Ronald Bilius Weasley: Character Analysis

[SageThyme]

Welcome to the post-DH discussion of Ronald Bilius Weasley. Previous discussion without spoilers can be found here:Ronald Bilius Weasley: Character Analysis

1. Ron is the sixth of the Weasley children. He has endured the hand me downs of his brothers most of his life (and has not always been pleased about doing so!), has been mercilessly picked on by his brothers Fred and George, and constantly complains about his family's finances; in fact his deepest desire in book one was to emerge from the shadow of his family. What influence have these factors had on the development of Ron? In what ways would Ron be different if his family had been different? If they weren't "blood traitors"? If Ron were once again faced with the Mirror of Erised, would he see the same thing he saw as a first year, or has he grown to accept his family more?

3. Despite the issues Ron at times seems to have with being overshadowed by Harry's fame (most notably the Goblet of Fire fight), when it matters most Ron displays unwavering loyalty and friendship to Harry. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Ron stands between Harry and the then suspected murderer Sirius Black telling him, "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" (PoA 17); he displays the same loyalty in Half Blood Prince when he tells Harry that he will be there on the search for the Horcruxes. How has the loyalty Ron has shown to his friends and family progressed through out the books? When faced with conflicting loyalties (the choice between Percy and Harry in OotP), what factors influence how he chooses his loyalties? Why do you think he left Harry and Hermione in DH? Why do you think he came back?

4. Ron's strategic mind, which we are first introduced to via his dominance in Wizard Chess, has been displayed in many different manners. How has his ability to think strategically helped Harry throughout the series?

5. What did you think of Ron's confrontation with his worst fears when he destroyed the locket horcrux? Do you think this helped him move past them?

6. What do you think Ron's life was like post DH? What careers might he have chosen?

[cgold]

I loved Ron in this book. Deathly Hallows Ron is my favourite. He had many shining moments and many deep moments in the book. I thought it was fantastic. One of my favourite Ron lines was after he punched Malfoy and said "This is the second time we've saved your life you two-faced *******". This was Ron for me in this book: Funny, helpful and definitely a bad-***. I liked it.

His relationship with Hermione bordered on excellent for me.

[TheMagicMongol]

I also loved Ron in DH and thought it was by far the best book for him in a sense. Ron has never been a character I hate, but hes also never been one of my favorites, but after Deathly Hallows I am liking his character more and more. The level of maturity he showed in how he acted towards Hermione was a big development for him. Some people have been getting on his case about it but seeing Ron leave the trio, only to return and destory the locket was great imo. Although I've never been too big of a shipper Hermione and Ron have always been the one couple I rooted for and I loved their kiss scene. My favorite line of the book has to be "Oh it's just me. I'm extremely famous."

[padfootandme]

I was rather shocked when Ron walked out on Harry and Hermione. I thought he was in it until the end. He just got in a bad mood, felt pushed aside, overreacted, and then left! I didn't expect it at all. But I was so pleased when he came back, saved Harry, and destroyed the horcrux.

In the end, when Harry decided to return the Elder Wand but Ron wanted him to keep it, I felt that was rather typical of Ron. He would want the power that would distinguish himself, make him unique. But it was only momentary, fortunatley.

I really love Ron and I'm so happy he made it through the series and ended up living a happy life with Hermione.

[meesha1971]

I am in total agreement with cgold. I just loved Ron in this book and I feel he finally came into his own. He did a lot of great things and was given credit for them - richly deserved.

I had read some spoilers so I knew about the business with the locket Horcrux in advance - not the whole thing, but some details. I approached those chapters with trepidation. But, after reading them, I think everything in the previous books about Ron's insecurities and how he felt overshadowed by his brothers was leading up to that moment. He confronted his greatest emotional fears and conquered them.

I liked the fact that Jo made it clear that the locket Horcrux was having a strong effect on Ron and causing him to behave that way. It made all of them more irritable towards each other, but it affected Ron more strongly because of his existing fears. I also liked the fact that Jo made it clear that Ron realized he was wrong immediately and wanted to go back that same night, but was unable to. When Harry and Hermione were thinking they heard someone, I just knew it was Ron trying to find them.

When Ron came back - I just loved it. It was so dramatic with him jumping into the pool to save Harry and getting Gryffindor's sword. Just amazing. And kudos to Harry for realizing that Ron needed to be the one to destroy the locket. He had earned the right and it was something he needed to face so he could overcome those insecurities once and for all.

