Thursday, March 14, 2013

post 2- Neville Longbottom: Is there a theme he doesn't cause you to ponder?



I have seen the Harry Potter Movies a thousand and one times, but this is my first time reading through the books.  Though I love the movies, reading the books has been amazing, and as I turn each page one character that I always look forward to delving further into his story is Neville Longbottom.  I adore him.   He, though being a pureblood, was often clumsy, with a terrible memory, and lacked self-confidence.  He had trouble learning magic and things that other students might catch on to a bit quicker.  During his first flying lesson he fell off of his broom and injured himself.  He made for an easy target of being picked on and teased.  Draco says to him in the first book, “Longbottom, if brains were gold, you’d be poorer than Weasley, and that’s saying something.”  When he is chosen to fight in the Dueling club in book 2 by Gilderoy Lockhart, Professor Snape quickly shoots him down by telling him that Neville has trouble with the simplest spells, and makes a sly remark that Justin is likely to be sent to the hospital in a matchbox if he is allowed to duel.  Neville himself even questions being placed in Gryffindor, because of Gryffindor’s bravery.  And yet there is so much more to him than just being a sort of loser that the bullies in Hogwarts make him out to be.  He excels in Herbology and he is brave enough to stand up to his friends.  If anything he is loyal and honest.  As his tale unfolds through out the books we learn there is so much more to him.  We find that the prophecy given by Professor Trelawney about Harry and Lord Voldemort could have also referred to Neville.  We learn that his parents were tortured to insanity by a death eater, which is a traumatic experience that drives him, just like the death of Harry’s parents drives him.  We also see that he is being raised by his Grandmother, who is much like the Dursley family in my opinion, and this is the theme of bullying being represented, as well as his many school experiences.  He represents so many major themes, death, coming of age, traumatic experience, friendship and courage.  Even though he may stumble with some spells and not be the coolest kid on the block, he is one person whose character I have never questioned and I always have this feeling that he will be there for his friends.  In the fifth book we see him at St. Mungo’s Hospital visiting his parents.  His mom, who is senile, gives him an empty wrapper.  His Grandma kind of sneers at it and suggests that he throw it away, and yet he sticks it in his pocket.  He is holding on to the love of his parents, just like Harry, which I believe is another theme in the series.  In book five, we learn of death eaters breaking free from Azkaban, including the death eaters that are responsible for Neville’s parents.  This sets off a fire in Neville.  In the D.A. meetings the only person faster to catch on to things than Neville is Hermione.  His actions here made me think of what was to come.  I thought this might foreshadow other wizards that have been hurt in some way by Voldemort and his followers seeing things happen and triggering them to rise up and become a force to be reckoned with like Neville.  This made me excited for what was to come in books six and seven.  Neville’s coming of age came for me when he showed great courage and strength by volunteering to accompany the three with Luna to the Department of Mysteries.  He didn’t leave when danger was great.  In fact he carried the hurt Hermione while trying to help the others fight.  Despite his trauma and fear, he shows great bravery, loyalty, strength and friendship.  His story causes me to look deeper into every major theme that I have previously expressed.

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