Why Doesn't Harry Ask More Questions?

[Boing]

One of the things that really struck me when I read PS/SS the other day is that Harry doesn't ask a lot of questions about his family. He finds out that his aunt and uncle have been lying to him his whole life and that his parents were wizards, etc. But he doesn't ask any real questions. He finds out that nobody knows what happened the night they were attacked and that Hagrid knew them as he mentions this several times. Each time Hagrid says something about what a good witch and wizard Harry's parents were or how sad it was to see them go, etc., Harry doesn't follow up with an eager, "You knew my parents?! What were they like?!" Or, "What about the rest of my family? What happened to them?" or even just express interest like, "Oh, my mom was good at magic. What types of things could she do?"

I mean, anything. I know JKR can't give away too much information, but she could have at least shown him asking questions. Hagrid could have just said, "I don't know" or something - like at the end when Harry asks Dumbledore why Voldemort wanted to kill Harry in the first place and Dumbledore says he can't answer. At least Harry asked the question . . .

I don't know. Something about it bugs me. He gets that really nice album from Hagrid and he gets all choked up, but he never asks anyone about the pictures in it. Where were they taken? Who else was there? What can anyone tell me about my parents?

We know he is eager to see them because that is what he saw in the Mirror of Erised, but it just irks me that he never really asked questions.

One of the places where it was really evident was when Harry and Hagrid first go to Diagon Alley. Harry is asking about Quidditch and gets sidetracked. The last thing Hagrid says is something about how it doesn't matter how many Muggles were in your family because Lily was such a great witch and "look what she had for a sister." Harry immediately follows this up with "So what IS quidditch anyway?" It just seemed weird to me that Hagrid mentions his mom and he doesn't ask anything about her, but is really eager to know about Quidditch.

I suppose it could just have been to avoid him asking all sorts of questions that JKR didn't want answered at the time, but as I said, he could have tried and gotten rebuffed by Hagrid once and then just let it go, but he didn't even seem to try once.

And, the newness of knowing he is a wizard and trying to find out everything about it could have taken over, but after that initial conversation where Hagrid tells him what happened the night his parents died, he doesn't ask for anymore information when they are casually talking in Diagon Alley.

Any other thoughts on this? Or is it just me? :o

[kashlie]

I had the strangest of thoughts about this, when I was reading your post Boing.
For some reason, I think Dumbledore may have added in his charm a little something to stop Harry asking too many questions, or questions that may have difficult answers.
I was also wondering why he wasn't asking questions, when I certainly was!! I think that my theory is plausible, otherwise Dumbledore would have had to have told Harry a lot sooner about the things he knew.

[Fortescue]

Right from the beginning we learn through Harry that Petunia doesn't allow Harry to ask questions. It's something she has not allowed him to do since he was old enough to have questions. Whether this ploy was to keep Harry from finding out his true identity or just because the entire subject of his parents and magical background made Petunia completely uncomfortable, or both, we don't yet know. The psychological effect of that could carry over to Harry's life away from the Dursley's and be a literary tool for JKR to keep her secrets from Harry and us.

I always wondered why he didn't ask more important questions to Sirius and Lupin about his parents - the two people who knew his parents better than anyone.

[kaz]

I really like that theory Fortescue! I agree- because Harry was discouraged from asking questions in his younger years with the Dursley's it isn't in his nature to ask them now. Even though it is an important subject to him, may be the reason he doesn't ask now. The Dursley's used to squash those sort of questions so he may expect those sort of answers now.

[kashlie]

Hmm, see, I believe the opposite of that - surely he knows he is free to ask questions now? I mean, after Hagrid's display in the hut, he would realise he could ask anything? Of course, he'd know not to even bother asking the Dursley's, but there were so many other people to ask things - even Ron and Hermione seemed to know more about his past than he did. I think he'd feel comfortable asking his best friends questions. Unless of course, there was something stopping him, something more than childhood supression.
Curiosity is a natural behaviour. To suddenly have a year of freedom from his suppressors in my opinion would normally have opened the floodgates, letting out 10 years worth of questions.

