In defense of Tonks

[author_by_night]

Most common complaints:

1.1: "She's a Mary Sue - she has special powers!"

That doesn't necessarily constitute a Mary Sue. First of all, extraordrinary powers are canon; Fleur isn't even 100% human (but you don't hear as many people call her a Sue). As long as she isn't using them to make  even Voldemort a soulful man  who is simply misunderstood, I don't see the problem.

1.2: "She's also related to Sirius!"

Is every wizard and witch supposed to be family memberless? Makes for bad angst more than a good plot if you ask me.

2.1: "Tonks was whining over love..."

In fairness, this one is often debated. I think there's two possibilities: Either JK Rowling is extremely vain and makes Tonks the same way, or, as even Hermione hinted, there was more to it.

And then there's the fact that it is possible she and Remus were in a serious relationship. No, we didn't see them kissing - we hardly ever saw them. And when we did (in about, say, five scenes) they were together in three of those scenes. I'd say that Remus was at least a close friend becoming a love interest. And who wants to be pushed away by their best friend, knowing it's partly because they are spying on a man who uses his Lycanthropy as a weapon? I'd be crying at random and having trouble metamorphing as well.

2.2: "... and she put him on the spot!"

Again, there's no denying it wasn't the right place or time. But Tonks was under a great deal of stress, especially as Remus could've died.  I think it all just came out. Also, notice that when Remus said "let's discuss this later", McGonagall was the one who kept going, not Tonks.

2.3: "Pink hair at a funeral?"

Honestly? I think Dumbledore was looking down from the big Sock-and-Candy Palace in the sky smiling at that. If anything, Tonks did it as a tribute. I might be wrong - and if I am,  I withdraw this argument. But I somehow think Dumbledore would've approved  100%.

3: "Tonks sunk R/S."

No, she didn't. The Veil sunk R/S. And even then, who is to say Remus and Sirius weren't a couple before? That I have no huge arguments against <strike>or my R/S friends would kill me</strike>.

4: "She's too perky."

So? I like perky. True, she overdoes it, but I think that's more of an escape, trying to make things lighter. I think HBP shows that this was not a good defense. The other possibility is that that's just who she is. It doesn't make her vain or possibly dangerous.

5. "Only a twelve year old likes the idea of pink or purple hair."

*Blinks* While I've seen older high school and college aged kids  with pink and purple hair, I have only once seen a pre-teen with a "non-natural" hair color, and I believe it was due to not realizing how hard hair dye is to get out when she sprayed it for Halloween.

Just my two cents! *Whew*

Thoughts are appreciated - even contradictions. This isn't wank, just my thoughts.

Comments

[victorialupin.livejournal.com]

WORD.

Especially on the first two points. I've never gotten why Tonks can be considered a Mary Sue just because she's got special powers and she's related to one of the main characters. I mean, for one thing, the story takes place in a magical world, so how on Earth can special powers be Mary Sue-ish? Secondly, if she didn't have any sort of connection to main characters, there wouldn't really be a reason for her to be there. She's got to be related to someone, whether as a colleague, lover, old friend, cousin, etc. to actually be a part of the story.

I think people really just throw out the term "Mary Sue" every time a female character comes along if the character challenges their beliefs about HP verse, particularly where ships are concerned. And, a lot of the time, it's almost as if readers feel challenged by these characters. Like, someone has developed such a strong attachment towards Remus that she can stand to think of him with a man, but not with a woman because it subconciously threatens her. Or, a reader likes Harry and identifies with Hermione, so when Ginny gets Harry she's "stealing" him from the reader. Seriously, I think fandom projects a lot of RL issues onto the HP characters.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I think fandom projects a lot of RL issues onto the HP characters.

Oh, absolutely. And while that can produce good results (I read an amusing fic mocking the "PC mania"), it can also mean that people forget Tonks isn't necessarily the annoying Cheerleader that drove them nuts in tenth grade.

[fernwithy.livejournal.com]

Like, someone has developed such a strong attachment towards Remus that she can stand to think of him with a man, but not with a woman because it subconciously threatens her.

I don't know if I'd say that... I'd think the man would be more of a threat--another woman could always be displaced, but if he swings the other way, you're shut out forever. So I think it's just a question of liking the two pretty men at the same time. ;)

[sea-of-tethys.livejournal.com]

In fairness, this one is often debated. I think there's two possibilities: Either JK Rowling is extremely vain and makes Tonks the same way, or, as even Hermione hinted, there was more to it.

