can relate to him. Everybody has this feeling of being right and only accept it when they are proved wrong!! Don't you accept that? If you look at it closely, almost every one of the characters in HP have that feeling! It's only because the author chose to write the book that carries mostly Harry's point of view, that you find him so intriguing. I don't understand why you say that Harry feels he has everything figured out when half the time he is wrong. I disagree with you in this. In most of the books, Harry is undecided 99% of the time. Only in the fifth book, he does not think straight because he believes Sirius to be in danger! And that could have been averted if only he had been given the facts much earlier. He would have known Voldemort was trying to deceive him. And secondly, if Harry and the trio weren't so nosy, we needn't have the books with us. It's adventure that makes us read a book and get thrilled. If that is not there, what is the point in writing a book?
Yes, I agree that Ron and Hermione are responsible for half of everything that Harry does, but the other half is definitely done by Harry. Ron and Hermione help him everytime, but mostly he has to fight it all out in the end all by himself. Do not forget what JKR wants to emphasise is Harry is different because he can love. That love makes him do many silly things too! And he suffers because he can love! He is brave because he can think when faced with danger and wants to keep those whom he loves alive and doesn't care what happens to him as long as they are safe!! Also, he doesn't want fame, remember what Dumbledore said - it's not everyone who can just see their family in the Mirror of Erised, it is only someone with a strength of character who might not want to be powerful.
Yes, he has his mistakes too, like trying to pick up a fight with Dudley unnecessarily and having a cheeky tongue now and then, but he is just a teenager with emotions his age and that is what adds fun to his character and makes him as normal a person as anyone can relate to.
1 person likes this
@tinamwhite (3252)
• United States
14 Jun 07
I guess, that I see him as a young adolescent who is learning and experiencing some of the things that our youth would go through if they were in the same circumstances....isn't it true that the young often think they know it all...and rely on their friends or family of a combination of both to find their way through some situations......
my thoughts about it...
1 person likes this
@Inky261 (2520)
• Germany
13 Jun 07
Seems to me that you know this character Harry Potter fairly weel. You know him so good that you can decide that you do not like him. Somehow this Harry Potter never has interested me. Maybe I do not like him. I know there are books which many people bought and were crazy about. I never bought a Potter book or borrowed one. Then they advertized the films and somehow I found that kid with the glasses not intriguing. That face was a turn off for me. So I have not gone to a Potter movie.
Seems that you have studied Potter to determine you did not like him. For me to say Potter is not my thing was an intuition.
@crazypumpkin (501)
• Philippines
14 Jun 07
Haha. :-) I see you've read the book inside out. I get what you mean but then all angsty teenagers are probably like that Harry just has it worst.