I also loved that Ron figured out how to copy saying "open" in Parseltongue so he and Hermione could get into the Chamber of Secrets. That was really cool. And I loved how he wanted Hermione to destroy the cup Horcrux because she hadn't had a turn. That was so cute.

[cgold]

Originally Posted by padfootandme

I was rather shocked when Ron walked out on Harry and Hermione. I thought he was in it until the end. He just got in a bad mood, felt pushed aside, overreacted, and then left! I didn't expect it at all. But I was so pleased when he came back, saved Harry, and destroyed the horcrux.

In the end, when Harry decided to return the Elder Wand but Ron wanted him to keep it, I felt that was rather typical of Ron. He would want the power that would distinguish himself, make him unique. But it was only momentary, fortunatley.

I really love Ron and I'm so happy he made it through the series and ended up living a happy life with Hermione.

Your comment is one of the reasons why although I loved the scenes that came with this storyline, I kinda wished JK hadn't written it. The thing is, he just didn't get in a bad mood and decided to walk away. The locket horcrux was playing with his mind. It was affecting him far greater than the other two and more so because the source of his insecurities were right there. These insecurities were stuff he had deep down inside but the horcrux magnified and amplified them and kept on feeding him images and stories and that's why he eventually stopped talking to Harry and Hermione and eventually got angry and left. What you saw when he returned and saved Harry's life was stuff that was happening to him day in day out while he was wearing the horcrux and that's why he didn't really want it. It was affecting him worse and I think it's also because the thing that was affecting him was also right in front of him. I think the Horcrux was affecting Harry in terms of his feelings about Dumbledore and I figure if Dumbledore were there it would have caused some rift between him and Harry.

Cheers

[UnderPressure]

I had to make my first HP post about the awesome awesomeness that is Ron Weasley. By far my favorite character in the entire series, Ron just captured my heart in the first two movies, and then, after CoS, when I started reading the books in earnest. Deathly Hallows did so very much to develop Ron's character, and demonstrate that, in the trio, he is the spirit. Yes, Hermione is the brains and Harry is the heart, but without Ron, they seem to flounder and flail about. Ron keeps Harry heartened and buoyed and protects and gives emotional support (as well as a challenge!) to Hermione. For the three chapters that Ron was left out of the quest, the text felt laborious, difficult to get through. There were long passages without dialogue, and much repitition of similar scenes. Once Ron returned, destroying the horcrux, the banter between the trio returned, giving Harry the strength to fight onward.

Ron's development in this book was important. Prior to him leaving on page 309 (or thereabouts) he started recognizing his feelings for Hermione, but was still stuck, with great humor, in his adolescent stage. The book, the compliments, the comforting . . . while absolutely sweet and a change from the Ron we saw in the previous books, still showed that he was stuck with one foot in his youthful immaturity, and one foot into adulthood. Once he returned and witnessed the horcrux's power over him and Harry's brotherly feelings toward Hermione, Ron changed almost instantly. He became the man, the hero that Hermione needed him to be. He realized that Harry Potter was the hero of the world, like it or not, but that he was the hero for Hermione, and that was good enough for him. Ron also gained even more courage once he destroyed his own insecurities and demons that he could face Death Eaters with as much power and force as any great wizard.

[cheesecake]

Welcome, UnderPressure!! I really enjoyed reading your first post here. Write some more, eh?

[Densuageo]

Wow, I can't believe the things that awful horcrux-locket said to Ron. That was the hardest part of the book for me to read. Does he really believe that about himself, that he's the least-loved child? Still, the way he managed to stab the locket - and then not even question Harry about Hermione, Harry brought it up - was truly heroic.

[Blast_ended]

I though that Ron stabbing the lockets is perhaps the most powerful bit in the book; when Ron finally stand against his fears. It was so powerful when "harry" said "even your mum admits she'll prefer me as a child" and "hermione" said "what woman will prefer you when the boy who lived is around?" (not exact quotes). And then this terrible kiss... such a strong scene.

[castel]

Yeah, the destruction of the locket was quite symbolic.

Ron fought against his own fears and won.

From this point, as someone said so in this topic, he can really become a man.