I don't quite understand this bit?

I totally agree on the hair thing, though.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

What I was saying was - either JK Rowling thinks people fall over like that over crushes (not even boyfriends, crushes), or Tonks and Remus had something going on that was deeper than a crush, and that Sirius's death and the war were also factors. I think the latter is more likely.

[dramaturgy.livejournal.com]

Thanks, well-written. I really like Tonks as a character and it makes me sad when people automatically dismiss her as a 'Sue.

But I somehow think Dumbledore would've approved 100%.

I agree. Even like McGonagall says, Dumbledore would've been happiest to know there was a little bit more love in the world. That's one of my favorite quotes from the book.

5. "Only a twelve year old likes the idea of pink or purple hair."

Bad argument! I tried to make my hair purple this summer, and I just turned twenty in October. (It didn't work, by the way, but I probably should have expected that. I was trying to dye it with Kool-Aid.)

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Even like McGonagall says, Dumbledore would've been happiest to know there was a little bit more love in the world. That's one of my favorite quotes from the book.


Mine too. :)

I tried to make my hair purple this summer, and I just turned twenty in October.

Go you! I'm not daring enough, but I think purple hair is cool.

[story645.livejournal.com]

1.2 Her relation to Sirius is also a good way to just nicely compact a lot of exposition on family in the wizarding world and the Blacks.
2. Hell, even is it was just whining and mopeyness over love, I still think she rocks. Why can't she be mopy ober love? As lots of the sane fen have pointed out, she still manages to do her job and be responsible, so it's not like it affects her too much, and it makes her realistic. Lots and lots of girls get all mopey and iffy on identity cause of boys, even *gasp* cool, strong, kick ass, roxin ones like Tonks. It makes her relatable and approachable and yeah, real.
5. *Raises hand* I'm 18 and I'd dye my hair blue if I wasn't afraid of trying to land an internship or research position with blue hair.

[locked-door998.livejournal.com]

I would die my hair too if I wasn't afraid of getting KIXed out of my school.

On second thought... ;)

[tunxeh.livejournal.com]

[re the confrontation with Remus at Bill's bedside]
Again, there's no denying it wasn't the right place or time.

I'll deny it. It worked, therefore it was the right place and the right time. And, as laverinth points out, the public nature of the scene may have been important in why it worked.

[tunxeh.livejournal.com]

Oops, that was actually a_t_rain. In a Tonks-defense post by laverinth. Sorry for the misattribution.

[fernwithy.livejournal.com]

On the Mary Sue point, I've actually reached a point where I don't even consider the issue worth answering--it's self-evidently stupid. Related to Sirius? The whole point of that was to introduce the fact that all the wizards are related to one another. Harry's probably related to Sirius, too. And special abilities are only Sue-ish if they're abilities that solve all of Harry's problems. Mary Sue takes over the plot and changes the behavior of canon characters. That's what makes her Mary Sue. Tonks does none of that--she barely registers. There is no reason to even bother with such a silly accusation.

And then there's the fact that it is possible she and Remus were in a serious relationship.

I'd say it's probable, given her behavior. The fact that she's deeply depressed suggests that we're not dealing with a minor infatuation or a passing fancy--she's behaving like a woman whose very serious relationship has come unraveled for reasons she doesn't understand, not like a woman who really likes a guy who won't give her the time of day. And Lupin spends the year moping as well--we see him sad and withdrawn, staring into the fire at Christmas, avoiding contact... that's the behavior of someone trying to avoid temptation, not of someone who has no feelings in that direction. And they've talked about marriage hundreds of times over the year, judging by the context of the conversation in the hospital wing. At the very least, they've talked about some very serious relationship issues for a year. That doesn't come from out of nowhere.

As far as Tonks sinking R/S... it's like saying that Ginny sinks the Harry/Draco. It's a popular fan ship--granted, one that I think had more possibility to happen in canon than H/D, but still a product of fan imagination--but it's up to Rowling what the canon ships are. She said that Sirius wasn't married because he didn't have time for a girlfriend, and now she's given Remus a girlfriend; it seems to me that it's just that R/S was never there to be sunk, in terms of canon, and that has nothing to do with Tonks. It appears to just be what was intended about the character. It's not stopping anyone from writing it in fanon.

I've seen plenty of twenty-somethings with pink and purple hair, including a man in a nice tailored shirt with a sharp haircut that just happened to be, well, pink. College kids are well-known for silly hair colors. I hope Tonks outgrows it, but I certainly agree that Dumbledore would have looked on from wherever he was and done a little happy dance.