[Fortescue]

When Harry was in the boat with Hagrid leaving the hut on the rock, and Hagrid was reading the paper, in Harry's excited thoughts he remembered that you weren't supposed to disturb anyone who was reading the paper - it just wasn't allowed. This was based on his experience with Vernon.

Harry was an abused child - there's no doubt about that. The way he was treated considering how he saw Dudley babied and pampered was a psychological nightmare for a small boy. From his years living in the cupboard under the stairs and his punishment of being locked up in there for days at a time - to food depravation as punishment - and the fact that he wasn't allowed to ask question, regardless of what they were. Even the questions he did ask about everyday things were met with scorn. I can't see how these all couldn't shape his character as he matured even away from that situation. Harry is a sweet kid, although at times his judgment is not what it should be, but then as JKR said, Harry lacks something that most other kids have - parents he can ask for advice and help - he is pretty much on his own and the abuse from the Dursley's helped shape him into the caring and sensitive person he has become, though there are parts of that abuse that will never leave him - asking questions might be one of those things.

[kaz]

Hmm, see, I believe the opposite of that - surely he knows he is free to ask questions now? I mean, after Hagrid's display in the hut, he would realise he could ask anything? Of course, he'd know not to even bother asking the Dursley's, but there were so many other people to ask things - even Ron and Hermione seemed to know more about his past than he did. I think he'd feel comfortable asking his best friends questions. Unless of course, there was something stopping him, something more than childhood supression.
Curiosity is a natural behaviour. To suddenly have a year of freedom from his suppressors in my opinion would normally have opened the floodgates, letting out 10 years worth of questions.

I understand what you are saying- he is now free to ask these questions. They way he has been raised has been very strict and he has been 'trained' to not ask for anything or about anything. That would be hard for him to change over night- or even over the past few years.

He has had people with information release it when they felt the need or the oppertunity has arose and he has seen things (like in the pensive) that have helped him along the way. He has asked a few questions and gotten answers that have confused him and is unsure of how or what to ask next- or received answers that require thought not questions. I hope I am making sense- I don't post often because when I read them later I feel stupid!

[psychgirl83]

I totally agree with Fortescue. Harry had it beaten into him growing up that he shouldn't ask questions and he can't just turn away from that because he's suddenly free. While he *knows* that it is ok for him to ask now, that is still a huge psychological barrier for him to overcome. He may not even conciously realize he's doing it. It's like, when I was a kid, I would get in trouble if I didn't sweep the kitchen floor when I did the dishes. And to this day, I always have to sweep the floor after doing the dishes. Harry was abused and put down and he's getting better now and is able to ask some questions, but it has taken him awhile to get there.

[Hermione]

Harry was an abused child - there's no doubt about that. The way he was treated considering how he saw Dudley babied and pampered was a psychological nightmare for a small boy. From his years living in the cupboard under the stairs and his punishment of being locked up in there for days at a time - to food depravation as punishment - and the fact that he wasn't allowed to ask question, regardless of what they were. Even the questions he did ask about everyday things were met with scorn. I can't see how these all couldn't shape his character as he matured even away from that situation. Harry is a sweet kid, although at times his judgment is not what it should be, but then as JKR said, Harry lacks something that most other kids have - parents he can ask for advice and help - he is pretty much on his own and the abuse from the Dursley's helped shape him into the caring and sensitive person he has become, though there are parts of that abuse that will never leave him - asking questions might be one of those things.

Very true. I agree with Fortescue, Harry was abused growing up. And I agree it has shaped his personality. I also think since he has not been allowed to ask questions about his parents, it does not occur to him to ask questions.

But he certainly has developed a questioning nature. He does investigate things, and join up with Ron and Hermione to do their detective work. He does think things through and notice when there is a peice missing.

This lack of curisotiy seems to only be in term of his parents. Could it be a way to aviod the pain of their absence? Or dealing with the legacy they left behind? I think in the begining Harry was overwhelmed at discovering a whole new, magical world; and this prevented the questions. But now, it's something else.

