**Due to recent misinterpretations of some one post
from this blog, a disclaimer is now apparently necessary. If this is your first visit to The
Scratched Camera, please read the introductory post and discover, for yourself, that every typed word that
follows is unabashedly my opinion and mine alone. In said introductory post, which,
shockingly, I did not simply type up for my own good health, I state that we
all read events and characters with our own baggage in mind; no one observes
with a perfectly clear lens—hence the
name The Scratched Camera.
Therefore, it is completely your will to disagree with any material that
follows, just as it is my will to agree and advocate for what is mine.** ~End, irritating obligatory disclaimer~
Luna Lovegood—I Wish I Was Just as Sane as She is
Luna
Lovegood has the equally exquisite and exclusive ability to care very little
for the opinions of those who surround her. It was this quality that originally drew me towards her
character upon my original read through of Order
of the Phoenix. At the time,
my teenage self was knee-deep in a not-so temporary rebellious turn and,
as such, found much to relate to in Luna Lovegood.
Luna
has a deep sense of fearlessness, which allows her to push through mockery,
unafraid to speak her mind, even if that means being made fun of at the hands
of her peers. At fifteen or
sixteen, I felt similarly to Luna—a bit of an outcast who occasionally said
weird, nerdy things that no one else seemed to understand—and, prior to my
introduction to Lovegood, felt very alone in my sentiments. It is very uncommon to find someone who
genuinely does not care about what other people have to say; to discover a
character that shared this philosophy with me was a breath of fresh air. Not to mention, someone with her
predisposition towards Chucks.
At
fifteen, I saw Luna and thought I had her instantly figured out. I saw her disregard for the opinions of
others, honed in on it, and made the mistake of thinking that was the essence
of her character. While this is a
very important aspect of what makes Luna unique, it is only the tip of her
iceberg.
Rowling
has described Luna as a sort of “anti-Hermione.” Hearing this in my teens while reading the fifth book, I
rejoiced. At the time, I still intensely
disliked Granger, seeing her as too stuck in her own ways. Rowling’s declaration that Luna was
designed to be a sort of opposite to Hermione confirmed that I had even more in
common with the character than I had originally thought.
Shockingly,
at the meager age of fifteen I wasn’t nearly as analytical as I am today. I read Granger and saw a character with
brilliant shining intelligence and who sought to make sure everyone knew they
were inferior to her. Luna
represented a different sort of intelligence, one that was far more attainable,
and one that she didn’t feel the need to force upon everyone else. In short, in the terms of this blog, I
found Luna distinctly more relatable than Granger.
The
above statement probably sounds preposterous when you think on the likes of
Nargles and such. Yes, she said
some very strange things, but she never once feared the response she would
receive. She knew others laughed
at her, but she had the courage to stick to her principles, and that alone made
her happy enough to disregard any chortling she may suffer in return. Her secure indifference served as an
inspiration to me.
There
was, of course, an aspect to Luna’s anti-Hermione attributes that I completely
missed in my teens. Luna makes her
decisions and evaluations based solely on faith. This makes her an eternal optimist, in stark contrast to
Granger’s drastic realist tendencies.
Part
of me suspects I refused to see this blind optimism on the part of Lovegood,
purely on the account that it would serve as a severe disconnect between Luna
and myself. I have never, and will
never, be described as an optimist, not by myself nor by anyone who even
remotely knows me.
While
this realization certainly places me in the Hermione side of the column, (a
fact I rejoice at now, although fifteen-year-old me would probably clutch
dramatically at her chest if she knew I said that) it is undeniably one of
my favorite things about Luna. She
would believe anything someone would tell her, just on the principle that she wants to believe. Give her a cause to fight for, and
she’ll join it whole-heartedly.
While I believe her support of Harry on the matter of Voldemort’s return
after the debacle in Goblet of Fire is
partially out of her loyalty to Harry, she also firmly wants to believe in things, particularly
something that appears to be a bit of an underdog.
This
faith combined with her fierce sense of loyalty to Harry once he shows her
appreciation, as opposed to the typical ridicule she is subjected to, results
in a character who will—and eventually does—follow
Harry into battle. Every
opportunity he presents, she jumps at.
She joins Dumbledore’s Army right away, needing next to no proof from
him to sign her name on the list.
Luna follows Harry to the Department of Mysteries, despite the fact that
there is a very immanent sense of danger.
Finally, she is one of three or four who respond to the call of the D.
A. coins to join the Battle at Hogwarts, fighting on the front lines right next
to Potter to protect her home.
Luna
doesn’t possess much in the tally of friends or possessions. Her shoes frequently get stolen, along
with several of her other valuable—not to mention necessary—possessions.
