I've got nothing to say...
Mar. 6th, 2005 05:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
donnaimmaculataHm. I haven't updated for about two weeks. I haven't commented much, either - I have been reading my flist regularly and have begun writing comments in several instances, but haven't posted them in the end, feeling as though I had nothing relevant to say *points to subject line* I'm not ignoring you. You're all wonderful people who say interesting things; it's only my mind that's completely blank...
...Nevertheless, it's still able to come up with some fannish thoughts every now and then:
With the release of HBP drawing ever nearer, there's been a lot of speculation about whom Harry will end up with. I've always been a supporter of the Harry/Parvati pairing - yes, I like Parvati - and here's something to support this theory: [Parvati] is usually described as very beautiful. She showed a keen interest in Shiva from the outset, repeating his name to herself and taking delight in hearing about his appearance and deeds. While she is a child a sage comes to her house and after examining the marks on her body predicts that she will marry a naked yogi. When it becomes clear that she is destined to marry Shiva, her parents are usually described as feeling honored. Parvati too is delighted.
Names mean something in Rowling's universe. Clearly, Parvati is destined to become the wife of a majordeity hero.
I'm not entirely sure how I've came to like Parvati. Having analysed the way she's characterised throughout the novels, I realised that Rowling portrays her as a very outspoken girl who stands up for people and against injustice - believe it or not. Her behaviour is strikingly different from Lavender's, who is much more timid. But that's not the reason why began liking Parvati. I don't base my likes or dislikes on an analysis of the characters. I like or dislike them instinctively, and then I start looking for reasons for my preferences and aversions.
So what is it that makes me like or dislike characters? It's by no means connected to any moral issues - I see plainly Hagrid's prejudiced and dangerous, but it doesn't make me dislike him. Remus is a liar who compulsively dodges responsibility, and yet I love him. I understand Molly's reasons for being overprotective, but she annoys the hell out of me.
Sad as it is, I think I'm simply superficial and like characters who are a) pretty, b) cool, or c) have a sense of humour.
Let's see.
Pretty:
Cho.
I like Cho. I like the way she flirted with Harry during their first Quidditch match together, it was neatly understated and playful. Of course she used her charm to trying to win, but she wasn't obsessed about it. She also obviously likes Harry for being Harry and not for being the Hero. And during all their interactions in OotP, it was Harry who was the annoying one, not Cho. She even came to apologise for Marietta after the sneak incident. ("No, it was only... well, I just wanted to say... Harry, I never dreamed Marietta would tell..." (OotP, Snape's Worst Memory)) It was Harry who was angry and resentful and didn't accept her apology and made her angry in turn.
Fleur.
While I can't say that I like Fleur, I don't dislike her, either. She's got every reason for resenting Harry's being accepted as the fourth champion - it is blatantly unfair - and apart from that, she's merely mildly arrogant, which is not an attribute that puts me off.
Sirius.
I love Sirius. Yes, he was a teenage asshole, yes, he's not exactly sensible, and yes, he can be an annoying prick. But he's got redeeming features aplenty, and they're suffice to make me like him. Plus, there's the casual elegance, which he has not lost after Azkaban. Rowling never said he did, did she?
Bill.
Oh yes, Bill! I really am quite a Bill fangirl. The hair, the freckles, and the casual arrogance he displays in interaction with his brothers really do it for me.
I don't care for Bellatrix and Cedric, though, the other canonically pretty characters.
Cool:
Remus.
Yes, Remus is definitely very, very cool. Even Dean acknowledges it. He deals with difficult situations effortlessly, and he never lets others get to him. Remus, in fact, is the epitome of coolness in my eyes.
Snape.
The voice, the sarcasm, the long swishing cloak. Oh yes.
Sirius.
Not because of the motorbike and the leather collar. But the no-one can deny he's the textbook example for rebel attitude.
Bill.
Because - yes.
Minerva.
