A case for Ronald Weasley
Ok so this post might be a little silly but I couldn't resist. Since the release of the new movie, and perhaps in light of all the Harry Potter excitement…well, I went into sort of fan frenzy. Perfect timing with finals and everything I know. I've been reading some movie, book, and character reviews, along with fan comments, discussions, and debates online recently and have been slightly disturbed. One of my favorite characters seems to constantly be under attack. Ron Weasley is being bashed left and right. Cynical fans who seem to be self righteous air heads and are under the delusion that they could have written the character of Ron Weasley better than JK Rowling herself. First of all let me just start by saying; I have always been a fan of the character Ron Weasley; since the first book and throughout the series as he shows his relentless bravery, protection, loyalty, and is a constant source of love and companionship for Harry. He has always been my favorite friend of Harry Potter’s for his unfailing love and steadfast loyalty and not to mention the much needed tension relieving humor he scatters throughout the thickening darkness within the series. I’ve loved his character long before the movies came out, and that red-headed heart throb Rupert Grint was cast to play Ron. And I just wanted to point this out before anyone thinks I am only defending him because I think Rupert Grint is sexy...which is true. Hah I'm not going to deny that Rupert Grint the actor is adorable and his portrayal of Ron is perfect (in my opinion), I am only arguing now for the actual character of Ron and why I love him.
Some bashing I've been hearing and would like to address.
1.) "Ron is an idiot and a red headed mess. He is a train wreck. He has an inferiority complex"
One of the things I most like about Ron might be very well what these Ron-bashers are talking about. Only I would argue they have twisted his weaknesses and made them out to be more horrible or worthy of shame. As if these insecurities and qualities Ron possess and humbly admits to, were so unnaturally placed and repulsive and furthermore, so uncommon of actual human beings.
One of the reasons that I have always found Ron to be so loveable was for these exact traits. Let’s be honest, we are all insecure, we all wish we could be better or more worthy of the person we love…we all think we are not good enough at times and we all wish we possessed qualities that we don’t. Ron should be considered at least more likable for these reasons; because of his realness, and his willingness to show vulnerability Ron is the most emotionally vulnerable and open of JK Rowling’s characters. All of us would be lying hypocrites if we said we were more like another character than Ron. I honestly believe that most readers of Harry Potter can identify with Ron the most. Correct me if I’m wrong but not many of us are famous or insanely intelligent to the point of stardom. I think the average person can very much relate to Ron in the way they are insecure and feel towards people who they love that seem to succeed them in most things. I think Ron is the most relateable character with regards to these emotions. He is also the most normal, this makes him the most human and loving and understandable characters of the series.
Ron's ineptness with girls and his seemingly ridiculous and immature insecurities these are the things that make Ron so much more relatable to the average teenage boy. Let’s be honest how many 15 year old boys have to deal with all the things Harry does? But then how many struggles with the same problems of not knowing how to impress or talk to girls like Ron does? So as I’ve already said and will continue to argue these are the things that make Ronald Weasley at his core a very HUMAN character indeed. I think the things I find most people resent about Ron are the things that we often resent about ourselves. Ron is more humble and willing to admit these things than most people. So I suppose I could understand where these critics might be coming from.
