I was thinking the other day about The Half-Blood Prince. More specifically, I was thinking of the scene near the end of the book when the Wesley family gathers around Bill's hospital bed, shocked at the damage Frenrir Greyback has inflicted to Bill's face.
Remember the response Fleur Delacour gives when she feels Molly Weasley is suggesting that the wedding will now be called off?
"What do I care how 'e looks?" Fleur seethes. "I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk!"
How did you respond when you first read this reaction? Did you think Fleur was over-the-top vain about her own beauty? That she was a conceited, self-centered snippet?
No?
Neither did I. And, until recently, I've accepted my non-reaction to this proclamation as being absolutely normal. But is it?
If this were any other person, we would think very little of her and her vanity. But J.K. Rowling has done such a nice job of convincing us first of the magical beauty of the Veela race and second of Fleur's own individual loveliness that we never question Fleur when she makes this declaration. It's not tasteless bragging -- it's the truth, and we accept it as such.
Instead of thinking the worse of her for this statement, we (like the Weasley family) accept it as proof of her deep love for Bill and we admire her for it.
Imagine if any other character had made so outrageous a statement as this? How would we have reacted if, for example, Ginny had proclaimed that it doesn't matter that Harry is not so great looking, wears funny spectacles and is marred by an ugly scar on his forehead since she is so beautiful she makes up for his shortcomings?
I don't think we'd be too impressed, would we?
But, for Fleur, the statements seems natural and appropriate. Interesting.
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