Wow, this is a great discussion...hm..let me think

With his father not knowing a geat deal about raising children from the sounds of it, he was probably extremly sheltered from other kids his age when he was growing up before Hogwarts, not having many friends his own age, only hanging with his daddy. Though he did learn to appreicate everyone around him, no matter what they were, which is a great lesson to learn young in life.

I think Hagrid was a very shy child. Because his mother left him he didn't know most things, if anything about his gaint heritage so he learned what everyone else learned; that Giants were evil monsters. His schooling life must have been horrible, though I doubt the Headmaster would want everyone to know there's a half-giant at school, but someone could have found out (Tom Riddle) and of course, Hagrid would have beern tormented; no wonder he went to tending to horrible creatures during school, he was looking for something to protect him.

I think Hagrid treats his friends as family because he never really had family growing up or friends and doesn't know how to treat them. He's treating them like his own, nuturing them and watching them grow. He has a lot in common with Harry so feels he has to protect Harry and his friends because he was never really protected as a child and wants to prove he can do it. Since he never married either he's showing everyone he can be a good daddy if the time ever came to be one.

Do you think Hagrid will ever find his one true love and marry her? How about Madam Maxime?