To a certain extent this is true but whoever hates Ron's character for this is clearly narrow-minded and in a bit of self denial. I would even say that they themselves have an inferiority complex. Ron maybe a bit insecure, but when you look at his life, and the people he surrounds himself with, one can take into account all aspects of character development and we see that Ron’s insecurity though it at times seems very petty unfounded and immature, its very understandable if we are being empathetic and looking at the situation from the perspective of a preteen/young adolescent teenage boy. Being cast in the shadows and outshone all his life by his 5 older brothers and then coming to Hogwarts to be in the shadow of his supremely intelligent friend Hermione Granger and his infamous best friend Harry potter. Can you blame the guy for feeling a little insecure? Ron always felt he had some standard of greatness to live up to even before he met Harry and Hermione. His two older brothers were head boy, and quittich captain and now leading very successful and interesting lives outside of school, then his brother Percy is a know it all prefect, and Fred and George are the class pranksters and very popular with their classmates. Ron never felt like he had something to claim for his own that he was especially good at. And then you throw the boy who lived or chosen one into the mix, and the smartest/ cleverest girl in the school, and Ron his happy to befriend them but still what does that make him? The faithful side kick? And he does fulfill this role without complaint, but still I feel one could understand why or how Ron might feel a little pressured or apprehensive about his self-worth. He does not yet see until much later in the series just how essential his role as Harry’s best friend is. He doesn’t not realize how important he is just by being who he is. It is clear that Ron thinks his worth should be based on grades, or saving people, or even being popular and well liked, this is the view of most young teenage boys who try to prove themselves. Thankfully Ron does mature throughout the series and comes to find that he does matter more than he ever knew…and we seen Ron become more confident and mature and sure of himself as he comes to accept his part in the lives of his loved ones. Ron may have never had things handed to him that he was good at, like he wasn’t born a natural genius and he wasn’t made famous by a dark wizard at birth. Therefore it makes perfect sense that his character would be insecure, needed of praise or approval and then a bumbling oaf at times. But I do think by the end of the series he grows in confidence and is surer of him. Also Ron is never self righteous or haughty. One of things I always thought that made his character so loveable was that he never thought so highly of himself and he always considered others to be more important. At times Ron’s pigheadedness could be quite idiotic but to me this fault also just made him more real and loveable as developing a character. Furthermore as much as his rashness could be annoying and harmful at times, we have to remember all the times when his rashness proved to be heroic and bold and true. Like in the second year when he willingly sacrifices himself in the chess game with no thought at all, or when he quickly comes to Hermione’s aide when she is being verbally and emotionally attacked by Malfoy in their second year. Also I’m pretty sure the fact that Ron doesn’t always think before he talks makes him more charming and likeable. I think Ron’s rashness and at times pig-headed tendencies show his big heart because he never is rash without the best of intentions. He is very quick when it comes to trying to help or protect the people he loves most. I like the fact that he is humble and lowly of heart. This shows what a big heart Ron has and his ability to put others first when it counts. The fact that he doesn’t think about consequences and acts out of indignant emotions or fear also shows where his heart lies. I believe that all of us have felt jealous or insecure about something or at one point in our lives. I think Ron handles it rather well all things considered. Never receiving the fame or the glory yet never complaining, Ron is always the guy behind the scene, the supportive best friend, loyal and true, very protective and ready to fight with Harry till the death. Making sacrifices for and with Harry Hermione and for the cause of true peace and justice to prevail throughout the wizarding world. Ron also has a deep concern for the welfare of his loved ones. We can see this not only in his sturdy friendship with Harry and his incessant need to comfort and protect Hermione but also in his apprehension and worry for his family in the books. His fretting over Ginny when he hears she is in the chamber of secrets and his worry over his family while he Hermione and Harry are traveling looking for the horuxes. Ron is very appreciative of all he has and you know he cares deeply for his friends and family. Ron's character is loyal and true. He is brave and constantly putting himself in harms way for the sake of protecting and saving those he loves. Sure, it can be a little rash and pigheaded and certainly stubborn and immature. But really, what adolescent boy isn’t all these things as a teenager...especially when it comes to girls? I think his relationship with Hermione is beautifully realistic and playfully romantic and adorable. The fact that he is so daft when it comes to girls makes it humorous and realistic since most boys his age are completely clueless when it comes to dealing with their emotions or talking about and admitting their feelings.