[Alz]

What suprises me is that Harry never asked the ultimate question - like where is his parent now!
There must have been a final resting place to the Potters - even if it was symbolic - but Harry has never asked that question - and to me that just screams big clue!
We know that we will never see an alive Lily and James - but somewhere out there is the final resting place - be it Godrics Hollow or somewhere else.

So yah - when asking question - or not - there are a lot of them I would ask that Harry never has - it has to be JKR's way of concealing information that would be relevant to the overall mysteries.

[Hermione]

What suprises me is that Harry never asked the ultimate question - like where is his parent now!
There must have been a final resting place to the Potters - even if it was symbolic - but Harry has never asked that question - and to me that just screams big clue!
We know that we will never see an alive Lily and James - but somewhere out there is the final resting place - be it Godrics Hollow or somewhere else.


I can't believe I have never thought of it either, where are Lily and James now? What is the condition of Godric's Hollow right now?

[Fortescue]

When I think about Harry's lack of asking the important questions, my first thought is Dobby. Dobby is a free house-elf but still can't bring himself to disclose all the secrets of his prior master, and still feels the need to punish himself. Harry is away from the Dursley's most of the year, yet still doesn't ask a lot of questions of the people who have the answer -- it all goes back to that part of the abuse that he endured during his formative years that shaped who he is now. I think he turned out great, considering --- but maybe if he had been pampered like Dudley he wouldn't be the well-formed young man he is now.

That also reminds me of Dumbledore's comment when he left Harry on the Dursley's doorstep. McGonagall asked why they had to leave him with the Muggles and that everyone in their world would know his name, and Dumbledore's response was - that would be enough to turn any boys head. Also in OotP, Dumbledore tells Harry he knew he was condemning him to ten dark years leaving him at the Dursley's, but maybe in Dumbledore's eyes, or as part of his plan, what Harry had to go through at the hands of the Dursley's has shaped him into who he is and is worth it considering the end product - a kind and caring young man, who is not a spoiled little prince. Since Harry's been in the wizarding world now for almost six years, maybe some of the backlash from the abuse is wearing off and his lack of questions will end and we all will get the answers :rolleyes:

[Kingsley]

I think it is also the issue of comfort and timing
Harry asked Hagrid about Voldemort and his parents death as soon as he found out

I think Dobby is a bit annoying to Harry and Harry thinks of asking any questions to him

[Hermione]

I think Dobby is a bit annoying to Harry and Harry thinks of asking any questions to him

Yeah, but Harry did ask Dobby questions when he needed answers. This is evident in CoS and GoF.

[Tonks]

Well, I definitely thought first off when i saw this thread that Harry has been brought up so long to not ask questions that he probably just subconsciously does not ask them.. he's not used to asking so many questions - so it's nice to see that i think along the same lines as a lot of you - :)

I think somewhat of the same thing applies to why Harry didn't ask Hagrid about his mother. He grew up learning not to talk about his parents as well, really, and just that day - Harry learned that they didn't die in a car crash but instead "got themselves blown up"!! That's a lot for one person to take in in one day, especially growing up thinking they died in an accident and then all of a sudden hearing that they really got murdered .. It's just a lot to process and I sort of think Harry might want to think about that all before he talked about it to anyone.. and thats why he changed the subject back to Quidditch. Also, we really do see that he never exactly completely opens up to anyone about his parents - he probably talks to Sirius and Lupin about them the most .. he doesn't even really tell Ron and Hermione all that much i guess..

Overall, I think Harry is more of the type who keeps everything bottled up inside and likes to think and rethink everything before he comes to a conclusion about anything. He likes to know as much as he can, but sometimes he is reluctant to ask because it might become awkward or he might even hear something he doesn't want to hear..

[Boing]

I like the idea that perhaps he was so conditioned to not talk about them that he doesn't think to in the beginning. I suppose it could be because of his psychological abuse that he underwent as a child. He doesn't seem to mind asking about anything in the wizarding world, though, so it's not just a matter of not asking questions - it would have to be specifically not asking questions about his parents. He asks Hagrid lots of questions and Ron as well when they first meet.