Here from the Snitch or Hogwarts Today- I forget which

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Oh, I so needed this. I dislike how R/T played out in canon because I think it was some sloppy writing on JKR's part and her whole red herring thing just didn't work (I'd even go as far to say it backfired), but I like Tonks. She's never been a Mary Sue, and I certainly don;t think she's disrespectful to Dumbledore. ::sigh::

And then there's the fact that it is possible she and Remus were in a serious relationship.

This is one I can't believe, though. At the end of OotP, he doesn't even glance her direction when she falls in the DoM, and then at Christmas, he doesn't even know where she is. I'll believe Tonks was in love with him no problem. I'll definitely believe they were close. I can't believe he'd broken down and gotten into a relationship by this point, though. (It's actually one of the flaws I find with that relationship- if JKR wants us to believe it's a relationship, she needed to give us some clue that Remus was interested back, but resisting it. I'll accept that he was based solely on authorial intent, but she really needed to show it better. And the Harry filter doesn't work as an excuse, JKR!)

Honestly? I think Dumbledore was looking down from the big Sock-and-Candy Palace in the sky smiling at that. If anything, Tonks did it as a tribute.

Totally agree. I can understand why people get upset at times. The return of her Metamorph powers indicates that Tonks was made All Better by love. From that angle, I can get annoyed by it. (Although I'm withholding judgment until we see her personality in Book 7. If she's completely back to Book 5 Tonks, I will be annoyed. If she's somewhere in between book 5 and book 6, I will happily accept the idea that life's better, but she's still bothered by other things.

But the loss of powers because of unrequited love thing? Still cheesy as a bottle of Velveeta. :P

The Veil sunk R/S.

Heee. No, the Veil killed Sirius ;) That doesn't sink a ship... it just means that one party in the relationship is dead! :)

Anyway, I enjoyed. Thanks for letting me babble back at you!

Re: Here from the Snitch or Hogwarts Today- I forget which

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Oops. That was so not the icon I intended to use. Sorry about that! :) There we go.

[cats-are-snakes.livejournal.com]

I have never seen Tonks as a Sue. I also find it remarkable that anyone would have the juevos to bitch because J. K. Rowling sank their ship. Gee, is it her universe or what?

Nothing wrong with perky. Not everyone can pull off a constant wank fiesta.

[mafdet.livejournal.com]

*applause* Agreed. I really don't care if people don't want to ship R/T but calling Tonks a Sue, and acting like she's the Yoko Ono of R/S is just plain ridiculous. (Does that make Lily Evans Linda McCartney? Was there a Patti Harrison of MWPP?)

Tonks gets way too much flak from the fandom and, quite frankly, out of all proportion to her importance in the actual story. In a way, while I wish JKR had written more young adult female characters, I can see why she might not want to. Whenever there are young women in a story, they somehow take over the fandom.

[foofbunny.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU. I'm so sick of people complaining that she was anit-feminist in moping about Remus. It's a sad say when women have to be made out of stone to support females. *rolls eyes*

[emzlebub.livejournal.com]

Tonks is a great character and it isn't right that she gets the flak she does...

as for "5. "Only a twelve year old likes the idea of pink or purple hair.""I would like to direct all the people who think this to the left of my name above...that is me at 20 with purple hair.

[secondsilk.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much.

I wore green stockings to my grandad's funeral, and his sister in law was going to wear football colours.

I think Tonks is great, and you'll hopefully let a few more people get on board as well.

[belledewinter.livejournal.com]

Ok, the first thing I have to say? - Well done.

About time someone stated that Tonks was not a Sue. I was one for the total feminist theory (maybe I would have liked R/T more in another way... *in some places*), but to start with she had more problems than Remus (in the middle of a war, anyone!?) and in any case this 'weakness for love' would give her a huge understandable FLAW (- something that, as we all know, a Sue does NOT have!).

I am a S/R shipper to the death. But I refuse to bash Tonks. She got refused a 'million times', and the R/T happens post-veil. So I really don't see where all the bitchin' is coming from, if what you want is to ship R/S. Then again, I have never seen *reasonable people* bashing her. ;) Besides, someone said it before me: saying that Tonks sinks S/R is like saying Ginny sank H/D. xD (That's the quote of the day.)Besides, I ship because it's fun, and when it stops being fun, I won't do it anymore. All these battles and blah blah are driving me up the walls. LOL.

