Day 05 - Favourite Male Character And Why
In case I’ve been too subtle, my favourite character is Remus John Lupin. Not only am I completely infatuated by his personality and mind, but also by David Thewlis’ portrayal of him in the films. Remus is completely unselfish and loving, he puts the needs of others before his at all times, even if it causes both parties pain. The way that he conducts his relationship with Tonks is at times filled with angst, but you cannot deny the love that he feels for her. He truly believes that regardless of whether Tonks loves him or not, she deserves someone with more money and who is younger. He also does not want her to come into contact with the werewolf side of him; he is terrified of hurting her. As commendable and endearing as this is, it is also immensely frustrating because it is painfully obvious how much Tonks loves him, she doesn’t care that he’s a werewolf, she loves him with every part of her. Remus eventually agrees to give into his feelings for her and they marry, only for their lives to be flipped when she discovers that she is pregnant.
There is an awful confrontation between Harry and Remus during the 7th novel when Remus has left Tonks because he is scared of the repercussions of her pregnancy. He is unsure whether the baby will be affected by his lycanthropy and believes that they will be better off without him. Harry confronts Remus, tells him that he is a coward and is able to bring him to his senses. Remus is blinded by his protective nature, he is so used to people avoiding him that he finds it mind blowing that someone would willingly spend the rest of their life with him. But underneath his lack of self confidence is an incredibly strong and powerful man.
Remus takes on a fathering role to Harry throughout the novels, not only teaching him about his parents, but also becoming a mentor to him and helps him face a personal obstacle. Remus teaches Harry to defeat Dementors, a spell that saves his life countless times throughout the series. The spell he teaches him is
expecto patronum; it produces the patronus charm which takes the form of an animal that is unique to each character. Many of my friends, who are as absorbed in this world as I am and myself know what our patronus would be. A patronus is a symbol of strength and courage, it protects you from the Dementors, and it is essentially a guardian against all things negative. My patronus would be a unicorn, and to as a constant reminder of this, I wear a unicorn charm around my neck. There have been many instances where I have been incredibly scared and found myself muttering “expecto patronum” under my breath. Remus Lupin not only taught Harry to defeat his demons, but he taught me too. A patronus is conjured by focussing on pleasant and positive memories, and it works.
Whenever I need a lift I whisper the incantation and remember special moments. Remus Lupin is my favourite male character not only because he is charming and lovely and endearing, but because he is strong and courageous and self sacrificing. He taught me that you should never judge a book by its cover and that pleasant surprises usually lie beneath the surface. He taught me to be strong when things seemed grim. He taught me to smile and focus on happiness even in the darkest of times. He taught me that everyone deserves love and affection, nobody is immune or below love. Along with other characters, Remus Lupin helped to teach and raise me. His character died too soon, I love him, I truly do. Part of me physically hurt when he died, he means that much to me.
Until next time fellow humans....