Something else that bothered me was, people are saying Ron is dumb! While I can admit Ron is not the smartest boy at Hogwarts, I would never go so far as to say he is a brain dead moron. He does have his moments of wit. In my opinion Ron is a very smart kid actually, but the thing about Ron’s character is, not that he dumb (this is more evident of a character like Crab and Goyle who can’t think for themselves) but Ron is just a slacker when it comes to school. He is not stupid, the truth is Ron just doesnt care enough in certain subjects or is not interested enough to apply himself and therefore he honestly doesn't try. Ron is a slacker and yes alright this does make him a bit dumber to some degree if you are thinking about it in terms of priorities or what our society considers SMART thinking. But when it counts Ron has proven himself to be smart, clever and quick thinker and this is why I disagree with the fans who are saying that Ron is just plain not intelligent when it comes right down to it. I feel as though some fans were comparing Ron a bit too much to Hermione. I am not saying Ron is as smart as Hermione (definitely not when it comes to books, or emotions but lets face it, most girls are more emotionally intelligent than a teenage boy). However I do think that being book smart like Hermione is not everything and we should not measure or compare Ron’s talents to Hermione’s because they are very different in terms of how they view school or its importance. But the truth is we need to give Ron a little more credit. I do think Ron's character is smart, especially when it comes to things he actually cares about and is passionate about, and this is how most people are. I do not think the fact that Ron does not do well in classes like history of magic could be a valid reason to debase him and make his character out to be a complete moron. Also Ron acknowledges that he is not the most books smart and he is very modest and honest about on what level he is; and I think there is something to be said about that. But another thing that was making me mad is all this nonsense about how Harry would be more compatible for Hermione because he is smarter and Ron is to dumb for Hermione? Let’s be realistic, Ron and Harry are on the same level intellect wise. Reading through the series, I was never under the impression nor do I think JK Rowling intended for Harry to be made out as more intelligent than Ron. Harry was portrayed as a slacker too, and lets not forget that in the book series both he and Ron relied allot on Hermione for help with homework...so if you are going to say Ron shouldn’t be with Hermione because she is too smart for him, then you sure as hell cannot say that for that reason she would be better suited for Harry. Harry is on the same level as Ron as far as I'm concerned, although sometimes in certain subjects (like defense against the dark arts) harry may try harder due to personal interest but that is not because he is so much more intelligent than Ron, it has nothing to do with brain power, so much as it has to do with motivation and personal interest. Ron may definitely have been the bigger slacker of the three when it came to school work but as far as Harry goes that is not saying much. Also lets not forget the countless times in books four, five and six even seven when Ron proves himself to be intelligent and helpful. Conclusion of argument, I think Ron is smart, though he may not be as book smart as Hermione. Also I suppose at times it would appear that Harry could be smarter because of his knowledge in certain situations, but all the things harry knows that Ron doesn’t know have to do with Harry and his experiences and things like his meeting with Dumbledore and his conversations with different people. If we were going to use that logic to say Harry is smarter than Ron we could say the same thing about Ron and all the things about the wizard ring world he knows that Harry doesn’t. This does not mean Ron is smarter, but only that he grew up in a place and was surrounded by things that harry was not.
to be continued...
Some bashing I've been hearing and would like to address.
1.) "Ron is an idiot and a red headed mess. He is a train wreck. He has an inferiority complex"
One of the things I most like about Ron might be very well what these Ron-bashers are talking about. Only I would argue they have twisted his weaknesses and made them out to be more horrible or worthy of shame. As if these insecurities and qualities Ron possess and humbly admits to, were so unnaturally placed and repulsive and furthermore, so uncommon of actual human beings.
One of the reasons that I have always found Ron to be so loveable was for these exact traits. Let’s be honest, we are all insecure, we all wish we could be better or more worthy of the person we love…we all think we are not good enough at times and we all wish we possessed qualities that we don’t. Ron should be considered at least more likable for these reasons; because of his realness, and his willingness to show vulnerability Ron is the most emotionally vulnerable and open of JK Rowling’s characters. All of us would be lying hypocrites if we said we were more like another character than Ron. I honestly believe that most readers of Harry Potter can identify with Ron the most. Correct me if I’m wrong but not many of us are famous or insanely intelligent to the point of stardom. I think the average person can very much relate to Ron in the way they are insecure and feel towards people who they love that seem to succeed them in most things. I think Ron is the most relateable character with regards to these emotions. He is also the most normal, this makes him the most human and loving and understandable characters of the series.
