Harry: Too Angry, Or Just Angry Enough?

So, I was thinking about some of the comments made in class on Wednesday about how Harry was acting like, for lack of a better word at this point, an asshole to people in this book and that he was acting too angry and it was mostly do to his age.

I disagree; so far, and I'll admit to being slightly behind as I'm just on page 237, Harry hasn't really done anything so rash, even though he feels bad after getting angry, which is normal for a person like him, or me for that mater, a person that doesn't hold grudges very well except against a very select few individuals.

Harry's first outburst was against Ron and Hermione when he first saw them at Black's house. It was justified. They should have never promised to keep their friend in the dark, which was there excuse for not telling harry, ". . . Dumbledore made us promise not to tell you anything . . ." I don't think they could make such a promise and think that they were being good friends; I for one would rather end up in more danger if it meant knowing what the hell was going on in a situation like they were in.

The second time Harry gets angry at them is a minor out burst telling them off for bickering like little five year old kids. Once again, anger at his friends justified. Sure, he relished the shock he might have caused a bit too much for a bit too long, but considering everything else, perfectly understandable.

Harry also is accused of "biting" Hermione and Ron's heads off on a few occasions, but really he's just proclaiming some of his anger around them, not at them.

He also lashes out many times when he is called, directly or indirectly, a liar, understandable as well. Perhaps he could be more tactful when confronting these acusations, but I think at his age, and with what he's been through, Harry is justified in the way he deals with them. I consider being called a liar one of the worst insults, so responding with anger is fine by me. Now, as I don't remember the entire book, some of his actions might be a little rash, a little overdone, but not by as much as some seemed to think on Wednesday.