Remus John Lupin: Character Analysis

[FutureAuthor13]

Originally Posted by Moriath

I would not call it immature. It isn't a decision that gains him any brownie points in my book but it's made by a character with low self-esteem who's been discriminated against all his life.

Yes, I agree. I think JKR weaves Remus's own insecurites into the Shrieking Shack scene in PoA; Remus begins his 'explanation' with "That's where all this begins: with my becoming a werewolf. None of this would have happened if I hadn't been bitten and I hadn't been so foolhardy." I'm paraphrasing, sorry, I don't have the books near me at the moment but to me, it seems clear that Remus is quietly blaming himself for the tragedy that occured amongst his friends; almost as if, by the other Marauders befriending him, Remus feels he himself brought the deaths etc upon them. At the same time, I do feel he is an extremely strong person- we see him acting confidently and in a relaxed manner ("One: he's sitting in my chair...") during part of Snape's Worst Memory. But I believe Remus hides a lot of insecurites and that these come to the surface most obviously in Deathly Hallows.

Just my opinion and interpretation, of course.

[Justincase]

Originally Posted by Moriath

I would not call it immature. It isn't a decision that gains him any brownie points in my book but it's made by a character with low self-esteem who's been discriminated against all his life. One can see the same pattern when it comes to Harry. Remus does not contact Harry before Dumbledore calls on him to be the DADA teacher. And even though they grow closer and Harry holds him in high regard, Remus withdraws immediately the moment Sirius appears in Harry's life. He seems to think that he has no right to be in Harry's life or anyone's really. I think his reasons for not wanting to be with Tonks and their child are valid on their own. It is dangerous for him to be around a baby. But of course he should have thought this through before agreeing to marry Tonks. When he leaves he doesn't do it because he doesn't want the responsibility but because he doesn't want to ruin Tonks and the baby's lives. It's a decision fuelled by panic and Harry's right to chastise him severely but, as I see it, it's a far cry from a teenage father running away from responsibility.

The bold part, that's what I meant. I mean he seems to be still a teenager. I know that it's dangerous still if he had been fully mature to that part he would've known that the solution wasn't just running away from his child. An adult doesn't panic like that in that situation. I know what he is and I know that he has a very VERY low self-esteem for being so but I just see that like also being immature. I mean when your a teenager loads of people have a very low self-esteem because they feel very influence by other people and because teenage is a very delicate age in which things affect us way more and feelings are more intense and more obvious. Stop hating yourself and thinking you're a terrible person that doesn't deserve anything is IMO part of maturing. Being immature it's not only about doing dangerous stuff without thinking about the consequences, it's also learning to value you self and the rest of people. Or at least that's how I see it...

[BrianTung]

Originally Posted by Justincase

The bold part, that's what I meant. I mean he seems to be still a teenager. I know that it's dangerous still if he had been fully mature to that part he would've known that the solution wasn't just running away from his child. An adult doesn't panic like that in that situation. I know what he is and I know that he has a very VERY low self-esteem for being so but I just see that like also being immature. I mean when your a teenager loads of people have a very low self-esteem because they feel very influence by other people and because teenage is a very delicate age in which things affect us way more and feelings are more intense and more obvious. Stop hating yourself and thinking you're a terrible person that doesn't deserve anything is IMO part of maturing. Being immature it's not only about doing dangerous stuff without thinking about the consequences, it's also learning to value you self and the rest of people. Or at least that's how I see it...

I tend to think that it's a bit of a Cyrano complex--feeling that he must "sacrifice" his own happiness, from an egocentric point of view. That is to say, he feels that he has put Tonks and their unborn child in an untenable situation, owing to his condition, and the only way he feels he can save them from that predicament is to abandon them. Of course, he wouldn't call it abandonment; he'd call it relieving them of his burdensome presence. To be rather frank about it, Harry ought to understand--he's always wanting to go off on his own, ostensibly so that no one else has to. It's a perspective I think Gryffindors (in the books, at least) are particularly susceptible to.

To be sure, let's not be blind to the fact that it's mighty convenient that this abandonment allows him to join the Trio, if they'll have him. Quite rightly, Harry won't put up with it, although he does it too brusquely. (Methinks he doth protest too much.)

I also think that it's important to keep in mind that Lupin's condition seems to be fairly deprecated in the magical world. There are probably plenty of Pureblood sympathizers that think that such a person is wholly unfit to be a parent. The Tonks-Lupins might well be pariahs wherever they went--or so Lupin thinks, is my guess.