Ron's ineptness with girls and his seemingly ridiculous and immature insecurities these are the things that make Ron so much more relatable to the average teenage boy. Let’s be honest how many 15 year old boys have to deal with all the things Harry does? But then how many struggles with the same problems of not knowing how to impress or talk to girls like Ron does? So as I’ve already said and will continue to argue these are the things that make Ronald Weasley at his core a very HUMAN character indeed. I think the things I find most people resent about Ron are the things that we often resent about ourselves. Ron is more humble and willing to admit these things than most people. So I suppose I could understand where these critics might be coming from.
To a certain extent this is true but whoever hates Ron's character for this is clearly narrow-minded and in a bit of self denial. I would even say that they themselves have an inferiority complex. Ron maybe a bit insecure, but when you look at his life, and the people he surrounds himself with, one can take into account all aspects of character development and we see that Ron’s insecurity though it at times seems very petty unfounded and immature, its very understandable if we are being empathetic and looking at the situation from the perspective of a preteen/young adolescent teenage boy. Being cast in the shadows and outshone all his life by his 5 older brothers and then coming to Hogwarts to be in the shadow of his supremely intelligent friend Hermione Granger and his infamous best friend Harry potter. Can you blame the guy for feeling a little insecure? Ron always felt he had some standard of greatness to live up to even before he met Harry and Hermione. His two older brothers were head boy, and quittich captain and now leading very successful and interesting lives outside of school, then his brother Percy is a know it all prefect, and Fred and George are the class pranksters and very popular with their classmates. Ron never felt like he had something to claim for his own that he was especially good at. And then you throw the boy who lived or chosen one into the mix, and the smartest/ cleverest girl in the school, and Ron his happy to befriend them but still what does that make him? The faithful side kick? And he does fulfill this role without complaint, but still I feel one could understand why or how Ron might feel a little pressured or apprehensive about his self-worth. He does not yet see until much later in the series just how essential his role as Harry’s best friend is. He doesn’t not realize how important he is just by being who he is. It is clear that Ron thinks his worth should be based on grades, or saving people, or even being popular and well liked, this is the view of most young teenage boys who try to prove themselves. Thankfully Ron does mature throughout the series and comes to find that he does matter more than he ever knew…and we seen Ron become more confident and mature and sure of himself as he comes to accept his part in the lives of his loved ones. Ron may have never had things handed to him that he was good at, like he wasn’t born a natural genius and he wasn’t made famous by a dark wizard at birth. Therefore it makes perfect sense that his character would be insecure, needed of praise or approval and then a bumbling oaf at times. But I do think by the end of the series he grows in confidence and is surer of him. Also Ron is never self righteous or haughty. One of things I always thought that made his character so loveable was that he never thought so highly of himself and he always considered others to be more important. At times Ron’s pigheadedness could be quite idiotic but to me this fault also just made him more real and loveable as developing a character. Furthermore as much as his rashness could be annoying and harmful at times, we have to remember all the times when his rashness proved to be heroic and bold and true. Like in the second year when he willingly sacrifices himself in the chess game with no thought at all, or when he quickly comes to Hermione’s aide when she is being verbally and emotionally attacked by Malfoy in their second year. Also I’m pretty sure the fact that Ron doesn’t always think before he talks makes him more charming and likeable. I think Ron’s rashness and at times pig-headed tendencies show his big heart because he never is rash without the best of intentions. He is very quick when it comes to trying to help or protect the people he loves most. I like the fact that he is humble and lowly of heart. This shows what a big heart Ron has and his ability to put others first when it counts. The fact that he doesn’t think about consequences and acts out of indignant emotions or fear also shows where his heart lies. I believe that all of us have felt jealous or insecure about something or at one point in our lives. I think Ron handles it rather well all things considered. Never receiving the fame or the glory yet never complaining, Ron is always the guy behind the scene, the supportive best friend, loyal and true, very protective and ready to fight with Harry till the death. Making sacrifices for and with Harry Hermione and for the cause of true peace and justice to prevail throughout the wizarding world. Ron also has a deep concern for the welfare of his loved ones. We can see this not only in his sturdy friendship with Harry and his incessant need to comfort and protect Hermione but also in his apprehension and worry for his family in the books. His fretting over Ginny when he hears she is in the chamber of secrets and his worry over his family while he Hermione and Harry are traveling looking for the horuxes. Ron is very appreciative of all he has and you know he cares deeply for his friends and family. Ron's character is loyal and true. He is brave and constantly putting himself in harms way for the sake of protecting and saving those he loves. Sure, it can be a little rash and pigheaded and certainly stubborn and immature. But really, what adolescent boy isn’t all these things as a teenager...especially when it comes to girls? I think his relationship with Hermione is beautifully realistic and playfully romantic and adorable. The fact that he is so daft when it comes to girls makes it humorous and realistic since most boys his age are completely clueless when it comes to dealing with their emotions or talking about and admitting their feelings.
