On Percy...

[icarus]

Futon mentioned that he's very disappointed with the OotP Percy.

I'm disappointed in Percy as a person right now, but not in his characterization, which has made him interestingly complex.

I think Percy is doing a classic rebellion against his parents. What is he, 19?

He is a social riser, we already knew that (look at how he wouldn't admit to Penny that he didn't have the Galleons to match her bet), and I'll bet the subtext is he's not being accepted by that upper class. So, rather than blame himself (which would put a wrench in his ambitions), or blame the poor character of the uppercrust (which would deflate his ambition to be one of them) he blames his parents, particularly his father.

Most parents of teenagers have gone through the same.

His mother has also been pretty clingy -- he was her perfect Percy after all -- and now Percy is (rather ruthlessly) cutting the apron strings.

If you think about it, even though Arthur Weasley was right about Percy being used, to Percy it sounded as if his father was questioning his ability to be an adult and judge for himself. Of course he rebelled against that!

But Percy isn't really quite ready to be an adult (his poor judgement proves that - heh, parents are often right even when their kids won't listen), and he has fixated on Fudge as almost a surrogate parent. A 'better' example than his father.

He's being a kiss-ass, but he's also following Fudge around like a lost puppy. This is a typical pattern for him (look at how he idolized Mr Crouch) to look for role models that are more like himself.

His mother really pumped up his ambitions and his ego by holding him out as an example to the other boys. But she also set him up to be picked on and torn down by Fred, George and Ron for that very same reason.

Percy has felt alienated from his family for a very long time. We just haven't noticed it because Harry thinks of the Weasleys as the perfect family. The Weasleys, though loving and well-meaning, are not by any means perfect -- not even towards Ron.

What did Percy use as his defense against his brothers' criticism?

That they were less than him, and he staked his self-worth on his achievements. Now is it such a surprise that he's still doing the same thing, and that it has expanded to include his father, when Arthur criticised him in exactly the same way Percy's brothers have?

Unfortunately, Percy is going to get burned by his surrogate 'father' and role model, and the socialite replacement 'family' he's tried to create for himself. It's just a matter of how badly.

He's so certain he's right that he'll likely copy Fudge's new attitude towards Arthur (whatever that will be) and be stunned that he's not immediately forgiven (and surprised that he even needs to be forgiven).

I really like Percy because he's so human.

Comments

[lilybbloom.livejournal.com]

maybe he's just e-vil.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

But, but, then I wouldn't like him as much. I don't think...

No, remember in the Goblet of Fire, how he rushed into the lake to help Harry bring Ron out, how young and worried he was, and how he dropped his 'superior' act? His family matters to him. He just hasn't realised it yet. It will probably take a serious threat to them (or the death of sibling) to turn him around.

~Icarus

[lilybbloom.livejournal.com]

I still think he's e-vil only I can't make such a convincing argument as you.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

*sighs* Look, you're both wrong. Percy knows perfectly well all this is too suspicious to be kosher, which is why he's using this golden opportunity to serve the forces of good in a deep-undercover capacity and pass along secret Ministry information quite deliberately engineered the family break so that if his parents were captured doing Phoenix work they couldn't be Veritaserumed into blowing his cover, and this will all be explained at an appropriate and more peaceful time.

Okay, so I live in my own little world. So what? It's fun over here.

You know...

[dphearson.livejournal.com]

Given JKR machinations, this isn't implausible.

Re: You know...

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

And that letter to Ron, you know, considering the whole Umbridge thing how do we know Ministry employees aren't being monitored too? So there.

Re: You know...

[dphearson.livejournal.com]

right- o!

You know...

[dphearson.livejournal.com]

Given JKR machinations, this isn't implausible.

[aigooism.livejournal.com]

Interesting speculation, but that still isn't going to make me like the Ootp!Percy. But your entry here made sense. It's logical. ^_^

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

JKR has a tendency to lead to dislike someone (note: Snape) and then show us another side of them.

We have to think then, what is Percy's role in the books? If we were writing the series, what would he represent, what side of the story is he showing us?

If I were writing the books, I have to admit that Percy would be there to give us a three-dimensional look at the bad guys; show us how someone with perfectly ordinary motivations (not that evil villain rubbing his hands together 'and now Mr. Bond I will show you the Death Ray and my plan for world domination!') would end up on the wrong side and do perfectly awful things.

