Why doesn't Harry have Contacts?

[chocolatefrog99]

Er-perhaps Jo is busy with other things in the book, such as horcruxes? Voldemort?

Also, I think that she keeps them because they are muggle, not wizard? And they define Harry-you know, how he dosen't really care if he fits in or not?

Dunno.

[Traveler1113]

Originally Posted by Wright1771

Not everyone can wear 'contacts'. The thought makes my eyes water...having some foreign object on my eyes...yuk

Hehe I was the same way, until I finally decided to get them because the glasses made my nose oily. Now I wear my contacts all the time!

[YellowRose]

Originally Posted by 7caitlyn7

you got a point...and he would look cuter

There is nothing cuter than a boy with specs.

[mysterious]

Originally Posted by YellowRose

There is nothing cuter than a boy with specs.

Really? *wonders if he needs a spects...*

No seriously the image of Harry Potter is from the unique round glasses, like that of Dumbledore is half-moon. Harry will be still Harry, but Harry Potter will be lost, if you know what I mean.

[Evil_Voldemort]

Hi. Maybe it was J.K.Rowling's unique impression of Harry, and maybe it was easier for her to give glasses to the character, then you give contact lenses.

[scd]

I doubt that the Dursleys would take the time to go get Harry contacts, they don't even give him propor clothes.

[Rhea7]

Because that's how JK pictured him.... and to frame those beautiful, wodnerful, entrancing green eyes that are so important for reasons i can't exactly figure out.

[Lillbet]

Good question. JKR created a hero who is mercifully unconcerned with his own looks- Hermione has to tell him that he's gotten cute, remember?

I bet if they got in the way during Quidditch she would have had him wear contacts, but then no spiffy goggles. What a loss that would be

[taupimu]

I would think that the first schools Harry attended forced the Dursley's to provide him with glasses so he could function in class. Contacts would have cost more and Harry would never have anything more than the most basic thing to fulfill his needs.

[MadMagic]

The Dursleys certainly wouldn't splurge for contacts for Harry.
Wizards don't really seem to go in much for any sort of Muggle health invention, such as contacts. Molly was scandalized enough by the idea of stitches!
I think really the better question is why Wizards don't have spell for perfect vision, making the need for either contacts or glasses obsolete. I mean they can regrow bones, surely they should be able to fix poor vision.

I do like the fact that Harry wears glasses though.

[FizzingWhizbee1]

Well he got the glasses sometime he was with the Dursleys...they probably didn't give contacts one thought and Harry is just used to wearing glasses. He probably doesn't care for contacts-his glasses had been with him while growing up and are a part of his image. But it is a good question- I would prefer contacts anyway.

[AL_Patterson]

Exactly. He was with the Dursleys, they wouldn't even pay to get his glasses fixed, let alone buy contacts!

[LordMoldyShorts]

Well, I think they're there to symbolise that, though Harry's gotten older, wiser, and more mature, there's still traces of that little boy with the scotch-taped glasses somewhere in there. Er, this is my try at being deep haha.

[DarkSphynx]

As long as a significant amount of people in the real world are wearing glasses instead of contacts, I don't see that it's out of place or unnecessary. It's just a feature of Harry's appearance that we've come to know and love.

[Lillbet]

If someone else already posted this, then forgive the repost:

According to an article on the site Acccio Quote:

Potter was drawn as a bespectacled hero because Rowling had worn thick glasses as a child and had been frustrated that spectacle-wearers were always the swots but never the heroes.

Good enough for me!

[Grymmditch]

I think there's a few recurring themes here that we all agree on:

1) The Dursleys would not pay for contacts, and certainly not LASIK.
2) JKR wanted HP to have glasses to represent his vulnerability, to show a hero who was the "normal guy", and because she too had them as a child.

All well and good.

But -

We're talking about the wizarding world - I think we really need to ask what's the logical reason Harry must wear glasses from a story consistency standpoint.

One might argue at first that wizards cannot change their genetics, and stuff like Skele-Gro only works because Harry had bones in his arm to begin with.
However, Madame Pomfrey was able to shrink Hermione's teeth down below their original size in GoF, so we know this is not a limitation of magic to alter one's genetically determined appearance.
I've worn glasses - they're a pain, and they'd especially be a pain to Harry when he's trying to fly that broomstick and catch the snitch. One of the first things he'd probably do, logically speaking, is go to "Poppy" and ask for a spell for 20/20 vision. I sure know I would have!!! What if his glasses fall off in the middle of a Quidditch match? Eyesight is important - but especially to a seeker!
Lastly, some guys might look cute in glasses, but most of us don't, or at least, we sure don't feel that we do. They're a terrible hindrance, especially when swimming or any other kind of sports for that matter.
I really wish that JKR had provided a good solid reason - an "out", as it were - as to why Harry didn't get his sight fixed. Something as simple as, "He needed a signed permission form from the Dursleys" would have sufficed !
And then, there's Trelawny.. she'd need an explanation too....

[Blondie118]

Originally Posted by Grymmditch

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3]I think there's a few recurring themes here that we all agree on:

1) The Dursleys would not pay for contacts, and certainly not LASIK.
2) JKR wanted HP to have glasses to represent his vulnerability, to show a hero who was the "normal guy", and because she too had them as a child.

I definitely agree with these notions. I seriously doubt that the Dursleys would ever buy Harry contacts as they dont even buy him proper clothes. Which also leaves me to wonder how Harry would have gotten his glasses in the first place as I believe that the Dursleys would never pay for them. On the contrary, I think that the Durlseys would have loved for Harry to be unable to see properly.

I do agree and believe that Harry's glasses help to develop his character as 'not having it all' and show that he was just another boy. It also shows that he, in a sense, has weaknesses as well. Besides, I dont really see Harry as being that 'high-technical' with his description and the way that he is. Also, I dont believe that it is ever mentioned that wizards even have contacts at all; they might only have glasses.

[all4music]

*sigh* when I was 14 I couldn't get rid of my glasses in favor of contacts fast enough, now at the age of 24 I probably choose to wear my glasses at least as often as my contacts if not more

Like many others have mentioned I don't think the Dursley's would have paid for contacts and I certainly sympathize with Jo wanting to make her hero bespectacled (some of the glasses I had as a child were awful). Also I really think that Harry having glasses helps to emphasize his resemblance to his father.

[anyankasghost]

Originally Posted by Jedi_Girl

I was just wondering why dosen't Harry have Contacts rather than glasses. Why did JKR give him glasses if we have Contacts? Wouldn't Harry have less problems if he did have Contacts?

Maybe the Dursleys don't want to drop extra money and give Harry what he wants (or what we want) plus the fact that the glasses are one of the biggest and most known features that people know Harry by.

[Prof.Blink]

Harry has glasses because those blasted Dursley's wouldn't pay for contacts! Lol. Besides, I think they add to the fact that Harry was a distinctly ordinary, average boy before he became a wizard. He wasn't the most popular boy, he was bullied and lonely. The glasses add to that character. Harry doesn't strike me as the type of boy would be bothered about the way he looks to be honest, and wearing contacts is mostly a vanity thing. (Although, it may have helped him to have contacts in his Quidditch matches, especially the really rainy ones).

I remember reading somewhere that on one of the European Book covers, one of the illustrators drew Harry without his glasses and JKR was not pleased at all. The glasses were subsequently drawn back on afterwards.