A man who knows that he's not the poor bast*rd that i thought he was and who knows that, yes, Hermione can really loves him. ^^

[meesha1971]

Originally Posted by cgold

Your comment is one of the reasons why although I loved the scenes that came with this storyline, I kinda wished JK hadn't written it. The thing is, he just didn't get in a bad mood and decided to walk away. The locket horcrux was playing with his mind. It was affecting him far greater than the other two and more so because the source of his insecurities were right there. These insecurities were stuff he had deep down inside but the horcrux magnified and amplified them and kept on feeding him images and stories and that's why he eventually stopped talking to Harry and Hermione and eventually got angry and left. What you saw when he returned and saved Harry's life was stuff that was happening to him day in day out while he was wearing the horcrux and that's why he didn't really want it. It was affecting him worse and I think it's also because the thing that was affecting him was also right in front of him. I think the Horcrux was affecting Harry in terms of his feelings about Dumbledore and I figure if Dumbledore were there it would have caused some rift between him and Harry.

Cheers

I agree. I thought Hermione explained the dangers of being exposed to the locket for too long very well. It affected each of them terribly. We saw how irritable they each became and how that increased with whoever was wearing the locket. I think you're right about the locket compounding Harry's anger towards Dumbledore. It also caused him to be angry and irritable with Ron and Hermione as well. That particularly stood out when Harry got so angry at Hermione because she couldn't fix his wand. The locket made him irrational, IMO.

But Ron was affected more strongly because of his insecurities and fears. We always knew that Ron's self esteem was extremely low and that made that scene all the more powerful. I really felt that Jo had been leading up to that moment all along. It was heartbreaking to see just how deep Ron's fears ran and it made the moment he destroyed the locket even more poignant for me. That was the moment that Ron became a man. He faced his deepest emotional fears and overcame them.

[Voldemorts8thHorcrux]

Ron has always been one of my favorite characters. His family obviously changed him a lot, but I think he would've still have been Harry's friend if it had been a bit different, like if he didnt have so many hand me downs and those things.

[magical4life]

I truly think that Ron had some of the most noticeable character development in Deathly Hallows. We found out things he had never told anybody, the secrets to his low self esteem. You do realize there is no #2?

1. Ron is the sixth of the Weasley children. He has endured the hand me downs of his brothers most of his life (and has not always been pleased about doing so!), has been mercilessly picked on by his brothers Fred and George, and constantly complains about his family's finances; in fact his deepest desire in book one was to emerge from the shadow of his family. What influence have these factors had on the development of Ron? In what ways would Ron be different if his family had been different? If they weren't "blood traitors"? If Ron were once again faced with the Mirror of Erised, would he see the same thing he saw as a first year, or has he grown to accept his family more?

Ron's family is a HUGE factor of his character. Even though he had to endure all of those downfalls, I think he is the most grateful for having a big family. His biggest cares and concerns lie in the wellbeing of them (include Harry and Hermione as part of the family, too ). If his family had been different, I don't think Ron would be so laid back. Sure we've seen a lot of his arrogant side, but I think Ron would be much more self-centered without his family. He knows when he is in the spotlight and when he should step back to let others have the attention. And when it is his turn to have it, he enjoys every minute of it. I also think that there is no way that the Weasley family could not be blood traitors. They are all too kind and caring for that. I think if Ron again looked into the Mirror of Erised he would see all of his family alive and well with him, including Fred. Bill wouldn't be scarred and George would have an ear. He would be with Hermione and Harry as always. He has experienced pain and loss now and doesn't seem to want to uphold all of the glory anymore.

3. Despite the issues Ron at times seems to have with being overshadowed by Harry's fame (most notably the Goblet of Fire fight), when it matters most Ron displays unwavering loyalty and friendship to Harry. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Ron stands between Harry and the then suspected murderer Sirius Black telling him, "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" (PoA 17); he displays the same loyalty in Half Blood Prince when he tells Harry that he will be there on the search for the Horcruxes. How has the loyalty Ron has shown to his friends and family progressed through out the books? When faced with conflicting loyalties (the choice between Percy and Harry in OotP), what factors influence how he chooses his loyalties? Why do you think he left Harry and Hermione in DH? Why do you think he came back?

Ron has shown unwavering loyalty indeed. I think even from book one he wasn't going to back down. He definitely knows the difference between right and wrong. So, for example with Percy, he does what he feels will be right and doesn't compromise.

