How poor is poor Remus Lupin?

[menolike]

Title: How poor is poor Remus Lupin and how innocent was Sirius Black?
Spoilers: Prisoner of Azkaban
Summary: This is a multi part (2-3) piece. The first one is an introduction to how Remus Lupin was portrayed in “Prisoner of Azkaban”. And how the reader was emotionally tricked into sympathizing with him.
A/N: No beta, No editor, No friend, No co-

Comments

[lindawonderland]

Why does Lupin call Snape by his first name? He calls him Severus too often. Don’t you think?

Well, they went to school at the same time, i'm sure you call people of your own age by their first names, and they knew eachother of course

[menolike]

I meant; Why does he call him 'Severus'. and Severus calls him 'Lupin'?

[randomjitter]

I always thought that's just because Lupin was more friendly/polite (or pretended to be, whatever the case may be), and Snape more remote/formal.

[troubleinchina]

Lupin seems to make a point of calling everyone by their first name, and it has a sense of "polite" about it. I seem to recall him struggling to refer to Snape as "Snape" after the death of DD. He went from being a colleague to being a monster.

[randomjitter]

Hey, interesting read here. Thanks for sharing

[menolike]

he's also afraid of losing his job

What is more important? his job, or students' lives? If a student died, would YOU be so sympathetic? And what is more disappointing? telling DD and protecting the children? Or keeping quiet and endangering all?

I can certainly understand that

but can you accept it/agree to it?

People are selfish, Lupin is no exception
That is NOT an excuse. not only has he been selfish but careless and devious which proved to be more dangerous.

his mis-steps have reasonable excuses

that is due to his portrayal as a 'Poor Remus'

What I would like you to do is forget this is 'Poor Remus' and put someone else you don't like in the same situation. Will you be so forgiving then???

he's just human
None of them are 'human'. And SS & TR?????

[dumbledoresgirl]

I think you are all forgetting that Dumbledore is an OCCLUMENS!!

Don't you think he would know exactly what was going on?

[gwenc02]

I agree with most of what you said, though I disagree with the assumption you started from - that Lupin is a one dimensional character who exists in the story solely as an outlet for pity, someone who shows the effects discrimination may have on the life of a perfectly nice, intelligent person.

The wonderful thing about this book is that not one single character is one-dimensional. Harry is very noble, but he's also moody, brooding and even downright self-entitled on occasion. Snape is cruel and vindictive, but at the same time, he makes Lupin his wolfsbane every month and teaches Harry Occlumency. Lupin is very loyal and giving, but he also lacks the courage to put his friends in their place or come forward when he's done something wrong. So yes, Remus is a sympathetic character, but he isn't a perfect person.

[menolike]

So yes, Remus is a sympathetic character, but he isn't a perfect person.

If I'm to follow that kind of reasoning; then All characters (yes including evil LV & LM) need sympathy and understanding.

[gwenc02]

Um, I don't know where you learned your logic, but no, not necessarily. By your reasoning, if a five year old boy gets leukemia, but has lied to his parents and fought with his sister, then a person shouldn't feel sorry for him because he has leukemia because he's been a less than perfect person in his life

[menolike]

Lupin is sympathetic because he's been discriminated against his whole life

But that is not entirely true is it? during Lupin's Hogwarts years his condition was kept a secret; so were was the discrimination then? his 'condition' was known for only a few. It is very unlikely that ALL his teachers knew about him and kept quiet especially when considering the view the wizarding world holds towards werewolves. this also indicates that the board of governors didn't know either.
SO WHERE WAS THE DISCRIMINATION THEN?
1. NOTHING excuses his actions during his school years.
2. Just because some one is ill (MY cousin is DYING from leukemia, don't you dare compare it to being a werewolf). NOT mortally so, but exhaustingly and painfully on certain days of the month (and some women would strongly relate to that) doesn't mean that we should let them get away with their offenses too often

[luleh]

I'm a little confused as to what you're trying to say about Lupin. I think he'd agree that he made some pretty bad mistakes during PoA but do you think he was acting with malice and intent?

[menolike]

"I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus” (P356, PoA)
Maybe not malice, but certainly it looks like intent.

And I'm trying make YOU talk about Lupin. Does he deserve your complete sympathy because he is good at heart? Or should he pay for his offenses (they were intentional) and mistakes?

[luleh]

Are you implying Lupin did not tell Dumbledore about Sirius being an animagus for malicious reasons? Is Lupin secretly evil?

And I'm trying make YOU talk about Lupin. Does he deserve your complete sympathy because he is good at heart? Or should he pay for his offenses (they were intentional) and mistakes?

How is this a THEORY about the books? You posted to a THEORY community, not a talk about a character community.

[snapes_patronus]

Does he deserve your complete sympathy because he is good at heart? Or should he pay for his offenses (they were intentional) and mistakes?You're insisting that we must choose either one or the other--we can sympathize with Remus, or we hold him accountable for his mistakes--but we can't do both. And that makes no sense at all. It's entirely possible to do both, and I think that's what most readers do

[pervert_bitch]

So, Lupin is the most passive-agressive bastard I have ever read and "met"... Really.
He's also self-serving and spineless. But all in all not a bad person me thinks... I just don't know why he bribed the Sorting Hat with to made it into Gryffindor... I mean even poor Neville could stand up to their friends...

[menolike]

Where have YOU been?
What you're too busy!

(So I don't have a job this semester and a lot of free time, so what?)

So, Lupin is the most passive-agressive bastard I have ever read and "met"... Really.
He's also self-serving and spineless. But all in all not a bad person me thinks

That is confusing (and disturbingly not incorrect)

[pervert_bitch]

Actually yes.. :oP Like I said, I only have internet at work :P
Also, this week, no work for me... it is holy week in here and thus it is a holyday, so no work... sorry :(

And I know I am correct at that werewolf :P Even if some Lupin fans may hate me for it :P

[menolike]

I love holy weeks except for us they're actually days (too few)