She just is, and not only since OotP. Plus, I've always had an affinity for the strict-yet-secretly-warmhearted old spinster type. I think they rock.
Kingsley.
Tall, black and cool. Deep, slow voice.
Sense of humour:
Minerva.
I don't know why, but I think she's secretly got a great sense of humour. Quite possibly because of the connotation with similar characters from other children books, such as Marilla Cuthbert from the Anne of Green Gables series: "Marilla was a tall, thin woman, with angles and without curves; her dark hair showed some gray streaks and was always twisted up in a hard little knot behind with two wire hairpins stuck aggressively through it. She looked like a woman of narrow experience and rigid conscience, which she was; but there was a saving something about her mouth which, if it had been ever so slightly developed, might have been considered indicative of a sense of humor."
Ginny.
I've always liked Ginny. She's about the only female character in the whole series who laughs at seriously silly things, and I do appreciate it. She giggles a lot - so what? I giggle like a hyena at the most stupid puns, and I'm not even a teenager any longer.
Remus.
Remus' gives the impression of being secretly amused about things that go on around him almost all the time. And a man who dressed up Snape in Mrs Longbottom's dress cannot be suspected of not having a sense of humour.
Bill.
He indulges in silly table banging with his brother (GoF) and jokes in the face of Evil (OotP). And he's pretty and cool, too.
Sirius.
"Call me Snuffles." *cracks up*
Ron.
"Animal magnetism." *cracks up even more*
Harry.
"Harry thought Dudley looked like a pig in a wig." Harry's really got some excellent one-liners; pity they drown under all the teenage angst.
I also like Arthur and Hagrid, who don't fit into any of these categories. Hm. Can we say "cuddly"?
The characters I dislike most are not the evil ones, but those who annoy me, i.e. Hermione, Draco and Molly. Their behaviour ranges from interfering, through loud to whiny, and they make me want to slap them and gag them and lock them up in some dark, forgotten dungeon.
And just so you know: I'm definitely not going to use Frienditto, and I'd greatly appreciate if none of my flocked posts would be made available to the public.
...Nevertheless, it's still able to come up with some fannish thoughts every now and then:
With the release of HBP drawing ever nearer, there's been a lot of speculation about whom Harry will end up with. I've always been a supporter of the Harry/Parvati pairing - yes, I like Parvati - and here's something to support this theory: [Parvati] is usually described as very beautiful. She showed a keen interest in Shiva from the outset, repeating his name to herself and taking delight in hearing about his appearance and deeds. While she is a child a sage comes to her house and after examining the marks on her body predicts that she will marry a naked yogi. When it becomes clear that she is destined to marry Shiva, her parents are usually described as feeling honored. Parvati too is delighted.
Names mean something in Rowling's universe. Clearly, Parvati is destined to become the wife of a major
I'm not entirely sure how I've came to like Parvati. Having analysed the way she's characterised throughout the novels, I realised that Rowling portrays her as a very outspoken girl who stands up for people and against injustice - believe it or not. Her behaviour is strikingly different from Lavender's, who is much more timid. But that's not the reason why began liking Parvati. I don't base my likes or dislikes on an analysis of the characters. I like or dislike them instinctively, and then I start looking for reasons for my preferences and aversions.
So what is it that makes me like or dislike characters? It's by no means connected to any moral issues - I see plainly Hagrid's prejudiced and dangerous, but it doesn't make me dislike him. Remus is a liar who compulsively dodges responsibility, and yet I love him. I understand Molly's reasons for being overprotective, but she annoys the hell out of me.
Sad as it is, I think I'm simply superficial and like characters who are a) pretty, b) cool, or c) have a sense of humour.
Let's see.
Pretty:
Cho.
