[HPforGrownups] New question

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 5541


----- Original Message -----
From: "Amanda Lewanski" <editor at texas.net>
To: <HPforGrownups at egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2000 3:05 PM
Subject: [HPforGrownups] New question


> I have a "what's your take" question for everyone, that I'm not sure I'll
word correctly, but here goes. Do these books glorify rule-breaking? By that
I
> mean the attitude that rules are fine unless you need to ignore them, and
you get to decide when that is, and the end justifies the means? Kind of
like my
> dad, who seemed sometimes to believe in rules in theory but not in
practice. It just
> occurred to me that this was a possible interpretation, and as this is the
first possibly negative meta-message I've detected in these books, I
wondered
> what you all thought.


In all things moderation:  JKR certainly makes mock of Percy Weasley, who
adheres to every jot and tittle of the rules, no matter how minor.  His
greatest agony seems to have been when he was found kissing his girlfriend
while on duty.  OTOH, we have Voldemort who (as late Frank Bryce noted)
speaks of cold-blooded murder without remorse, even with amusement. We
certainly love Hermione all the more when she bends the rules now and
again - and who would want her turning into a female version of Percy?

Harry occupies the sensible middle ground (just as most of us do: I'm sure
there are many instances for all of us where we honor certain cherished
principles more in the breech than in the observance).  But it seems to me
that the rules which Harry breaks generally seem pretty arbritrary in
nature - like third-years not being able to visit Hogsmeade without a
permission slip from their parent/guardian, or using magic on summer break -
whereas he adheres admirably to the more exacting demands of morality and
honor.

    - CMC