I have long loved the Harry Potter series. And thankfully, it’s a love that both of my children have absorbed and made their own. Of course I love Hermione and Ron and Harry for their wonderful personalities and growth and just plain awesomeness. But my favorite character (other than my deep appreciation for Snape) is Luna Lovegood.
I’ve been reminded, of late, of why I appreciate her character so much. And despite what my sisters and close friends might think, it’s not just her keen fashion sense. On the one hand, Luna accomplishes what so many of us pretend to achieve. 
As author J.K. Rowling says, Luna actually doesn’t give a damn what others think of her.
But it’s not just that. Not caring about others’ opinions of oneself can create a callous and cruel personality. Luna is truly confident. She doesn’t have to put others down in order to feel better about herself. She does her own thing and just accepts that some, many, even all may not like it or feel comfortable with it. In addition, she is accepting of others.
And that’s where so many of us fall short. I know I do. Sometimes kindness and calm can be seen as weakness. But letting people be doesn’t mean you are a doormat. And letting people be doesn’t mean you accept their cruelty and callousness either. Challenging others to question their own actions is kindness. The character of Neville has this quality as well.
Living by example is more powerful than a lecture or a rant. Asserting yourself in a kind manner is the strongest thing we can do. It’s difficult, and it challenges us to be honest with ourselves and the world. It opens us up to rejection as well as acceptance; both can be incredibly difficult to receive.
Let’s try harder.
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Luna is my favorite character in those books. I like her more than Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
She’s even better in the books than in the films. Although I do like that the film has her rescue Harry after he gets beaten up on the train. That was a nice nod to her resourcefulness.
yeah, better in the books, than the movies.
Nice post! Luna is a favorite of mine too – and for exactly the same reasons you mentioned. It’s not an easy path to walk – I admire Rowling presenting it 🙂
She and Neville are wonderfully strong, even as they seem less so than their counterparts. Thanks for stopping in!
Every time a new book in the series came out, I re-read the entire series from the beginning.
I’ve often caught myself being intolerant. The last time happened at the grocery store. Two ladies were standing at a cross aisle. I couldn’t figure out why one of them wouldn’t just go already and I know I looked impatient and annoyed. Which is when I realized it was a middle-aged woman who was recovering from a stroke and her elderly mother helping her shop. Both of them were ready to drop from exhaustion. It doesn’t matter how polite or nice I was after that, because what’s done can’t be undone. I still feel rotten when I think about it.
Thank you for sharing that. We’ve all been there. And I disagree — it DOES matter if you’re polite or nice after being impolite or un-nice. Think of times someone has been gruff with you on a bad day…wouldn’t it have made all the difference (okay, a small difference) for him/her to just say, “Sorry” or even the used-to-be-ubiquitous “My bad.” Or even just to soften and make small talk?
We have these mini-experiences all day long…driving, walking, shopping, waiting in a doctor’s office. It’s hard to navigate hundreds and thousands of other humans. But we can always keep trying to be better.
(And don’t be fooled, I’m the queen of eye-rolling impatience! I’m always trying to be better…)
I guess that’s part of why life is a path rather than a destination.
That actress did such a good job with Luna in the movies. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t really notice her in the books; but her presence in the movies at key moments made her a force to be reckoned with.
I loved the series. I read the first few books out loud to my kids, and then they became old enough and we all waited for each new book to come out to take turns reading it. Luna never really stood out that much for me, so I really appreciated hearing this perspective on her.
I love this dive into a minor but important character. I so wish to be more like that — unafraid to be myself. At first, I kind of ignored her character, but as the series went on, I found more reasons to appreciate her, until she became one of my favorites, too.
“She does her own thing and just accepts that some, many, even all may not like it or feel comfortable with it. In addition, she is accepting of others. And that’s where so many of us fall short.” This is such a good point. I catch myself being judgy of those who are too judgy, and then I realize all my non-judginess isn’t so non-judgy. Question – do you think it is possible for an actual human being to live the Luna Lovegood ideal?
My alter-ego is Judgy McJudgerson some of the time — I hear you!
And no, I don’t think too many people can ALWAYS be completely accepting of others — we’re always comparing and weighing and so on. But that’s what aspiring is about, I suppose. A never-ending goal to work towards.
It’s a great aspiration, as long as we don’t kick ourselves too hard when we fall short 🙂
A never-ending goal indeed!
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