As soon as people really hated him, I would have him do something unexpectedly good -- to keep him in a grey zone -- but still have him on the wrong side of the fight, unaware he's on the wrong side. He would be my barometer of the banality of evil, give people insight to show that the 'bad guys' are really very ordinary, selfish people. Not horrid in why they do things, but horrid in what they do. I've seen this over and over in the corporate world.

And, I hate to say this, I would never redeem him, nor would I have him realise his role in the mess even after Voldemort is defeated. In addition, I would make him very successful after the defeat of Voldemort, too, go on to great things... while the good guys are heralded for their role and then forgotten. Just to make the point that just because people win doesn't mean they're in the right.

Icarus

[vileseagulls.livejournal.com]

I love you, Icarus.

Hee.

*recs*

[tinderblast.livejournal.com]

It's really funny that Rowling doesn't really portray Percy as the young rebel or the young idealist, though he's both in a strict sense. Of course, he seems like a conformist with his violent adherence to the Ministry and complete faith in figures like Fudge, yet maybe Rowling is being really radical in showing how he's just as wild and anarchic as other teens through his unswerving, inhuman mimesis of norms and what's 'proper.' But because he's not cool, and his rebellion against his family is through becoming a government stooge, a functionary, it undermines his status as a rebel.

It's interesting to contrast him with Sirius, and how because Sirius rebelled against his family's Dark Arts background this is seen as being acceptable, even admirable. Yet I'm sure that wizards have different views of family and blood, given their small numbers and strict hierarchy of purity, and that even those who despise their family would look down on 'ingrates' and outcasts like Sirius.

brodie

[godiva696.livejournal.com]

Hi! I love your fics and ideas on the characters of Harry Potter. Would you mind if I friended you?

Thanks, Zoe

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Go for it! And welcome. I like to say that my policy of archiving stops just short of stapling my stories to telephone poles. My friending policy is similar.

Icarus

I love you

[dphearson.livejournal.com]

And your charisation. And thank you for pointing out that as loving as the Weasleys are, thay are not perfect, God bless'em- they are the example of a struggling working class family, and it ain't all good home cooked meals.

[cedarlibrarian.livejournal.com]

*throws confetti*

*fangirls you*

This is a great post on Percy. I love you. I am also in serious need of some getting my brain in line, so that's all I can say for now.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

*purrs at Percy icon*

Thank you! I love Percy. I have some Percy art, but it's, ah, ahem.

By the way, I haven't said it yet -- congratulations!

Icarus

[alice-and-lain.livejournal.com]

Interesting insights. And JKR has been consistent with his character - his falling out with his family is perfectly in line with what we know about him and what we know that he knows.

A question: I'm currently collecting essays for a Percy fansite. I was wondering if I could use this post of yours? Naturally, you would be given credit. Just leave me a comment giving me your decision, or send me an email at amber@invizible.us.

Thank you kindly!

~Amber

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Sure, help yourself! I have a couple other essays on Percy, as well as several fics.

I am so thrilled you're doing a Percy fansite. I've been wanting one for some time, and if I had more time (and the remotest skill with html) I'd have started one.

Do you have a URL yet? I would be happy to announce it once you have it going.

Are you also hosting Percy fic at your site (pretty please)? I've been hunting good Percy fic for eons, and would be thrilled to devour everything you have available come to the Percy party.

Icarus

[alice-and-lain.livejournal.com]

It is beyond time for a Percy site. Cairnsy had one but she's clearly dropped it and won't pick it up again. And yes, there is http://www.percyweasley.com/ but it doesn't have nearly enough info on Percy to satisfy my little obsessive heart.

No URL yet. Well, I do, but I'm still working on the site. It could be a couple more months, I'm very much a procrastinator. I'm still collecting and working on stuff. But I will let you know, definitely, when it's up.

I don't think I'll be able to host Percyfic. Simply don't have the resources or time. Instead, I think I'll have a recommendations/links style page. But this isn't a firm decision yet.

And, um, could you point me to your other Percy essays so I could take a look? I found this entry via kitsune13's memories section. I've looked in your memory section, but none of the categories suggest Percy essays. Just...yeah. *ducks head*

~Amber