[Siriusandme]

Originally Posted by Justincase

The bold part, that's what I meant. I mean he seems to be still a teenager. I know that it's dangerous still if he had been fully mature to that part he would've known that the solution wasn't just running away from his child. An adult doesn't panic like that in that situation. I know what he is and I know that he has a very VERY low self-esteem for being so but I just see that like also being immature. I mean when your a teenager loads of people have a very low self-esteem because they feel very influence by other people and because teenage is a very delicate age in which things affect us way more and feelings are more intense and more obvious. Stop hating yourself and thinking you're a terrible person that doesn't deserve anything is IMO part of maturing. Being immature it's not only about doing dangerous stuff without thinking about the consequences, it's also learning to value you self and the rest of people. Or at least that's how I see it...

That's a bit like saying all insecure people are immature. And all because a lot of teens are insecure. Not all teens are insecure. I think your reasoning is a bit off here....

[phoenixxxx7]

This isnt character analysis but seeing as you all seemed to be very knowledgeable about remus i though i would post it here.

The word 'Lupin', obviously comes from the latin word lupus meaning wolf. This was obviously Rowling's intention as it hints at his lycanthropy. But why would he have this name? He was bitten by a werewolf as a young child. Are we expected to believe that it is a coincidence that this is his family name? Or did he perhaps change his surname after he received his condition? I don't see why he would do this as werewolves are frowned upon in Magical society and he wouldn't want to draw attention to his condition.

any ideas anyone??

[mirrormere]

That would be like painting a target on your forehead, wouldn't it?

I don't know of any canon explaining it. I doubt he changed his name. We'll probably have to settle for coincidence, as unsatisfying as that is. Lupin (or Lupine) is also the name of a flower, though the word is still linked to wolves (legend says they were the only ones able to consume the pea-like seed.)

If it's a common name, which we also do not know, it would be a little easier to accept.

[LyraLovegood]

His first name is a clue, too, being one of the brothers who was raised by wolves and founded Rome (Remus and Romulus). We also don't know Lupin's blood-status, do we, whether he was a pureblood, a half-blood, or Muggleborn. If he were pureblood, or if his father were a wizard, it might be that Lupin was a common name in the wizarding world. But I don't think there's any explanation for the last name inside the wizarding world but coincidence. I think Jo deliberately named her were-wolf character that, but didn't work out an explanation inside the story for why a kid whose name happened to be Remus Lupin was bitten by a werewolf.

[FurryDice]

Originally Posted by LyraLovegood

His first name is a clue, too, being one of the brothers who was raised by wolves and founded Rome (Remus and Romulus). We also don't know Lupin's blood-status, do we, whether he was a pureblood, a half-blood, or Muggleborn. If he were pureblood, or if his father were a wizard, it might be that Lupin was a common name in the wizarding world. But I don't think there's any explanation for the last name inside the wizarding world but coincidence. I think Jo deliberately named her were-wolf character that, but didn't work out an explanation inside the story for why a kid whose name happened to be Remus Lupin was bitten by a werewolf.

Lupin says that Greyback bit him because Lupin Sr. had angered him, which suggests that his father was a wizard. I think there's a quote from JKR somewhere that he's a half-blood - so his mother may be a Muggle, or either mother or father may be Muggleborn.

Also, as you mention the legend of Romulus and Remus - there seems to be a trend of names sourced from Ancient Rome - Albus, Lucius, Severus, Cornelius, for example. Perhaps, if that's a trend or a popular option in the wizarding world, it would work an in-universe explanation, even if it's quite the coincidence within the story.

[mirrormere]

Maybe it was foreseen? Or fated. Divination works sometimes.

[wickedwickedboy]

Well my re-reading of the series reestablished Remus as among my favs in the series. My love for werewolves made that a gimme, but his book character was a breath of fresh air while reading. I'd forgotten how dramatic and overblown so many of the characters were. Remus' smooth, calmness took the book to a different place. JKR did an excellent job with his character, imo. Really makes the re-read enjoyable.

[Verena]

1.Your general thoughts on Lupin as a character? How has he grown, changed and matured throughout the books? What are his strengths and weaknesses? What do we know about his relationships to Sirius Black/Fenrir Greyback/Alastor Moody/James Potter/Lily Evans/Peter Pettigrew/Severus Snape/Harry Potter?

