History JerkassHasAPoint / Literature

*** Nigellus also calls Harry an idiot for [[ItsAllAboutMe acting like he's the only one who gets hurt by Voldemort's actions]], and [[QuitYourWhining tells him to stop wallowing in self-pity because the world does NOT revolve around him]]. Considering how even his closest friends were getting sick of Harry's {{Wangst}}ing, and in the next scene Ginny (who knows what it's like to [[spoiler: be posessed by Voldemort]]) tells him off for [[{{Hypocrite}} locking himself away and then complaining that no one talks to him]], it hammered his point in even more.

** Pensieve memories in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' show that Tom Riddle Sr. was a snobbish young man who looked down on Morfin Gaunt, laughed at a wizard wearing silly clothes in an attempt to fit in with muggles, and abandoned his own newborn son. But the thing is Morfin really ''was'' an insane pariah with criminal tendencies who regularly harassed Muggles and tortured animals. If anything, Tom Riddle was being polite by referring to him as a tramp, especially when his girlfriend was saying worse about the Gaunt's lifestyle. Laughing at the wizard was also understandably justified, as even Harry noted his clothes (which included a one-piece bathing suit over a coat) made him look clownish. And on the last one, he was rightfully furious at Merope for brainwashing him into being her husband and SexSlave (which also subverts DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale). He never chose to have the baby in the first place, was terrified of someone using magic to make him act against his own will, and understandably just wanted to escape the whole nightmare. Both Dumbledore and Harry agreed that Tom Sr. had every right to get the hell away from Merope.

** Mrs. Weasley's great-aunt Muriel is very rude, prejudiced against Muggleborns, and loves to speak ill of and gossip about the recently deceased Dumbledore. When discussing about whether or not his sister Ariana, who died under mysterious circumstances, was a [[MuggleBornOfMages Squib]], she makes the valid point that Squibs are treated horribly by being cast into the shadows. She says that it's not right to treat a member of your family that way and that the best thing for Ariana (who wasn't a Squib) would have been to be sent to a Muggle school.

** In ''The Darkest Hour'', Darkstripe is caught feeding Sorrelkit deathberries by Graystripe, who reports him to Firestar. On being questioned, Darkstripe growls that of course Firestar will always take Graystripe's word. Even Firestar privately [[LampshadeHanging admits to himself]] that it's true. He believes Darkstripe has a point and has to find solid proof to make sure Graystripe wasn't lying or jumping to conclusions.

* In ''Literature/TheCarrier'', Sean is an immature {{Jerkass}}, but he's not wrong when he angrily tells Gaby (who has just announced she's leaving him for Tim) that the real reason she's so obsessed with Tim is because she can't stand to fail at anything and that her determination to save him from going to prison is because she wants to "fix him", not out of genuine love. Even Gaby herself, who is in love with Tim, can't dispute that there is ''some'' truth to this, even if Sean is mostly just lashing out at her for dumping him.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter''

*** In ''Prisoner of Azkaban'', the third years are required to buy a textbook that's enchanted to bite people for Hagrid's course. The students must bind or use other methods to restrain the books. Hagrid assumes that the students would figure out they need to stroke the spine of their monster textbooks books on their own. Malfoy remarks that stroking something that’s aggressively trying to bite you is ''not'' the first thing you think of in that situation.

** The same book introduces Mrs. Weasley’s great-aunt Muriel. Muriel is very rude, prejudiced against Muggleborns, and loves to speak ill of and gossip about the recently deceased Dumbledore. When discussing about whether or not his sister Ariana, who died under mysterious circumstances, was a [[MuggleBornOfMages Squib]], she makes the valid point that Squibs are treated horribly by being cast into the shadows. She says that it’s not right to treat a member of your family that way and that the best thing for Ariana (who wasn’t a Squib) would have been to be sent to a Muggle school.

* In the novel Literature/HeresToYouRachelRobinson, Charles might be an ass to his family and cause a lot of drama when he returns home, but he's not wrong when he points out that the Robinsons are so obsessed with being perfect that they refuse to discuss any actual problems they might be having.