She does, despite appearances and an apparently perpetual look of
bewilderment, possess an keen intelligence, enough to solve the riddle required
to enter Ravenclaw common room, a puzzle that puzzled me to no end, indicating
to me that, were I sorted into Ravenclaw, I’d never get to sleep in my own bed.
But
the issue of friends is what I wish
to focus on. Prior to her
introduction to us in Order of the
Phoenix, we don’t know of many friends she had. Ginny apparently talked to her on occasion, as they were in
the same year. Ron knew enough to
tactlessly throw out her nickname—“Loony Lovegood,” honestly, couldn’t they at least be a little more
creative? However, once Harry
in a sense adopts her, things are just never the same.
Harry, much like several other
protagonists, has a way of inspiring loyalty in those who surround him. Luna is, by nature, loyal; but she
holds a particular sense of loyalty
to Harry, for being the first to welcome her with open arms. The Gryffindors who follow Harry into
the Department of Mysteries and the Battle of Hogwarts are, of course, loyal—it
is, after all, in the description of their house.
Fealty
is not an assumed trait in Ravenclaws.
In fact, they’ve been shown to be quite faithless when the logic doesn’t
add up for them. This being said,
as soon as Luna showed her potential to stay true to Harry, the Gryffindors immediately
accepted her as one of their own.
Ron may still part the occasional questioning glances her way whenever
she spouts some of her father’s discoveries, but he, and all the other
Gryffindors, consider her their friend from early fifth year onward.
The
feeling was mutual. When we see
her bedroom in the seventh book, I very nearly cried. On her walls, she has painted depictions of Harry, Hermione,
Ginny, Neville and Ron, linked together with the word friends written repeatedly.
It wasn’t until this point that I realized truly just how lonely she had
been prior to her introduction into the Trio’s close circle. While I have no doubt that she drew a
sense of contentedness from her willingness to stand by her principles and her
ability to disregard the hurtful comments of others, she was still, as we all
are, seeking some form of an acceptance.
Unlike most others, however, she
simply was not willing to compromise her own sense of self in order to receive
a favorable reception at the hands of her peers. This provides Luna with a unique sense of self-motivation
that is nothing but admirable. But,
who knows, perhaps it wasn’t her doing at all. Perhaps, we should blame it on the Nargles.
From
Bella to Katniss: Is Luna
a good role model? Luna does not
follow logic as strictly as some of her fellow housemates may, but she does
actively seek new knowledge—the very
trait, which I suspect won her a spot in Ravenclaw to begin with. This gives Luna a sense of
open-mindedness we could all—Granger included—learn from. However, sometimes, in the course of
these discoveries, she can mutter some pretty drastically insane statements,
that inherently seem to lack any sense of logic. Regardless, whatever we may think, Luna will, of course,
stick to her beliefs, particularly in the matter of beings and objects that
seem physically impossible to exist.
With this comes a strong sense of faith and loyalty—to her principles,
to her father and, of course, to her friends—an aptitude for allegiance that
is, at times, more advanced than those sorted into Gryffindor (Seamus,
anyone?). Loyalty like this
isn’t seen very often, a fact which particularly pains me, as I am certainly a
Lovegood in terms of my sincerity.
However, the rarity of it does display her as a very satisfactory role
model. It should also be noted
that Lovegood has an adamant loyalty to herself—refusing to compromise her
personality for the sake of pleasing others. She is, at her very core, true to herself; with Luna there
is no mixed pretenses—what you see is what you get. This, too, is an exceptional trait that a lot of teenage
girls could use in their lives.
Finally, Luna is also adept at toeing a distinctly blurry line—unafraid
to speak her mind, but never necessarily rude. In fact, she often alleviates situations of their potential abrasiveness;
for instance, her releasing Harry from speaking to her father due to her
immediate ability to read his engagement towards other topics of thought. Loony Luna may be a bit out of reach
for reality, but I can think of far worse examples to set.
Role Model Rating:
7/10
From Lorelai to Wonder Woman: Is Luna relatable?
She’s acutely intelligent, if in a more indirect—and, therefore,
slightly more attainable—way than Granger. For instance, Luna was able to recognize Harry immediately
upon seeing his Polyjuiced self at the wedding of Bill and Fleur, based purely
on his familiar facial expression. While her intelligence and loyalty certainly
serve her well as a role model, her odd expressions and beliefs work against
her in this category. I’m also not
sure many people possess the faith that Luna is capable of. While I’m sure the majority of people
are far more optimistic than I am, I remain uncertain as to whether they could
retain the level Luna is capable of.
It seems to me that, were Luna a Muggle, she would be something along
the lines of a UFO-seeker, always believing in things that are just on the
outside of society’s norms and, therefore, just outside of the general
population’s relatability possibilities—although, certainly not out of mine. While I adore this trait and believe it makes her a sturdy
role model, I believe it has the potential to hurt her relatability amongst the
superficially based general public.
Relatability Rating:
5/10
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