Something else that bothered me was, people are saying Ron is dumb! While I can admit Ron is not the smartest boy at Hogwarts, I would never go so far as to say he is a brain dead moron. He does have his moments of wit. In my opinion Ron is a very smart kid actually, but the thing about Ron’s character is, not that he dumb (this is more evident of a character like Crab and Goyle who can’t think for themselves) but Ron is just a slacker when it comes to school. He is not stupid, the truth is Ron just doesnt care enough in certain subjects or is not interested enough to apply himself and therefore he honestly doesn't try. Ron is a slacker and yes alright this does make him a bit dumber to some degree if you are thinking about it in terms of priorities or what our society considers SMART thinking. But when it counts Ron has proven himself to be smart, clever and quick thinker and this is why I disagree with the fans who are saying that Ron is just plain not intelligent when it comes right down to it. I feel as though some fans were comparing Ron a bit too much to Hermione. I am not saying Ron is as smart as Hermione (definitely not when it comes to books, or emotions but lets face it, most girls are more emotionally intelligent than a teenage boy). However I do think that being book smart like Hermione is not everything and we should not measure or compare Ron’s talents to Hermione’s because they are very different in terms of how they view school or its importance. But the truth is we need to give Ron a little more credit. I do think Ron's character is smart, especially when it comes to things he actually cares about and is passionate about, and this is how most people are. I do not think the fact that Ron does not do well in classes like history of magic could be a valid reason to debase him and make his character out to be a complete moron. Also Ron acknowledges that he is not the most books smart and he is very modest and honest about on what level he is; and I think there is something to be said about that. But another thing that was making me mad is all this nonsense about how Harry would be more compatible for Hermione because he is smarter and Ron is to dumb for Hermione? Let’s be realistic, Ron and Harry are on the same level intellect wise. Reading through the series, I was never under the impression nor do I think JK Rowling intended for Harry to be made out as more intelligent than Ron. Harry was portrayed as a slacker too, and lets not forget that in the book series both he and Ron relied allot on Hermione for help with homework...so if you are going to say Ron shouldn’t be with Hermione because she is too smart for him, then you sure as hell cannot say that for that reason she would be better suited for Harry. Harry is on the same level as Ron as far as I'm concerned, although sometimes in certain subjects (like defense against the dark arts) harry may try harder due to personal interest but that is not because he is so much more intelligent than Ron, it has nothing to do with brain power, so much as it has to do with motivation and personal interest. Ron may definitely have been the bigger slacker of the three when it came to school work but as far as Harry goes that is not saying much. Also lets not forget the countless times in books four, five and six even seven when Ron proves himself to be intelligent and helpful. Conclusion of argument, I think Ron is smart, though he may not be as book smart as Hermione. Also I suppose at times it would appear that Harry could be smarter because of his knowledge in certain situations, but all the things harry knows that Ron doesn’t know have to do with Harry and his experiences and things like his meeting with Dumbledore and his conversations with different people. If we were going to use that logic to say Harry is smarter than Ron we could say the same thing about Ron and all the things about the wizard ring world he knows that Harry doesn’t. This does not mean Ron is smarter, but only that he grew up in a place and was surrounded by things that harry was not.
to be continued...
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