Sunday, July 02, 2006

Everyone Else Is Talking About It

So I will, too. Will JKR kill off Harry?

Me: Nope. I'm all for a good tragedy and deaths, but I like my endings to have hope. Frankly, I cannot imagine how JKR could kill Harry and have the ending be hopeful. Rather, that would be a "welcome to the real world, kiddies. Life sucks and then you die" ending. I think most kids can figure that out on their own; and I see no reason to rub anyone's nose in how hopeless life can be, if that is how we want to look at it. Me, I'm all for what Oscar Wilde said: We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Killing Harry would take the stars out of the sky.

I'm also wondering, why the fuss about the announcement? The books have said Voldemort is evil and is amassing an army of followers. There will have to be deaths, or there is no reason to fear Voldemort and to fear evil and to fear his followers. Without the threat to life, Voldemort and co. are just snobbish bullies who are best ignored. JKR is just confirming the obvious to adults and giving a heads up to those kids who are too young too realize that yes, people will die, including people you care about.

Many HP fans are young, younger than would normally read the last book. Because they are old enough for Book 1 but not Book 5, or know HP only thru the movies, it seems fair to let these younger kids in on the fact that when someone is the Big Bad, deaths follow.

5 comments:

Brian Farrey said...

I really think, that for all her mysterious comments, the central triad to the series is safe. I also think the Weasleys are all protected by Rowling's love. If she wants to bring about love steeped in tragedy, she'll kill off Fleur at the wedding. And just about anyone on staff at Hogwarts is fair game, I think.

Frankly, I'm a little tired of the hoo and hah over who might die. I have more pressing questions: What's up with Snape? Exactly what happened that night in Godric's Hollow sixteen years ago? I'm starting a list of questions that MUST be answered in the final book or I will be VERY cross and might well burn my entire collection.

Liz B said...

Since I'm convinced there will be a baby at the end of the book, and that JKR isn't quite willing to have Ginny or Hermione go that far, my money is on Fleur living in order so that we can have a baby to show the promise of life and give the family someone to bond over after the Deaths. (Probably Percy; with Mr or Mrs W (but not both) a probable second).

I am all about Snape, and would love a solid prequel(s) about Tom Riddle and James & Co at school and the early days of the fight against Voldemort.

Brian Farrey said...

I really thought the pensieve flashbacks in PHOENIX were all about setting up a prequel about James and Lily's days at Hogwarts. But she swears that after book seven, she's done.

Have you thought that maybe it wasn't Snape who killed Dumbledore? Maybe it was somebody using polyjuice?

Liz B said...

My theory: I totally think that more was going on during that scene. Most likely, what D. had drunk had poisoned him beyond recovery, and D & S were conversing without Harry hearing (because H never did practice that whole hear things people say without speaking stuff), with D telling Snape to kill him to save Draco from doing it, especially since D. was going to die anyway.

Michele said...

The whole hooha over the deaths is basically the result of the British media having nothing more interesting (sarcasm) to talk about... Anyone with half an ounce of intelligence, who's been following the series, would already have known in advanced of that announcement that more major characters are going to die... A Norwegian of my acquaintance claims that the deaths are just a gimmick and not relevant to the plot - which rather took me aback ! I explained about the whole Hero Myth - and how the hero has to lose his mentor(s) so that he will stand on his own two feet, be a man and fight the final battle... Of course, if JKR is sticking with the Hero Myth, Harry needn't expect a long and happy life after offing Voldemort - but I'm hoping she won't stick to the Hero Myth !

It's my own view that Dumbledore and Snape knew the moment would come when S would apparently have to kill D to keep his Unbreakable Vow (and protect Draco) - I expect that's what the conversation was about which Hagrid overheard. Since Dumbledore is an accomplished Legilimens, I doubt Snape could have kept that secret (even assuming he wanted to - which if he's really on the side of the Order of the Phoenix, he wouldn't want to do)