Sirius is a good friend, but I think Remus was closer to James and Lily, they were a bit as a family for him.
Greyback: the enemy. He’s the monster who has ruined his life.
Alastor Moody: mutual respect.
Severus Snape: as Remus says: “I neither like nor dislike Severus” ... “We shall never be bosom friends, perhaps; after all that happened between James and Sirius and Severus, there is too much bitterness there “ (Harry Potter and the Half-blood prince – chapter 16 – A very frosty Christmas”).
Peter: the person who ruined his "second" life, destroyed the happiness to have friends, his family (James and Lily).
Harry: I really like the relationship with Harry. I think Harry has loved much Remus, he considers him one of his family, Harry was fond of him before he knew that Remus was one of the best friends of his father. This is important, because Harry approached him spontaneously, without being influenced by "he was a great friend of my father." The same thing happened with Dumbledore, then considering the great importance that has Dumbledore in Harry's life, I think Remus is on the same level. Harry has a lot of respect for Remus, and when they quarrel in DH, I noticed that Harry, though he was right, he felt guilty towards Remus. Remus in that situation was wrong (he wants to abandon his wife and son) but Harry in a way tries to justify him, he blames himself (though he’s right) and he feels remorse. This attitude (Harry who wants to justify wrong actions of someone he loves) Harry had also for his father and for Dumbledore. This means that Harry loves very much Remus. Also, I think Harry reacts in that way with Remus because Harry doesn’t want that Remus risks too much, and not just for Teddy, but also because Harry doesn’t want to lose Remus. In my opinion there was no need of this confrontation to bring them closer, I realized their mutual affection in POA already and I wasn’t surprised when Harry has summoned also Remus with the Resurrection Stone.


2. Lupin is conflicted between his love for Dora and Teddy and the desire to protect them from association with him - does he make the right decision in going back to them? Did he make the right decision marrying her?

Remus made the right decision to go back with them. He married Tonks and had a child with her. Remus had to come back to them. About his choice to marry Tonks, I don’t think it was the right decision. But not because he's a werewolf, but because... I don’t like Remus and Tonks as a couple... as individual characters I like them, but not together. It has nothing to do with the plot, it’s just my personal opinion

3. Why didn’t Lupin try to contact Harry before PoA?

I think because due to his status as a werewolf he was afraid to scare Harry. Remus thought that Harry is not James and the fact that he was James’s son don’t gave him the certainty that Harry, like his father, he would have accepted Remus. Remus is a very sensitive person, I believe that he hasn't approached Harry because he was afraid of damaging him and besides Remus have economic difficulties and so he couldn’t to help Harry and take care of him. I think he kept away from him for not to be a burden for him.

4. What was Lupin’s role in the first war? Did Dumbledore use his special connexions to the werewolves already?

I don't know. I was hoping it would be explained in the books.

5. Did Lupin make the right decision in going to fight at Hogwarts - should he have stayed out of the battle for Teddy's sake?

This is war. Remus was not the only parent to fight, and there were also kids, elderly people, women... I don't think Remus would have stayed out of the battle while all of them were fighting. And he was fighting also for his son.

[asdfasdf17]

It has been said before that Remus's biggest insecurity is being shunned by others (mainly because he is a werewolf). IMO this feeling goes to pretty extreme depths. I was rereading PoA and I was struck by the risk Remus took by not telling Dumbledore Sirius was an animagus. I mean, Sirius had been able to get into the school and the Gryffindor common room and he was supposedly after Harry so by not saying anything Remus put Harry's life at risk! It would have been crucial to tell Dumbledore the truth. I know Remus said he convinced himself that Sirius was using dark magic and battled with himself all year because he didn't want to loose Dumbledore's trust but in regards to the circumstance, it was pretty bad of Remus not to spill the beans. The fact that his fear of disappointing Dumbledore out-weighed his anticipation that Harry could get killed really emphasizes his biggest weakness in character.
Also, since Remus help make the Marauder's map and the map knew many of the secret passage-ways, I was also surprised that he hadn't told Dumbledore about them, in case Sirius was getting into Hogwarts using the secret-passageway. IIRC Harry was relieved to see that the One-Eye Witch passageway was not guarded so apparently no one knew about it. It was irresponsible of Remus not to say anything (well, it was also irresponsible of Harry, Ron, Fred, George... but this is the Remus's thread so we'll ignore them ). But maybe he forgot about the One-Eyed Witch? But if he had forgotten about it a good reminder would be...
the Marauder's Map! He took it away from Harry and could have used it to search out Sirius. We don't have any information to say that he didn't but it doesn't really seem like he did, at least not to me. Than again I believe the map only shows Hogwarts and the grounds but it probably doesn't include the Forbidden Forest (which it seems Sirius might have hung around on occasion) so he might not have seen him. I think he should have brought the map to Dumbledore's attention because it did reveal many of the secret passageways (or did he tell Dumbledore about the map?)
From his actions, Remus doesn't come off as acting very responsible during PoA IMO.