* In the ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'', BigBad Galbatorix reveals that one of his plans is to enforce equality by controlling the use of magic, accomplished by [[spoiler: hijacking the magical language itself so that he is the only one who can use it]]. While Galby is notoriously treacherous and it's heavily implied that this is done only so that he can retain power, it's hard to argue against some level of control in a universe where magic has turned [[OurElvesAreDifferent the elves]] into nearly invincible {{Game Breaker}}s who could decimate the humans, dwarves, and [[OurOrcsAreDifferent urgals]] combined if they felt like it. Even Nasuada, leader of the Varden and one of the biggest enemies of Galbatorix, admits that he might have been right on this one.

* Alice Perrers in ''Literature/{{Katherine}}'' is the King's favourite mistress and a catty GoldDigger, but she's right when she points out that CountryMouse Katherine is gorgeous and the men will notice even if the other women won't, and sure enough Sir Hugh Swynford tries to rape Katherine shortly after this conversation.

* In the third ''Literature/OrigamiYoda'' book, ''Secret of the Fortune Wookiee'', Harvey is a huge {{jerkass}}, but he's right when he calls out Sara over [[spoiler:faking the Fortune Wookiee's predictions so the other kids do what she thinks is best]]. Even after he causes a scene in the library while revealing this (which ends with [[spoiler:the Fortune Wookiee being torn in half]]), Tommy concedes that he has a valid point and goes to confront Sara on it.

* In ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'', Mr. Darcy delivers a haughty and condescending marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennet which spends more time detailing why he ''shouldn't'' propose to her than why he should. After it goes very badly wrong for obvious reasons, Darcy writes Elizabeth a letter that explains his perspective on events in more detail, in particular that her family generally does act in a very embarrassing and socially improper fashion. While still very peeved, Elizabeth is forced to concede that he has a point and that his concerns about being related to them through marriage were not entirely invalid or based on pure snobbery.

* Lord Wyldon, the sexist training master in ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'', makes it clear that he doesn't think Keladry should be training for a knight. He also continually forces her to climb trees and look over high walls when [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes she's cripplingly afraid of heights]] and it often causes her to StressVomit. Kel's friend Neal attributes this to Wyldon's continual efforts to make her leave, but Kel says -- correctly -- that she does ''have'' to overcome her fear and Wyldon is really trying to help her.

* ''Literature/{{Rebecca}}'': Deconstructed by Jack Favell. Near the end of the novel, he accuses [[spoiler:Maxim of murdering Rebecca, and the narrator and Frank of being complicit in the cover-up]], and he's ''absolutely right''. The trouble is, he's such a [[SmugSnake smug]], boorish, condescending {{slimeball}} that no one who could do something about this accusation wants to listen to him, and they're all predisposed to distrust him. He also doesn't [[NotHelpingYourCase help his own case]] much by [[spoiler:trying to blackmail Maxim with the accusation rather than going straight to the authorities]], which makes it look even more like he just made it all up.

%%** The trope is just about the very definition of The One True King Stannis Baratheon. -- Zero-context example

* Literature/TolkiensLegendarium:
** In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', [[InsufferableGenius Fëanor]]'s accusations on the lethargy of Valar and the pig-headedness and reluctance from aiding the Noldor of the Teleri are perfectly valid. Manwë showed indecision and weakness, and inability to protect the Noldor Elves from Morgoth, and they refused to help them to repossess the Silmarils from Morgoth.
** At one point in ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'', Turin and Gwindor get into an argument about whether the city of Nargothrond should go to open war. Gwindor's position, that Nargothrond simply doesn't have the troops or resources to commit to any kind of open conflict with Morgoth and nor does any of its allies, is vindicated when the city is ultimately sacked and burned, and Turin is treated as being consumed by RevengeBeforeReason. However, Turin makes a number of good points in his argument, which even Gwindor admits: that is to say, Morgoth's army is only going to get stronger, and they can't expect to keep the city hidden forever, especially as his reach extends further south. Though Gwindor's position is the safer one, it also doesn't offer any kind of actual endgame besides a vague prophecy that shows no signs of being fulfilled. Additionally, it's easy for Gwindor to say they should just wait things out when he's an elf and therefore immortal--not so much humans, who need to spend the years they get wisely, and for whom the decades of skulking and waiting before the presumable arrival of the Valar could mean an entire lifespan if not longer (when they finally did arrive, it was about fifty years after this conversation).
* ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'': George, Duke of Clarence, may be traitorous and grasping, but he is not wrong about his [[UsefulNotes/EdwardIV brother]]'s marriage being invalid and he being the rightful heir to the throne.

