The in Depth Look at Ron Weasley

As readers, the aspect we love most about a story is the development of characters. Through good character development we can come to love or hate them. J.K. Rowling has created a vivid cast to carry the increasingly complex Harry Potter series. There is great depth range in the cast from evil witches to house elves. Rowling does a good job in the transition of the characters thoughts and emotions as they continue to learn and grow throughout their years at Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Granger are just two out of many characters that are important to the story but really do not change throughout the series. Then there are more dynamic characters like Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. All though Harry is the main character, Ron is more your average joe, easily relatable to us. Throughout the series we see how Ron's his family dynamics, friendships with Harry grows, and his ambition to succeed. Ron's family dynamic is that of a close loving family. Ron is the second youngest child out of seven. He has five older brothers and a younger sister; Charlie, Bill, Percy, twins Fred and George, and Ginny. He has a lot of pressure on him with the achievements of his older siblings. He feels insecure having to live up to all of the things his brothers have done. His insecurities are understandable and he does everything in his power to make himself different from his brothers. Like he does not study as much as Percy, he is better behaved that Fred and George. His sister is a year behind him at school and he is very protective of her. Ron comes from a poor family and most of the stuff he owns is hand- me downs. "You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat.' (SS, Ch6) "Mum, you've given me Ginny's new dress," said Ron, holding it out to her. (GoF, ch10) Ron's accomplishments do get recognition. It is common for parents to set high standards for their children. But it seems as though Ron beats himself up in order to live up to the legacy of his brothers and blames himself more than he should if he fails.
The first time we meet Ron is on the train to Hogwarts Academy during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. On the train ride to Hogwarts, Ron and Harry start a bond that develops into a lasting friendship. As a pureblood, Ron is able to provide Harry with practical knowledge that is needed to survive the wizard world. He is a loyal friend who is always there to help, no matter what drama is going on. Ron shows us repeatedly that he is a brave and funny. He is right there by Harry's side when there is a battle. He is also a character that provides good comic relief. During the Goblet of Fire we see the first signs of a major change in Ron. We see a more jealous side of him in dealing with Harry. "Oh Harry, isn't it obvious?" Hermione said despairingly, "He's jealous!" (GoF, Ch18) Ron could possibly feel superior to Harry for the fact that he grew up in the wizard world; whereas Harry has only known the wizard world for a short amount of time. It does say a lot about Ron's character that he does not rub the fact that he knows more about the world into which they were both born in than Harry does. But still Ron shows that he is jealous of Harry's fame and attention. An example is when Fred and George give Harry the Marauder's Map to go to Hogsmeade. At this point there is no grudge held on behalf of Ron. This may be because he had the permission from his parents to go and Harry did not, and he could have appreciated what the twins did so that Harry could have fun with him at Hogsmeade. In the Goblet of Fire, Ron's jealous side comes out in full force. It comes out when Harry's name is chosen out of the cup to compete in the competition. Despite his skill at wizards' chess and his knowledge of his world, Ron is always in the shadow of Harry. And it is obvious that Ron clearly hates that Harry is being recognized for stuff he truly does not understand. Another way to look at his jealous is it's not over Harry's ability, but over the attention Harry is getting. "It's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is...I know you don't ask for it, but Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend and you're really famous, he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you and he puts up with it and never mentions it but I suppose this was just one time too many." (GoF, Ch 18)
Compared to his friends, Ron is a stable, cheerful boy who may show lack of ambition. Some could even say that he is comfortable being in the shadow of his brothers and even in the shadow of Harry Potter. However, one could argue that out of all the characters Ron is the most ambitious of them. For example, his ambition is shown to us when he looks in the Mirror of Erised in the Sorcerer's Stone. The Mirror of Eried showed us that Ron was standing alone, more successful and admired than any of his friends or brothers. His ambition is that to excel and succeed more than his brothers and friends.
Ron is a normal boy who could easily relate to anyone. He does not have talents that stick out and always seems to be overshadowed by clever and more popular brothers and friends. Ron Weasley adds comical relief with his typical boyish charm throughout the series. During the series he is a normal school boy who is obsessed with the lasted trends while striving to be recognized among his siblings and friends. Nevertheless, Ron's character cares greatly for his family, develops a strong friendship with Harry, and never gives up on his ambitions to come out of the shadows.