[snapes_witch]

Originally Posted by asdfasdf17

It has been said before that Remus's biggest insecurity is being shunned by others (mainly because he is a werewolf). IMO this feeling goes to pretty extreme depths. I was rereading PoA and I was struck by the risk Remus took by not telling Dumbledore Sirius was an animagus. I mean, Sirius had been able to get into the school and the Gryffindor common room and he was supposedly after Harry so by not saying anything Remus put Harry's life at risk! It would have been crucial to tell Dumbledore the truth. I know Remus said he convinced himself that Sirius was using dark magic and battled with himself all year because he didn't want to loose Dumbledore's trust but in regards to the circumstance, it was pretty bad of Remus not to spill the beans. The fact that his fear of disappointing Dumbledore out-weighed his anticipation that Harry could get killed really emphasizes his biggest weakness in character.
Also, since Remus help make the Marauder's map and the map knew many of the secret passage-ways, I was also surprised that he hadn't told Dumbledore about them, in case Sirius was getting into Hogwarts using the secret-passageway. IIRC Harry was relieved to see that the One-Eye Witch passageway was not guarded so apparently no one knew about it. It was irresponsible of Remus not to say anything (well, it was also irresponsible of Harry, Ron, Fred, George... but this is the Remus's thread so we'll ignore them ). But maybe he forgot about the One-Eyed Witch? But if he had forgotten about it a good reminder would be...
the Marauder's Map! He took it away from Harry and could have used it to search out Sirius. We don't have any information to say that he didn't but it doesn't really seem like he did, at least not to me. Than again I believe the map only shows Hogwarts and the grounds but it probably doesn't include the Forbidden Forest (which it seems Sirius might have hung around on occasion) so he might not have seen him. I think he should have brought the map to Dumbledore's attention because it did reveal many of the secret passageways (or did he tell Dumbledore about the map?)
From his actions, Remus doesn't come off as acting very responsible during PoA IMO.

All that, and the two times (we know of) when Snape had to deliver his wolfsbane personally doesn't seem very responsible to me.

[Verena]

Maybe it's a little off topic... I hope not, but your posts made me think of one thing, that is both Sirius and Remus are irresponsible sometimes (Remus perhaps even more) but Sirius is the only one who is called reckless, while Remus is the thoughtful person. In your examples Remus is very irresponsible. He forgets the Wolfsbane Potion and runs to Harry and his friends, heedless to the fact that he would become more dangerous than a murderess like Sirius was considered at the time. He hides the truth about Sirius, the Marauders, the map, etc... and he knows that Harry's life depends on it. Yet, I noticed that Sirius is much criticized because pushes Harry to organize the Dumbledore’s Army (which on the one hand it could also help to save Harry, as Sirius says “Last year all the evidence was that someone inside Hogwarts was trying to kill you, Harry!” said Sirius impatiently. “This year we know that there’s someone outside Hogwarts who’d like to kill us all, so I think learning to defend yourselves properly is a very good idea!” ... “Well, better expelled and able to defend yourselves than sitting safely in school without a clue,” Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – chapter 17 Educational Decree Number Twenty-four) and everyone seems to forget that what Remus has done is much more wrong.
Sirius is a reckless because he runs to the M.o.M. to save his godson, he is ready to lay down his life for him. Sirius goes to M.o.M. because Harry was in danger, like Remus participates in the battle at Hogwarts. But his son is not in danger, Teddy is away from the battle. Remus, of course, is fighting for him, but not because Teddy is in real danger as Harry to M.o.M.. So why was Sirius reckless, while Remus not? They have acted in the same way or maybe Sirius was more justified than Remus.
Sirius is considered the bad marauder, Remus the good one. Yet in the same situation they have had two different reactions and, in my opinion, Sirius has behaved better than Remus. In DH Remus hits Harry with a spell, because Harry calls him coward. When in OotP Fred accuses Sirius of being a coward, Sirius doesn't raise a hand on Fred, indeed as Harry says, his voice is calm when he turn to Fred (and Sirius should be slightly unbalanced because of Azkaban). And I must say that I greatly admired Sirius in this situation, while I was unpleasantly surprised and disappointed by Remus’s attitude toward Harry.

