When I first began
reading the Harry Potter series I was around the same age as Harry in the first
book, although I admit I couldn’t get past chapter four (Hagrid scared the crap
out of me). Finally I revisited the
series when I was a bit older and was able to read it with an overall
satisfaction of the series. It wasn’t
until taking this course and re-reading the books that I actually understood
Rowling’s themes and trying myself to relate to what Harry and his friends went
through, though how can you really relate to an evil wizard wanting to kill you
every chance he gets. Focusing not on
Harry, but Ron and Hermione, we can see how being friends with the famous Harry
Potter has influenced their coming of age.
Rereading the series having
completely gone through adolescence, I understand now some of the emotions that
Ron and Hermione feel. Like Ron for
instance, always being the younger brother to already well accomplished
siblings, has the feeling he needs to live up to their legacies and then
becomes friends with Harry Potter. At
the beginning of the series we see Ron more or less just follow Harry into his
battles with Voldemort not really breaking out and being his own person, which
is an important part in coming of age, understanding who you are and what you
stand for. We really see the biggest
leap in Ron’s coming of age in Order of the Phoenix. He becomes a prefect, which for him is a way
of defining himself apart from being Harry’s accomplice in his adventures. Ron becomes Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch
team which also helps set him apart from being only Harry’s friend. Ron also does some of the actual fighting
against Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries, which until now, we haven’t
seen. In the Half Blood Prince, Ron has
a relationship with Lavender, which for him is a big deal, since he is the last
of the trio to have one. In the early
books of the series, Ron struggles to be his own person separate from Harry
Potter, but we do see this change in Order of the Phoenix which made me finally
see Ron, as a separate, significant person from being just the friend of The
Boy Who Lived.
Hermione on the other
hand has always, in my eyes, known exactly who she is and is comfortable with
that. For her, coming of age isn’t trying
to find herself, but to make mistakes and learn from them. Hermione is always the brains behind Harry’s
operations. I think it would have taken
Harry and Ron much longer to find out about the Sorcerer’s Stone and the Chamber
of Secrets if it wasn’t for Hermione’s intelligence. When we see Hermione take risks, we know that
she is out of her comfort zone of her books and school work, and that is when
we see her mature. Hermione’s
relationship with Krum in the Goblet of Fire is where we first see a real love
interest take place between the trio. Hermione
forming SPEW was a way for her to express herself besides being the scholastic
overachiever everyone knows her to be.
Seeing how Hermione and Ron define themselves apart from Harry and how
they change throughout the series is essential, I think in understanding their
roles in Harry’s life. They are not just
his friends that are overshadowed by his glory, but without them Harry wouldn’t
be as far as he has come in his own coming of age and his fight with Voldemort.
I find it fascinating how several “coming-of-age” stories seem relatable to us, whether it be from a book, film or any other source. For those who have read the Harry Potter series, they can easily find bits and pieces of the characters’ story that they’ve experienced at some point in their lives. It makes the characters more memorable to us when we can relate to them. Whenever Ron or Hermione try to rise above a difficult situation (personal or otherwise), they come out of it stronger and wiser. With these characters, J.K. Rowling has grasped the true magic of childhood and adolescence.
ReplyDeleteI think you absolutely hit the nail on the head with all of your comments about Ron--I guess I was always aware of his need to prove himself, but I didn't fully connect all the different pieces together the way you did. After thinking about it from that perspective, what you said about him sort of coming into his own during the fifth book really makes sense. I also found it really interesting that you said Hermione always knew who she was. At first I wasn't sure if I agreed with that, but after thinking about the points you brought up I think that's pretty true. She was consistent in a lot of ways, but I thought it was insightful that you pointed out that her maturity developed in the times when she did something that was out-of-character for her. I guess that really is the way it tends to work in real life!
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