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| Yes | 60% | 753 votes | Total: 1249 votes | |
| No | 40% | 496 votes |
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Add to FavoritesIn a book series so rich in detail, so full of complex emotions, integral plots, intense relationships and wonderful characterizations one would think there would have been enough romance in the Harry Potter saga and yet there seemed to be something lacking. There were instances when it appeared there were too many characters without partners. This might not seem strange to children reading the Harry Potter books, after all, the focus was rightfully on Harry and his younger audience. But to this adult reader there were entirely too many adult characters who seemed, for lack of a better word, non-sexual. Perhaps it is only my perception because of my being an unabashed purveyor of romance but I must say there wasn't enough romance in the Harry Potter saga.
Let us start at the top. Albus Dumbledore was practically royalty in the wizarding world and yet no fawning women clawed at his robes, no flirting witches sought his admiration, no veela batted their eyelashes at him. How likely was that? Even less-than-gorgeous princes get more action when single, young studs so, why didn't Dumbledore? Ah, but we know why now with his "outing". But could it be gay-bashing was also prevalent in the wizarding world just as werewolves and Squibs were shunned and ridiculed? Most likely.
My theory is Dumbledore had an amorous admirer in his Dragon-poxed friend and obituary writer, Elphias Doge. They were to set off on a trip around the world after Hogwarts but when that didn't happen and they fell out of touch Dumbledore hooked up with Grindlewald. There was something of romance there but we weren't privy to it. Alas with a broken heart, perhaps Dumbledore never sought another lover.
Hagrid became romantically involved with Madam Maxime but that was doomed to failure. She was headmistress of Beaubaton in France and he would never leave Hogwarts even for love. Pity. They would have had beautiful albeit huge children.
Minerva McGonagall reminded me of the stern nuns teaching at Catholic school, too chaste and virginal to succumb to anything so foolish as romantic love. Or maybe she had the misfortune to be in love with Dumbledore. Either way we didn't get to see that.
Harry thought Madam Pince, the librarian, and Filch, the caretaker might have had a 'thing' going on. But all the other teachers seemed entirely too consumed with their jobs for anything as silly as love and marriage. Again, plenty of room for romance.
Molly Weasley gave a hint of her midnight extra-curricular activities with her then boyfriend Arthur. The little sneak! It amused and surprised Bill, her eldest son but it served to show that even stern parents had been foolish kids ruled by hormones once upon a time. A good lesson for both kids, who see their parents as being only ever grown up and responsible adults, and adults who may have forgotten what it's like to be a kid.
While it may have been painful for Harry it was also good for him to see his parents sniping at each other as teenagers, rather a bit like Ron and Hermione. We don't all start out as perfect little adults who always know what to do. Harry learned that the hard way when he saw his father torturing Snape.
And then there's Severus Snape. No wonder he was so bitter. The love of his life Lily Evans snatched away from him through his own folly. And then to have to endure the presence of her child, Harry, the child that might have been his but instead was fathered by his nemesis, the spoiled and arrogant James Potter. Snape's heart must have ached something fierce to never be able to love again.
The real shocker was Sirius Black. He was drop-dead gorgeous yet never had a girlfriend? Yes, he hung posters of bikini clad muggle girls on his bedroom walls as a teenager at #12 Grimould Place but that was probably just to vex his parents. Perhaps he was too involved with the Order of the Phoenix to care about romance and then there wasn't much chance of it during nor after his stint in Azkaban. Too bad. He would have made some lucky witch a wonderful husband.
Tonks and Remus got together and had a child. Bill and Fleur got married. Percy had Penelope Clearwater, Ron and Hermione got together in the end after the bouts with jealousy were done with and Harry finally got Ginny. There was plenty of romantic involvement some say. But was it enough? Really, is there ever enough love in the world, even the wizarding world? Dumbledore didn't think so and I'd have to agree with him.
Learn more about this author, Glory Lennon.
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No
The Harry Potter series represents a collection of beautiful literature that young children are especially intrigued with and fascinated by. The compelling stories of Harry Potter and his adventures at Hogwarts are pieces of literature that possess depth, suspense, and substance. However, with the progression of each series comes the development of new ideas, and the growth of the characters. Harry Potter is no longer the same young boy he was at the beginning of the series, when contemplating his role in the final book. Nevertheless, with such moral development, readers cannot expect him to behave in the same way, or to contend with his present circumstances in the same manner. In order for J.K. Rowling to express his growth, she needs to have him behave in ways that he may not have at the beginning of the series. This represents the way in which the later books within the series have more romantic encounters and episodes between the characters, as opposed to the earlier books. While it is understandable that J.K. Rowling wants to display this increased internal development, she should not allow the characters in the Harry Potter series to become more romantically involved because this will remove the original meaning from the work.
At the beginning, before the Harry Potter series began to progress, it consisted of the conflicts that Harry Potter endured at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He began to learn about his own powers, while making friends at a new school, and discovering his own nature. Nevertheless, Hermione, Ron, and Harry all had an innocent relationship. They were friends that helped one another in order to overcome the evil forces. Of course, their friendship was not always perfect, and conflicts did have the potential to develop. However, they were usually resolved and therefore did not distract from the development of the main events.
In the later books of the series, the relationship between Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the other minor characters within the story changed. In order to portray the mental development of the characters, J.K. Rowling incorporated romance into the plot. Consequently, Hermione expressed her sentimental interests in Harry, Harry liked Ginnie, and Ron always tried to discover his place within the confusing world of romance. There is certainly nothing wrong with placing such prevailing motifs within the literature, although these prevailing motifs became problematic when they began to dominate the central plot of the story. Within the final books of the series, the romance of the characters plays such a strong role, that it distracts from the concept of Harry trying to fight the powers of the Dark Lord. Also, the conflicts that occur between the characters as a result of their emotions completely destroys the innocence of their relationship. For example, when Hermione becomes distraught that Harry does not feel the same way about her that she feels about him, they no longer communicate in the same way throughout much of the story. The idea of the romance problem is so dominant that the true nature of the plot is neglected.
Harry Potter is a series about triumphing over evil, and about achieving success even when hope seems lost. It is understandable and inevitable that characters will develop and age, yet it is not correct to have these prevailing motifs captivate the story. In the process of determining how to handle this concept in a reasonable manner, it is important to remember that Harry Potter is a series that captivated the attention of many young children. They idolized the characters in Harry Potter and wanted to discover more and more about his endeavors. If J.K. Rowling allows the characters to become more romantically involved, this original audience may become lost. Through the representation of the internal development of the characters, having them become romantically involved is certainly not always the answer. Harry Potter should remain as the way it was intended, with the dominant aspect on confronting the dark forces, not on the internal conflicts of romance.
Learn more about this author, Miranda Pierson.
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