I like Cho. I like the way she flirted with Harry during their first Quidditch match together, it was neatly understated and playful. Of course she used her charm to trying to win, but she wasn't obsessed about it. She also obviously likes Harry for being Harry and not for being the Hero. And during all their interactions in OotP, it was Harry who was the annoying one, not Cho. She even came to apologise for Marietta after the sneak incident. ("No, it was only... well, I just wanted to say... Harry, I never dreamed Marietta would tell..." (OotP, Snape's Worst Memory)) It was Harry who was angry and resentful and didn't accept her apology and made her angry in turn.
Fleur.
While I can't say that I like Fleur, I don't dislike her, either. She's got every reason for resenting Harry's being accepted as the fourth champion - it is blatantly unfair - and apart from that, she's merely mildly arrogant, which is not an attribute that puts me off.
Sirius.
I love Sirius. Yes, he was a teenage asshole, yes, he's not exactly sensible, and yes, he can be an annoying prick. But he's got redeeming features aplenty, and they're suffice to make me like him. Plus, there's the casual elegance, which he has not lost after Azkaban. Rowling never said he did, did she?
Bill.
Oh yes, Bill! I really am quite a Bill fangirl. The hair, the freckles, and the casual arrogance he displays in interaction with his brothers really do it for me.
I don't care for Bellatrix and Cedric, though, the other canonically pretty characters.
Cool:
Remus.
Yes, Remus is definitely very, very cool. Even Dean acknowledges it. He deals with difficult situations effortlessly, and he never lets others get to him. Remus, in fact, is the epitome of coolness in my eyes.
Snape.
The voice, the sarcasm, the long swishing cloak. Oh yes.
Sirius.
Not because of the motorbike and the leather collar. But the no-one can deny he's the textbook example for rebel attitude.
Bill.
Because - yes.
Minerva.
She just is, and not only since OotP. Plus, I've always had an affinity for the strict-yet-secretly-warmhearted old spinster type. I think they rock.
Kingsley.
Tall, black and cool. Deep, slow voice.
Sense of humour:
Minerva.
I don't know why, but I think she's secretly got a great sense of humour. Quite possibly because of the connotation with similar characters from other children books, such as Marilla Cuthbert from the Anne of Green Gables series: "Marilla was a tall, thin woman, with angles and without curves; her dark hair showed some gray streaks and was always twisted up in a hard little knot behind with two wire hairpins stuck aggressively through it. She looked like a woman of narrow experience and rigid conscience, which she was; but there was a saving something about her mouth which, if it had been ever so slightly developed, might have been considered indicative of a sense of humor."
Ginny.
I've always liked Ginny. She's about the only female character in the whole series who laughs at seriously silly things, and I do appreciate it. She giggles a lot - so what? I giggle like a hyena at the most stupid puns, and I'm not even a teenager any longer.
Remus.
Remus' gives the impression of being secretly amused about things that go on around him almost all the time. And a man who dressed up Snape in Mrs Longbottom's dress cannot be suspected of not having a sense of humour.
Bill.
He indulges in silly table banging with his brother (GoF) and jokes in the face of Evil (OotP). And he's pretty and cool, too.
Sirius.
"Call me Snuffles." *cracks up*
Ron.
"Animal magnetism." *cracks up even more*
Harry.
"Harry thought Dudley looked like a pig in a wig." Harry's really got some excellent one-liners; pity they drown under all the teenage angst.
I also like Arthur and Hagrid, who don't fit into any of these categories. Hm. Can we say "cuddly"?
The characters I dislike most are not the evil ones, but those who annoy me, i.e. Hermione, Draco and Molly. Their behaviour ranges from interfering, through loud to whiny, and they make me want to slap them and gag them and lock them up in some dark, forgotten dungeon.
And just so you know: I'm definitely not going to use Frienditto, and I'd greatly appreciate if none of my flocked posts would be made available to the public.
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no subject
Date: 2005-03-08 11:06 am (UTC)I am not very much interested in the question of ships in canon; I like the fact that it's all open and that I can try out different pairings without contradicting canonical facts. But if a Harry ship is going to happen, I'd defnitely choose Harry/Parvati.