HP morally questionable? Discuss...

[eggplant107 at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 17073

Rebecca wrote:

>Is it true that "in each of the stories" evil would not be    
>defeated >unless Harry broke school rules

Certainly, and a good moral lesson it teaches too, don't just blindly 
follow orders. Far, far, more evil in the world had been cause by 
people following orders than by people disobeying orders. Think for 
yourself!  

>Or told lies?

"Harry, I'm the warden at Askaban, do you know where Sirius Black is?"
The only moral answer to this question is "no". You don't have a 
right to know everything I know and for some questions silence is the 
equivalent to an answer so I'm fully justified in telling lies. Ask 
me no questions and I'll tell you no loes.

>2. Does Dumbledore really "overlook Harry's misconduct,"

What misconduct? 

 








--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Morag Traynor" <moragt at h...> wrote:
> Rebecca wrote:
> 
> >1.  Is it true that "in each of the stories" evil would not be 
defeated
> >unless Harry broke school rules and/or told lies?
> >
> >2.  Does Dumbledore really "overlook Harry's misconduct," as 
charged?
> >
> >My personal response would be "no" to both questions.
> 
> 1.  I can't think that Harry broke any school rules to defeat V in 
GoF, 
> unless you count the blatant cheating, encouraged by authority 
figures, 
> throughout the tournament.  But that was not directly connected 
with V, and 
> was part of the increasing moral complexity of Harry's world.
> 
> 2.  Dumbledore knows what to overlook and when.  For instance, I 
think he 
> knows perfectly well that some of the Slytherins are not joining in 
the 
> toast to Cedric Diggory in the leaving feast, but also knows this 
is not the 
> time for a confrontation.
> 
> My personal response to the points raised in the article is "so 
what?"  Show 
> me a classic of children's (or any other) literature where our hero 
or 
> heroine wins out by trusting adults to make all the decisions, 
strict 
> adherence to rules and regulations and never, ever conceals 
anything and 
> I'll show you a *very* dull book.
> 
> Even Little Women (one of the preachiest books ever written - and 
still 
> actually read) contains this immortal exchange:
> Amy: I hate unladylike behaviour.
> Jo: And I hate affected, niminy-piminy chits!
> Way to go, Jo.
> 
> 
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