Thank you, and good night. ^^

Tonks

[linda-lupos.livejournal.com]

*Applauds* Well said! You already know my opinion on Tonks, but it doesn't hurt saying it again: you're spot on.

.1: "She's a Mary Sue - she has special powers!"

It's set in the Wizarding World. EVERYBODY has powers! Hermione is a Mary Sue because she's got special powers that nobody in her family has, and she's intelligent and gets top grades, AND she was prettified in GoF.

1.2: "She's also related to Sirius!"

Bellatrix is a Mary Sue! Rich, from an old pureblood family, (used to be) beautiful, powerful magic-wise... AND related to Sirius!

2.1: "Tonks was whining over love..."

... thought Harry. But do we actually SEE her whine about it, I ask you? No, the only time it got even close to it was in the Hospital wing (and even then it was more 'shouting' ;)). There are so many more reasons why she would go 'mopey'.

2.2: "... and she put him on the spot!"

It wasn't very polite to discuss it right then and there, but Remus needed his nose pressed forcefully on the facts, else they'd STILL be discussing their relationship - now for the millionth time. Sometimes it's better to just confront someone with something. And with Remus, nothing helps better than a bit of public humiliation. ;)

2.3: "Pink hair at a funeral?"

Honestly? I think Dumbledore was looking down from the big Sock-and-Candy Palace in the sky smiling at that. If anything, Tonks did it as a tribute. I might be wrong - and if I am, I withdraw this argument. But I somehow think Dumbledore would've approved 100%.

Nothing to add to this. Did anyone notice there was also a giant and a member of the Weird Sister and that Dumbledore's body was wrapped in a purple shroud with stars?? I really don't think he'd fuzz about pink hair. :p

3: "Tonks sunk R/S."

No, she didn't. The Veil sunk R/S. And even then, who is to say Remus and Sirius weren't a couple before? That I have no huge arguments against or my R/S friends would kill me.

Don't worry, I won't kill you. ;) As someone said above, R/S isn't sunk. It's just not possible anymore in the canon. But who knows what happened before? :)

4: "She's too perky."

To quote Harry at the end of GoF: "we can do with a few laughs." We NEED perky characters! There are too few perky characters! I like writing Tonks because she's basically teenage!Sirius without all the jerk-ness. And Remus can use someone perky to cheer him up. :)

5. "Only a twelve year old likes the idea of pink or purple hair."

... I'm 23 and I had pink hair last Friday. I would dye it more often if it wouldn't mean I'd be stuck with pink hair for weeks on end - and pink doesn't really fit my general wardrobe. ;)

[lee-calafalas.livejournal.com]

why do people attack a cool girl like Tonks? seriously!

[brandil.livejournal.com]

I've always thought that Tonks was Rowlings raison d'etre of why all the Pureblood Supremacy was crap. Tonks child of a pureblood and muggle (or was that muggle born?) has a power we don't see in any other character. Just like Harry is supposed to be so powerful, he too is a product of a pureblood and a muggle born. Malfoy, the one we know without a doubt is pureblood, doesn't seem to have any special ability at all. Snape whom we (or at least most) assumed was pureblood is a half blood as well. Not to mention Voldemort -- he is also exceptionally powerful and is a half blood. The most powerful wizard of the age is Dumbledore and his lineage is never mentioned. The Weasley's don't seem to have any special abilities either. Seems like a pretty clear statement that the mingling of the bloodlines is what brings true power.

Of course, I've always thought she used lycanthropy to simulate AiDS in the magical world.

[the-prof.livejournal.com]

You make a good point; most of the really unique characters aren't pureblood. Hagrid is used as plot device even more than Harry, I swear ^_^

Just one thing, though. JKR has said that Ginny being the first girl born to the line in a long time is very significant in terms of power, and she was part of the Slug Club, so she seems to be part of the minority of purebloods who have substantial magical talent of any sort (James and Sirius are the other two that come to mind).

[cl1ffhanger.livejournal.com]

YES. You got it exactly. I ship Remus/Sirius and I still don't understand all the Tonks hate.

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Can I add another? (Sorry, I'm just in a pissed-off mood right now.)

6: She's a borderline incompetent who was obviously only made an Auror because of her special powers.

