Did anyone say he was?

Perhaps not. It felt a bit like ridicule--again, my own issues.

I can't disagree with your point that he isn't like Samwise. I don't think a class difference explains him. I'm not convinced Hagrid is a magical negro character, though, if that was your "not alien to US characterisations" other point.

We may not be meant to agree on this. I like him, though he isn't remotely a woobie to me.

I'm not convinced Hagrid is a magical negro character, though

I stick by almost -- as pointed out by someone the fact he has no moral lesson to teach irretrievably undercuts that. But he's lower status and pretty clearly polarising in terms of a rallying point. I'm quite clearly Slytherin, because I do no have the appropriate emotional response to him -- but the good guys clearly do.

This is, of course, reasonably true about most of the characters -- Rowling isn't dealing with any characters that complex. I just think it's more basic in the way she's defined reactions to Hagrid.

if that was your "not alien to US characterisations" other point.

Nope. He can be not-alien and not Magical nor Negro -- do you agree with that? I mean, do you see him as an example of something only English lit can do?

When I try to fit him into US mythos, I think of Paul Bunyan or Bigfoot--because of the physical, naturally. But Bunyan accomplished something--his legend had a simple lesson, and Bigfoot of course has none that I can think of, except to be exotic and mysterious.

I can't think of a place in US lit where he would fit, can you? This may be only my own inability to separate him from the story in which I encountered him, so I'd be interested to see where you can place him.

Honestly, the guy that leapt to mind? Jim in Huck Finn. Which sort of emphasizes ita's point.

Any faithful retainer that needs to be rescued by those he works for, really. I can't think of any white ones right now, and I don't want to muddy the waters -- I don't mean magical.

I don't see what's Bunyanesque about him at all, honestly.

Personally, I think that Hagrid kinda-sorta fits into the mold of several of Dickens' supporting characters. Good-hearted, mildly eccentric, a little doltish, not quite fitting with polite society, good for comic relief, and so on. There are quite a few Dickens characters who remind me of Hagrid in one way or another--Mr. Boffin, Polly Toodle, Joe Gargery, Captain Cuttle, and so on.

I think that Hagrid kinda-sorta fits into the mold of several of Dickens' supporting characters.

In an exclusively British way, though?

No, not exclusively British, since that kind of character also appears in Twain (Jim, as was noted). Maybe it's not that Hagrid is particularly British but that he's rooted in the 19th century.

Maybe it's not that Hagrid is particularly British but that he's rooted in the 19th century.

I agree.

Barkis came to my mind. He needs young David Copperfield to do his courting for him. English, though.

This may be a stretch, but what about Klinger in MASH? He isn't very good at his job, he's eccentric, he doesn't fit in, he's less educated than the people around him, and the "good" people accept him as he is.