Question About JKR's Male Characters...

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

Some comments I've seen about JKR's writing have led me to the thought that possibly, one reason why certain characters in the story have to keep insisting on their manliness and not doing anything "girly" like crying, etc. might have to do with the fact that Rowling just isn't good with writing men, and so resorts to stereotypes to do the job, except when writing "evil" feminine men like Snape. You know, kind-of like how Rowling wants Harry to be not-gay, but probably can't imagine being attracted to a woman, and so he ends up seeming gay by discussing the beauty of various men.

Any men in this community care to weigh in here? Part of the reason why I ask is because I sometimes doubt my own abilities to portray men convincingly in the stories I write :P

Comments

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

Harry acts very weird around girls. We never get any idea of him being attracted to them, and he and Ron don't talk about girls the way teenage boys would. And he acts in such a 'girly' way around Cho - constantly wondering if she's noticing him, or if she's thinking about him, rather than a more masculine way (e.g. showing off when he knows she's watching). She seems to initiate their kiss as well. And when he asks out Parvati you get that other people think she's good-looking but he's actually quite indifferent. He's also indifferent to Hermione, Ginny (until the Chest Monster), Lavender, the girls on the Quidditch team - the more you think about it, the more weirdly asexual he seems. Has he latched onto Cho to use as a 'beard' - maybe "married a Muggle" is a euphemism for being a lesbian!

And the narrative voice is from Harry's POV but not necessarily his opinion, so it can be confusing when we hear how attractive Cedric/Tom Riddle are - is this Harry's view?

[oryx_leucoryx]

Also, after the first time he is no longer influenced by Veela. Maybe that's related to his Imperius-imperviousness, but still, adds to the impression of him not being attracted to females much.