[Moriath]

I see your point and, from what I remember, there were a lot of good posts pertaining the final battle and Remus' involvement in the Were Lupin and Tonks irresponsible? thread.

It's not just what characters do that makes us readers evaluate them, it's also what other characters say about them. It's pretty much showing vs. telling. I never found Sirius's overly reckless as an adult, though of course one can say that he tended to act on impulse. I agree with you that Remus has had his fair share of irresponsibility. But it seems that more characters put their trust in Remus and I think this influences how we see him.

[wickedwickedboy]

Originally Posted by Moriath

I see your point and, from what I remember, there were a lot of good posts pertaining the final battle and Remus' involvement in the Were Lupin and Tonks irresponsible? thread.

It's not just what characters do that makes us readers evaluate them, it's also what other characters say about them. It's pretty much showing vs. telling. I never found Sirius's overly reckless as an adult, though of course one can say that he tended to act on impulse. I agree with you that Remus has had his fair share of irresponsibility. But it seems that more characters put their trust in Remus and I think this influences how we see him.

That depends on what we think of those 'other characters', lol. I am not sure I'd put too much credence in what Mundungus, Draco or Voldemort had to say about Remus. Although, the books were pretty good at advising which characters could be believed and which were speaking from a negative and/or irrational perspective.

I don't think Remus was supposed to be a goody-two-shoes character. He was supposed to be the best professor at Hogwarts I believe, in terms of the combination of knowing his stuff and how best to teach it and a stellar friend, but otherwise, he was quite normal with good and bad sides, fears and hopes and dreams like everyone else in the book. But he was also supposed to have an irrational weakness as a human regarding his furry little problem. I think we were supposed to sympathise, but also to believe that it was something he should get over because his fears and worries were just holding him back rather than helping.

In a way, it was sad that JKR decided to make alot of his story about that particular struggle. I would have much rather had a werewolf who was proud to be one and yet, with the character of Remus. Like a mixture of Fenrir and Remus, so that we could explore and enjoy the werewolf. But being a huge fan of the wolf, I am probably very biased in that regard.

Still, in moments, we did get some of that (Remus exploring his wolf) and those were the best parts of the story. His relationship with Harry was the main focus though, so in that light, I suppose it was best that he have that overblown fear of himself in order for Harry to help him and increase his "herohood" as the boy who could help everybody except Voldy - as it were.

[FurryDice]

Originally Posted by wickedwickedboy

But he was also supposed to have an irrational weakness as a human regarding his furry little problem. I think we were supposed to sympathise, but also to believe that it was something he should get over because his fears and worries were just holding him back rather than helping.

His fears were not the only thing holding him back. The intolerance of many in the wizarding community (sadly, many among the influential) meant that his condition excluded him from so much of life. It was only because of Dumbledore's willingness to give people chances that he was able to attend Hogwarts. He spent most of his adult life unable to find employment because of his condition.

In a way, it was sad that JKR decided to make alot of his story about that particular struggle. I would have much rather had a werewolf who was proud to be one and yet, with the character of Remus. Like a mixture of Fenrir and Remus, so that we could explore and enjoy the werewolf. But being a huge fan of the wolf, I am probably very biased in that regard.

I think it would have been hard for Remus to be proud of being a werewolf, and embrace it. This was something that was done to him, against his will. It was something that made his life difficult, that exposed him to prejudice. It was something that caused him to suffer - the transformations were painful, and he bit and scratched himself when he was isolated when transformed. For most of his life, he was out of control as a werewolf - he lost his sense of self and was a danger to himself and others when he transformed. The Wolfsbane Potion was a recent discovery, and by then, his feelings on the transformations and the condition itself had established themselves. By then, he had experienced too much hardship because of the condition to be able to enjoy or embrace it.Given the type of werewolves JKR wrote, I think it would be hard to imagine someone like Remus being proud of something that left him out of control and a danger to others once a month.