Despite what Ron said, I think that his negative feelings toward Harry and Hermione were largely amplified by Voldemort's soul. He seemed to have let it find his worst fears and they overpowered him. They had plenty of time to reflect as they camped out and Ron went a bit overboard with his judgments. I think he also might have felt that he wasn't making a contribution, so what was the point? We all know that Harry is the "Chosen One" and Hermione is the brains. Where does that leave him, just stringing along? He seemed to have caught on to that. It was only after he destroyed the Horcrux that he realized his help was greatly needed.

I think my second favorite chapter was when Ron came back. It was so . . . perfect. And because Ron got the sword, it proved that he was brave and noble like Gryffindor. Then, when he stabbed the locket it was kind of like letting all of his fears fall behind him. Why did he come back? Because where would he be without his only love and his best friend? He couldn't just back down. Once the Horcrux was off he came to his senses a bit. As it says, he knew it was a mistake from the moment he apparated, but he couldn't return.

4. Ron's strategic mind, which we are first introduced to via his dominance in Wizard Chess, has been displayed in many different manners. How has his ability to think strategically helped Harry throughout the series?

He was very good about the planning and execution of the plans. He knew what to do and what to expect, also how to improvise when all goes awry. Never did he just give up and that pushed Harry along with him.

5. What did you think of Ron's confrontation with his worst fears when he destroyed the locket horcrux? Do you think this helped him move past them?

We had already surmised many of Ron's deepest concerns. He was afraid of being cowardly, stupid, careless, etc. We always knew that he feared Hermione wouldn't think he was good enough for her, when that clearly was never the case. His personal doubts seemed to overpower her strong justification that she loved him. That's a big reason why I think that, when he destroyed the locket, he knew he couldn't let his fears hold him back. Some parts I didn't expect. Like where it says he fears his mother loved him the least because she always wanted a girl and he was the youngest boy child. That had never occurred to me before. It sort of made me pity him. He was always striving to prove himself worthy or something. Luckily overcame all that.

6. What do you think Ron's life was like post DH? What careers might he have chosen?

Obviously he got married and had kids, but I think they probably had more money than he grew up with and they live near Harry and Ginny. I think he might have gotten a career in retail or something. I really have no idea, I was looking forward to Jo telling us that one. He could do anything he wanted. Maybe he is an auror with Harry. I like that idea and he already has the experience.

[Rell]

Although I don't exactly dislike Ron, I have never been much of a Ron fan either, and DH did nothing to raise my opinion of him. I think that the locket horcrux just exacerbated thoughts and emotions that Ron already had, and I wasn't pleased when he walked off. However, I was very happy that he had the courage to come back and admit his mistakes, and I loved that he destroyed the horcrux, and I felt that at the same time, he was destroying his doubts about Harry's relationship with Hermione. It was a nice touch that he managed to open up the chamber of secrets as well.

[magical4life]

Originally Posted by meesha1971

I agree. I thought Hermione explained the dangers of being exposed to the locket for too long very well. It affected each of them terribly. We saw how irritable they each became and how that increased with whoever was wearing the locket. I think you're right about the locket compounding Harry's anger towards Dumbledore. It also caused him to be angry and irritable with Ron and Hermione as well. That particularly stood out when Harry got so angry at Hermione because she couldn't fix his wand. The locket made him irrational, IMO.

And Ron described it as effecting his heart, which is where the locket is very near if it is on. It is just like the diary. Once it grabs hold of their inner most secrets it knows just how do get the wearer to do what it says. Harry even got a scar on his chest, I believe. And he acted more like the OotP-Harry while wearing it. I think he was more mad that Hermione broke the wand, rather than that she couldn't fix it. He knows that wands are beyond repair at that stage.

Originally Posted by meesha1971

But Ron was affected more strongly because of his insecurities and fears. We always knew that Ron's self esteem was extremely low and that made that scene all the more powerful. I really felt that Jo had been leading up to that moment all along. It was heartbreaking to see just how deep Ron's fears ran and it made the moment he destroyed the locket even more poignant for me. That was the moment that Ron became a man. He faced his deepest emotional fears and overcame them.

Having confident, popular, successful brothers does nothing to help Ron's self esteem. That is probably why he hadn't told anybody about those particular insecurities, for fear that they would think less of him. He kind of held all of it it until they were all released in one foul swoop. It was because of his courage that he was able to destroy the locket and rid of those burdens.

