[HPforGrownups] Re: Dumbledore, Gleam & Gandalf

[djtarb at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 24366

In a message dated Thu, 16 Aug 2001  1:38:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time, fourfuries at aol.com writes:

> 
>   One other note.  Dumbledore is similar to Tolkien's wizard, Gandalf 
> The Grey, in several regards.  Both are powerfully magical, 
> storehouses of knowledge, the greatest wizards of their respective 
> generations.  The big differene is that Dumbledore is a much nicer 
> person, who feels for Harry and others, and calculates those feelings 
> into his plans and actions.
> 
>   Gandalf was happy wandering around Middle-Earth hatching and 
> nurturing his many schemes.  In the Hobbit, he left Thorin 
> Oakenshield and company to face the dragon Smaug by themselves, and 
> left Thorin's father to die in the Necromancer's dungeons.  In the 
> trilogy, he was perfectly willing to sacrifice Frodo and Sam if it 
> meant destroying his nemesis.  He was a cold calulating thinker type, 
> who happened to believe in fighting for the good.
> 
>   Dumbledore, on the other hand, was elated by the news that Voldy 
> had used Harry's blood in his rebirthing potion (thus the gleam), but 
> worn out by the fact that IMO it means that Harry is now even more 
> vulnerable to Voldemort's attacks.  In other words, Dumbledore gives 
> a damn about the person, Gandalf (and Barty Crouch sr.) cares about 
> the outcome.  Does the end justtify the menas? Or is there a right 
> way and a wrong way?
> 
Let me weigh in here.  As a long-time Tolkein fan, I've had some interesting discussions with others about the nature and character of Gandalf.  Remember, the Gandalf was not *of* Middle Earth, but had been sent there on some specific missions, and most of those actions were in furtherance of those missions.  Dumbledore is very much *of* the wizarding community and has many more personal ties.  That does not mean, however, that he will not be forced to send friends into danger, perhaps to their deaths, or to abandon others as the tides of the war against Voldemort shift.

As to the issue of Gandalf not caring, he shows over and over that he does care deeply about his friends.  He abandons his confrontation with the Nazgul at the gate of Minas Tirith in order to save Faramir.  And who can believe, reading the passage of his conversation with the Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor, that he was not horrified and almost broken by the thought of Frodo's probable torment?

Yes, he fought on.  Yes, he was willing to sacrifice the lives of his friends.  That, sadly, is what war is about.  Dumbledore will do the same thing, when push comes to shove and, given his history of battling the evil wizards of the 20th century, has probably done so already.

I see them as very similar in character.  I'm looking forward to seeing Dumbledore's personal ethic further revealed as the pressure gets higher.

Diane in PA