For some reason I have never liked Ginny, but I can't pinpoint why. From what I've read on message boards and discussions, there is a lot of dislike for Ginny Weasley. Can someone please explain what it is about her that is so unlikeable? Is it simply because there is no chemistry between her and Harry?
shareShe wasn't really as developed in the books as many of the other characters. People always say that Hermione was a Mary Sue, but that's not really true. Hermione had plenty of character flaws and she was aware of them. Ginny, on the other hand, was just perfect at everything. She did well in her studies (seemingly on her own, she didn't need to work with others like everybody else did), was great at Quidditch (she trained herself to be great, nobody else helped her), apparently was very great at being social (which was a big departure from her character in Chamber of Secrets*), had many admirers, etc... She was just a little too good at a little too much and she never really grew. She was just always awesome at everything (at least after CoS), and she knew it. Nobody was ever able to get one over on Ginny Weasley. That's a Mary Sue if I ever saw one.
*One would think that after spending a year in conversation with an aspect of Lord Voldemort, reopening the Chamber of Secrets, releasing the basilisk, almost killing several people and watching an innocent man get carted off to prison, a person would spend a considerable amount of time coming to terms with what had happened. They'd feel a tinge of guilt (deserved or undeserved) for having had a hand in all of that mess and they'd want to make some kind of atonement, which would never be enough (at least it wouldn't be enough in their own mind). But not Ginny. She just takes the summer off and comes back awesome at everything. Best friends with Hermione, still crushing on the guy who was almost poisoned by the giant snake, treats her brother (who went down to the CoS to help save her as well) with contempt, never acts strange around Hagrid, and never questions whether or not she is really free from what Voldemort did to her. She just shrugs it all off, says to herself, "Not my fault. I was possessed and that should be good enough for everyone else!" and proceeds to succeed at everything she tries. Harry spent years being treated like a pariah because he whispered to a snake one time. Ginny opened the Chamber of Secrets and everybody in the story just treated that like it was a normal Tuesday.
While I have to agree with you that Ginny was too good at too many things and too popular, I don't agree with that she just shrugged her experience from COS off as if there was nothing to it. Next to Harry, she was the one who was the most affected by the Dementors at the Hogwarts Express. And she would never forget how terrible it had been. And I would say that it's only common decency to forgive a person, who did whatever she did while she was freaking possessed by Voldemort.
shareGreat point! I think you nailed it!
shareThe problem with the term Mary Sue is that is has become so over used it has lot all meaning. People stating Hermione is a Mary Sue is ridiculous like you said she has been show to be heavily flawed there's no reason for her to be identified as a Mary sue but because she's a female character that's good at a lot of things she'll be labeled as such.
I hesitate to attach the term to Ginny Weasley even if, yeah, she's closer to the term than Hermione.
Book Hermione is not a mary sue, but movie Hermione is very much so. They kind of removed all of Hermione's bossiness and superior attitude in the later movies.
shareFor me, the question is two fold. In the movies, unfortunately Bonnie just wasn't a very good actress and there was absolutely none of the spark from her book personality or chemistry with Daniel Radcliffe. In the books, she was basically not particularly well developed. The transition from where she was in CoS to how she became in HBP is not really shown in the books. And yes, the Harry and Ginny relationship does come out of the blue. The reason I did not like her was because she was pretty much a brat to Ron. Yes, Ron was overprotective but she was seemingly mean to him regardless of that.
shareShe could be abrasive and I didn't like how scornful she was. But she still had qualities that I admired so I liked her but I can understand why others may not.
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul.
For me, the character just seemed bloodless, without passion.
Earth without art is just "eh."
Well if you never liked her before, why should you try to start now. And plus for most of the movies she was never really a major character. Yes she was seen here and there in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but it was up to JK Rowling to have made Harry and Ginny a couple just like how she did with Ron and Hermione? Now did you think Harry Potter had better chemistry with Hermione Granger?
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