Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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Improving Characters in Harry Potter Series
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I'd like to start with, POA is my favorite HP book. It has it's flaws but I love what she tried to do. ok, cool.Neville was a necessary sacrifice. Everybody can't be a part of the three musketeers. However, Rowling didn't do many of the characters justice by not having solid character development. Neville may have wanted to be alone overall bc of his own things. But after 7 books, I didn't know much about many of the characters. Nevertheless, beginning each book was the same summary of Harry Potter. To the point where I would circle it, so that whenI reread the books I could just skip over those parts
What Rowling could have done was a better job giving depth to characters at the start of the other books, especially where they'd be more vital to the plot.
SPEW could have been a lot more.It could have been a mini revolution within the folds of everything else that was going on, and a teaching moment for them to stand up for those who can't stand alone.
Snape was trash. He treated Harry bad bc of his childhood issues with his father but if he would have just seen that Harry is only half his father then he could've still been hard on him. Tough Love. but not ruthless
Sirius got trashed. It was a shame. I'd at least would've wanted him to last till the end and die. His death at that point was pointless.
If Hermione was truly black then she needed to bring some of that essence to the books.
That's all I got rn
Hermione was never black nor intended to be. Rowling was just trying to act like her books were full of diversity to fit in with society and be praised more. Same reason she threw out the ridiculous notion that Dumbledore was gay. And thank you, someone agrees with me about Snape!
Chimere wrote: "Uh oh, shouldn’t have done that. Rant coming on in three...two...one...Harry Potter should never have been forced to go back to Dursleys after finding out he was a wizard, and certainly not after..."
They made it pretty clear that when Harry's mum sacrificed herself she created a powerful spell that protected Harry somehow so long as he was living with blood relations. It was the whole reason he ever lived at the Dursley's and it expired when he became an adult at the opening of book 6, which is why they made it a big deal about him having to leave on his birthday.
I really don't like Harry and Ginny's relationship. It seems so out of the blue. I wish JK built up that relationship from scratch and we saw them actually having a real conversation before declaring how much they like each other. Moreover, I agree with the abovementioned comments about Snape and SPEW. Also, the start and end of every book is so repetitive. I wish she tried out something different. And I would've loved it of the secondary characters were a bit more fleshed out and not feel so constrained!
Ginny and the twins could have more scenes...Frankly Ginny needs more attention...such a wonderful character wasted
And more about the twins' joke shop too
Chimere wrote: "Uh oh, shouldn’t have done that. Rant coming on in three...two...one...Harry Potter should never have been forced to go back to Dursleys after finding out he was a wizard, and certainly not after..."
The only reason J K Rowling made Harry stay with the Dursleys and not have anyone contact CPS is for angst. Rowling should have treated ALL of her characters better than she did.
I wish Luna Lovegood and Nymphadora Tonks could have appeared more frequently! They are best friends I never had to me.
I wish all harry potter characters had hair like Tonks.
I wish I had hair like Tonks! No more haircuts, ha ha! XD
I would've included Ginny much more. She would've started appearing in book 3. And more Luna scenes.
I think SPEW stranded wonderfully at the fact that the House-elves - apart from the odd outlier that was Dobby - did not want liberation. Hermione was perfectly annoying and superior about it, putting her human standards on house-elves, with her righteous savior complex. She's a symbol for the Beauvoiresque feminism that states that women should not be *allowed* to be housewives. Ugh. I think it was beautifully done. I disagree that Snape is trash. He was profoundly broken and it made him act abusive. Would anyone *choose* to be an abusive POS? Nah. For a man who was beyond traumatized and heartbroken, triggered by an innocent child into a complete breakdown of interpersonal skills, plodding on teaching, hated by everyone - it was courageous, the way he kept living his miserable life just to sacrifice himself for the cause. He accepted a lonely life of duty that kept him in a constant state of stress and being triggered. He was a tragic hero.
Neville did get a lot of crap but it was realistic - the chubby insecure kid is lowest in the hierarchy and strict teacher make caustic comments - he wasn't treated as poorly as Luna Lovegood was (also realistic - she was very non-mainstream) but both of them gained a bit of confidence (and friends) in the series and Neville even turned into a hero (and Harry&co were happy to see the appreciation he got for how he handled the room of requirements). It would have been weirdly moralistic for the insecure teenage jerks that Harry and Ron were to befriend the house dork - they were both still way too desperate to not get demoted in the social hierarchy themselves at first (can't be seen with the nerds or you get tarred by the same brush), and after that, friendships were mostly established but they did spend more time together.
JK Rowling also said Harry and Hermione should have ended up together, but I totally disagree. Harry's love never went any further than basic infatuation, he just fell for the pretty girls (and prefered Ginny for being cooler than Cho), and Hermione wasn't pretty. Hermione was smart but annoying, and Ron kind of abrasive and would take anyone that would have him, so it makes sense that two not-that-dateable people ended up together.
Now Hermione and Victor Krum - that should never have happened. It was funny and a bit "up yours" to Ron, but wildly unrealistic. And her dating Cormac mcLaggen, same thing.
Sirius was immature and his death forced Harry to grow up.
And Hermione was obviously not black, or it would have been mentioned - the ethnicity of other characters was mentioned and minor ethnic differences were emphasized in the other schools' students as well. JKRowlings strength is partially from use of stereotypes, she wouldn't have made Hermione such a Karen if she were black.
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Harry Potter should never have been forced to go back to Dursleys after finding out he was a wizard, and certainly not after they locked him up in Chamber and triple definitely not after the incident with Aunt Marge in Prisoner. I mean really? How could Mrs. Weasley have not at the very least written to Dumbledore and told him about the state in which her sons had rescued Harry from. It seemed ooc of Molly not to do SOMETHING. I love Dumbledore but he really has a blind spot when it comes to Harry’s well being and Snape. He’s way too intelligent not to notice this stuff and let it happen. Also ooc. Harry really got a horrible fate losing everyone he ever cared about except Ron, Hermione and the Weasleys, even his pet died for crying out loud! I feel like the author just hates Harry. And speaking of authors hating their own characters...
Neville freaking Longbottom deserves so much better. Why is he used as a punching bag throughout the whole series, being picked on by everyone. Even McGonagall was a jerk to him which made me lose all respect for her. Why is all the bad stuff that happens to him treated like a joke like it’s supposed to be some kind of comic relief when really it’s just sick and cruel?! Why didn’t Harry make more of an effort to befriend him? He was just as lonely and in need of a friend as Harry was. I wish the trio had been a foursome with Neville added to the group, going on all the adventure with them. Three is such an unbalanced number.
Hermione should not have ended up with Ron but with Harry instead. Harry and Ron should have been better friends to her. SPEW shouldn’t have been treated as joke but actually acknowledge that the house elves are slaves. They should have been all freed with the help of Hermione and her friends.
Sirius should have had his innocence proven by the end of book three and Harry leave the Dursleys and go live with him for the rest of the series and been really really happy. HE SHOULD NOT HAVE DIED!
SNAPE IS THE WORST CHARACTER IN THE SERIES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TREATED AS A HERO HE DESERVES A FATE EVEN MORE CRUEL THAN THE DEMENTOR’S KISS!
*deep breath* Rant over. Just remember you asked for my opinion on this subject lol. ;) :P