For my character I chose Professor
McGonagall and the scene where she speaks to Albus Dumbledore outside
the Dursley house. Right away the reader can see that Professor
McGonagall is a bit of a stern and serious woman. She wears her hair
in a “tight” bun which could depict her as an all work no play
kind of woman. Another showing of this behavior is seen when
Dumbledore tells her how many parties he had passed on the way there,
causing the professor to “sniff angrily” before giving her
annoyed response. Professor McGonagall's appearance is noted as
“ruffled” and her responses to Dumbledore come off as unhappy and
blunt. Such as when Dumbledore offers her a lemon drop and she
replies, “No thank you” in a cold manner.
The fact alone that she sat on a brick
wall all day as a cat, waiting for Dumbledore suggests she possesses
a high level of persistence. Dumbledore himself goes on to say that
he has never seen a cat sit so stiffly, further showing Professor
McGonagall's discipline. When the conversation gets to the main
point of their meeting, the text reads that Professor McGonagall
fixes a piercing stare on Dumbledore before proceeding with her
question. This was one of many instances where her body language
gives that serious feel to her character.
The fact that the professor didn't
want to believe the rumors about Lily and James Potter being killed
until confirmed by Dumbledore shows how careful she is with picking
sources to believe. I felt like this also shows her respect for
Dumbledore, as a simple head nod from him is enough to convince her
the rumors are true. Overall I believe Professor McGonagall built
her personality in a professional manner and collects knowledge with
her blunt attitude, and her looks she gives could be a way of trying
to force a serious response from people.
Professor McGonagall came to me as a serious woman also. All work and no play was the perfect way to describe her. She did not even say hi to Mr. Dursley when he came up to her. She just sat on that brick wall in a really stiff position like you said. I think you analyzed Professor McGonagall very well. I like the fact that you said she is careful on picking her source. It really shows how serious of a woman she is and how she will not just take information from anyone unless it is proven right. Good job on this!
ReplyDeleteProfessor McGonagall is the type of character that I enjoy reading about. She is a strong, independent woman who is not afraid to make decisions that will better the life of another person while putting her own life in danger. The scene that you are talking about is the start of everything that is important in Harry Potter. I agree that Professor McGonagall is a stern woman who wants things to be done in a timely manner, but I also feel like she acts this way because she truly cares about other people more than she cares about herself. She was willing to sit outside that house for hours and just wait. I believe her source of doing this was not only because of her trust in Dumbledore, but also because she really did care about Lily and James Potter, which in turn made her care even more about Harry and all that he had gone through. She wanted to make sure that he was safe and to get the information that was needed straight from the source rather than going around with all the hype like the rest of the wizarding world. She is strong, patient, and has a very kind heart. That is where I stood when reading that scene.
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