** The same book introduces Mrs. Weasley’s great-aunt Muriel. Muriel is very rude, prejudiced against Muggleborns, and loves to speak ill of and gossip about the recently deceased Dumbledore. When discussing about whether or not his sister Ariana, who died under mysterious circumstances, was a Squib (a Muggle child of Wizards), she makes the valid point that Squibs are treated horribly by being cast into the shadows. She says that it’s not right to treat a member of your family that way and that the best thing for Ariana (who wasn’t a Squib) would have been to be sent to a Muggle school.

* Lord Wyldon, the sexist training master in ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'', makes it clear that he doesn't think Keladry should be training for a knight. He also continually forces her to climb trees and look over high walls when [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes she's cripplingly afraid of heights]] and it often causes her to StressVomit. Kel's friend Neal attributes this to Wyldon's continual efforts to make her leave, but Kel says that she does ''have'' to overcome her fear and Wyldon is really trying to help her.
** Wyldon also does give Kel practical help when her fear of heights overwhelms her. During the scene in First Test where Kel freezes on the wall, Wyldon steers her away from the edge and tells her to focus on his face. At the pages' summer camp, he realizes halfway through Kel's report that she's going to be sick from climbing and excuses her to throw up.

* ''Literature/TheIliad'' includes a scene early on in which a soldier, Thersites, criticizes the cause of the Trojan War and the character of the leaders. Thersites is depicted as physically deformed and verbally vulgar, infamous for his cowardice and insubordination, and yet he correctly points out that the cause of the war is folly and that Agamemnon is abusing his authority even against the other kings. Thersites' reward is to be beaten in the head for his insubordination and be laughed at, which backfires in the following battles.

* ''Literature/TheIliad'' includes a scene early on in which a soldier criticizes the cause of the Trojan War and the character of the leaders. Thersites is depicted as physically deformed and verbally vulgar, and yet he correctly points out that the cause of the war is folly and that Agamemnon is abusing his authority even against the other kings. Thersites' reward is a to be beaten in the head for his insubordination.

* ''Literature/TheIliad'' includes a scene early on in which a soldier criticizes the cause of the Trojan War and the character of the leaders. Thersites is depicted as physically deformed and verbally vulgar, and yet he correctly points out that the cause of the war is folly. Thersites' reward is a to be beaten in the head for his insubordination.

* ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'': George, Duke of Clarence, may be traitorous and grasping, but he is not wrong about his brother's marriage being invalid and he being the rightful heir to the throne.

* ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'': Winding Circle healer Dedicate Crane is absolutely ''brutal'' to his staff in ''Briar's Book'', where he is leading the effort to find a cure for the rapidly spreading, magically-caused plague devastating the city of Summersea. He will fire them for the slightest mistake and insists that absolutely ''everything'' be done perfectly -- no exceptions, no second chances. ''And he is [[ProperlyParanoid absolutely correct]].''

JerkassHasAPoint in {{Literature}}.

** Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane also counts, as he is a pretty big jerk but the majority of what he says about how the lords and knights of the kingdoms take advantage of the weak is pretty accurate. His assessment of his [[PsychoForHire brother]] is both incredibly blunt and distressingly on the mark.

** In the first book, ''Literature/AGameOfThrones'', ''maegi'' Mirri Maz Duur does some rather awful things to Dany without true cause (although some are later exaggerated by Dany -- she did ''not'' kill [[spoiler: Khal Drogo]]) but one act stands out as being pragmatic in a Kingslayer-fashion: [[spoiler: the killing of Dany's unborn child, Rhaego]].
--->'''Mirri Maz Duur:''' "The stallion who mounts the world will burn no cities now. His ''khalasar'' shall trample no nations into dust."
** The trope is just about the very definition of The One True King Stannis Baratheon.

** At one point in ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'', Turin and Gwindor get into an argument about whether the city of Nargothrond should go to open war. Gwindor's position, that Nargothrond simply doesn't have the troops or resources to commit to any kind of open conflict with Morgoth and nor does any of its allies, is vindicated when the city is ultimately sacked and burned, and Turin is treated as being consumed by RevengeBeforeReason. However, Turin makes a number of good points in his argument, which even Gwindor admits: that is to say, Morgoth's army is only going to get stronger, and they can't expect to keep the city hidden forever, especially as his reach extends further south. Though Gwindor's position is the safer one, it also doesn't offer any kind of actual endgame besides a vague prophecy that shows no signs of being fulfilled.