Originally Posted by Rell

Although I don't exactly dislike Ron, I have never been much of a Ron fan either, and DH did nothing to raise my opinion of him. I think that the locket horcrux just exacerbated thoughts and emotions that Ron already had, and I wasn't pleased when he walked off. However, I was very happy that he had the courage to come back and admit his mistakes, and I loved that he destroyed the horcrux, and I felt that at the same time, he was destroying his doubts about Harry's relationship with Hermione. It was a nice touch that he managed to open up the chamber of secrets as well.

I've always loved Ron, but I have to admit I was really surprised when he left. When he came back I liked him even more than before. His actions removed all doubt of his true feelings. I suppose it was necessary for the whole R/Hr thing to work. It was all put together very well.

[HermyRonnie]

When I read Ron leaving the first time, I really hated it. In fact, I threw the book over and stopped reading it and fumed. I rationalized in my head that Ron had never been unloyal to Harry/Hermione and the one time he and Harry had conflict through the whole series was in regards to Ron feeling Harry lied to him about entering his name in the goblet. So I was angry that she'd written him doing something he'd never done before, regardless of how inferior he felt about himself. But I've read several explanations and comments on the board that have sorta made me see why maybe JKR felt she had to write that in. Maybe for the exact same reason I stated, that Ron had been loyal throughout but also had 7 years of pent up insecurities inside. He was also in a point in his life where his feelings for Hermione are stronger than ever but he doesn't feel worthy of her, his secret fear is that he'll tell Hermione how he feels and she will turn and laugh at how absurd he is and how it's Harry she wants. Ron also probably feels that on the surface, Hermione and Harry are more compatible and Hermione deserves someone more like Harry than himself.

So the locket seen proved essential in Ron facing his deepest fears. Sorta like a reverse Mirror of Erised in the first part where he sees his heart's desire, in the locket he sees his worst fears.

And yes, to whomever wrote about him pulling the sword like a true Gryffindor, that's the first thing I thought when I read it.

Though I don't think I'll ever be completely happy with the abandonment, I can see how it helped in the long run.

[horcrux4]

Originally Posted by UnderPressure

Ron's development in this book was important. Prior to him leaving on page 309 (or thereabouts) he started recognizing his feelings for Hermione, but was still stuck, with great humor, in his adolescent stage. The book, the compliments, the comforting . . . while absolutely sweet and a change from the Ron we saw in the previous books, still showed that he was stuck with one foot in his youthful immaturity, and one foot into adulthood. Once he returned and witnessed the horcrux's power over him and Harry's brotherly feelings toward Hermione, Ron changed almost instantly. He became the man, the hero that Hermione needed him to be. He realized that Harry Potter was the hero of the world, like it or not, but that he was the hero for Hermione, and that was good enough for him. Ron also gained even more courage once he destroyed his own insecurities and demons that he could face Death Eaters with as much power and force as any great wizard.

You took the words right off of my keyboard! I totally agree with all you say.

He becomes a man in this book, but I was delighted that even the new mature Ron kept his sense of humour just the same - I thought he was the star of the epilogue. And he and Neville saw off Fenrir Greyback - excellent!

[Laufa]

I actually don't mind Ron having walked out, looking back. While I was reading, I flipped forward to make sure he'd be back - but yeah I think it's actually quite fitting.

He'd never gotten rid of his demons and as is stated, the horcrux affected him probably because he responded to it (respect for Voldie, etc.). However, I don't think we can just blame the horcrux.

I would much rather have a friend that walked out on me and came back and was so greatly important to me, than someone who was there and just ... meh. Smith never walked out on Harry, not Snitched, but still he's a bit of a **** isn't he? I'd rather have my Ronniekins

Love,
Eyrún

[gyerv59]

i wasn't all that suprised that ron walked out on them. it seemed to be coming and he was the weakest link when it came to stoicism. ron never really had anything physically hard in his life. unlike harry who dealt with years of mistreatment. i was also not suprised when he returned, rons got his faults as do we all but his loyalty to harry has always been second to none. the fact that harry, made not let, ron destroy the locket was an extremely powerful scene. we finally see ron face his demons, after that ron seems to have changed. he doesn't flip out in the tent. he doesn't run from hermiones rage or make snide remarks under his breath. for the first time we see ron take critism like a man. ron finally grows up.