What. The. Hell? We see her "on the job" on at least five occasions in the books (escorting the kids back to school on the Knight bus, in the DoM battle, rescuing Harry on the Hogwarts Express, patrolling Hogsmeade, and at the Hogwarts battle and its aftermath). On only ONE of these occasions (when Harry tells her Mundungus has been stealing stuff) does she appear to be anything other than serious, professional, and competent, and even then, it could be the case that she's already tailing Mundungus and is anxious to prevent Harry from drawing his attention. (I'm not entirely convinced that this is what JKR intended, but it's at least a possibility.) And the fact that Bellatrix knocks her out in the MoM does not make her "useless." It's Bellatrix. Do these same people think Sirius is useless because Bellatrix killed him?

:: growls ::

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I don't get that one. If anything, you'd actually think her powers might make people doubtful. After all, if she were to go evil, she could easily pretend to "run after" a DE, and then come back as another one. Not good. I know she wouldn't do that, but we know how the MoM is...

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

1.1: "She's a Mary Sue - she has special powers!"

I agree with you--she's not a Sue. Special powers do not a Sue make.

As long as she isn't using them to make even Voldemort a soulful man who is simply misunderstood, I don't see the problem.

Amen. Neither do I.

1.2: "She's also related to Sirius!"

Not an issue. Again, she's not using her blood kinship to warp canonical reality. Besides, I have a soft spot for her mother, Andromeda. Any Black who would buck her entire family to marry a Muggleborn has class.

2.1: "Tonks was whining over love..."

then there's the fact that it is possible she and Remus were in a serious relationship. No, we didn't see them kissing - we hardly ever saw them. And when we did (in about, say, five scenes) they were together in three of those scenes. I'd say that Remus was at least a close friend becoming a love interest.

I think that's a reach, sadly. When Remus introduced her to Harry the year before, he didn't even know that she disliked being called Nymphadora. I never had the impression, prior to the hospital scene, that Remus and Tonks were anything more than colleagues in the Order. I thought they got on all right, but a deep, close friendship? No.

And who wants to be pushed away by their best friend, knowing it's partly because they are spying on a man who uses his Lycanthropy as a weapon?

No one, of course. But the fact that Remus is Tonks's best friend wasn't established, any more than a romantic relationship was.

I don't object to Remus/Tonks. I object to the way that Rowling did it, which was extraordinarily badly.

I suspect that JKR had the relationship so firmly fixed in her mind that she simply didn't bother to write in a great many details. It was perfectly clear to her. I don't think it even occurred to her that readers wouldn't see the relationship. I've made that mistake a couple of times with my own writing. Thank goodness I had sensible beta-readers who pointed out what I was omitting.

2.2: "... and she put him on the spot!"

Again, there's no denying it wasn't the right place or time. But Tonks was under a great deal of stress, especially as Remus could've died.

So could she. So could anyone in that battle. Well, hypothetically. If the DEs had had better aim, anyway. (Remember the Death Eater who couldn't hit Tonks? Or the one who couldn't hit Ginny Weasley?)

2.3: "Pink hair at a funeral?"

It's characteristic of her. That didn't bother me until a number of shippers announced that the pink hair was a sign that Tonks's romance with Remus was going swimmingly now. I was happier when I could just think that she was pulling herself out of her depression to look nice at the funeral.

3: "Tonks sunk R/S."

No, she didn't. *waves the "Remus could be bisexual" banner*

4: "She's too perky."

Actually, I like her when she's being perky.

5. "Only a twelve year old likes the idea of pink or purple hair."

I don't see why. And I think that her pink hair sounds kind of cool.

I think we agree on most things. I just hate the way that Rowling handled Remus/Tonks in HBP, that's all.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a lot of that really wasn't relevant to your post. Ah well.

I still think the fact that Remus and Tonks were always alongside one another hints that they were friends, but I suppose it could go the other way, which is that it was an automatic choice, Remus being Harry's former teacher and Tonks being an Auror.

*Waves the "Remus could be bisexual" banner*

Truthfully, I've found most R/S shippers actually don't hate Tonks over the fact that they think their ship was sunk. (Personally, I'd hate the Veil for taking Sirius away, not Tonks, but that's just me). I'm not exactly a R/S shipper, but it's one of those pairings where I can see the reasoning, and I don't think Tonks made it 100% impossible. (And like I said, if you ship R/S, why can't you have that Remus and Sirius were in a relationship pre-Veil and pre-Tonks? There's tons of potential drama and plot there.)

Sorry if I sort of got on my high horse on your comments, too - I DO realize it's sporking. Heck, I spork all the time, so I'm one to talk.