[HPforGrownups] Re: Kill Harry?

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 24864

Bente13 at peoplepc.com wrote:

> I don't think Harry will die in the books. Partly because I seem to
> remember JKR saying something to that effect once (although I could be
> wrong) but more importantly because it doesn't go along with the tenor
> and theme of the books.

If Harry's death involves self-sacrifice, loyalty, a choice of good over
bad, it certainly *would* go along with the themes of the books. The
tenor has been getting consistently darker, but as far as death is
concerned, there has already been at least one noble death portrayed
prominently (Lily's, probably James' too), with a positive end result
(Harry lived). Also, death as a good guy is preferable to life as a bad
guy--Sirius pretty much says so in the Shrieking Shack. So some
groundwork has already been laid, should she go that way.

> They are childrens books, whether JKR intended them as such when she
> wrote them or not (and I'm sure she did, in one sense of the word at
> least; they're *about* children).
> The fact that they appeal so strongly to adults too, is a fluke and a
> result of good writing, but they're published and written for kids.
> Kids reading these books want and expect Harry to triumph over
> evil/Voldemort, not to die fighting him, even if Voldemort dies, too.
> Where's the triumph in that? As adults, we can rationalize that
> sometimes such a sacrifice is necessary (as indeed does Harry), but in
> a child's mind, having him actually die is cheating. It would violate
> the first rule of writing: give the reader the payoff. If Harry isn't
> left standing at the end, so to speak, I for one will feel that the
> whole series has been for naught.

JKR has made it clear that she's a bit troubled about smaller children
reading these (having them read to them), because some of the imagery is
frightening. But I think that JKR will be true to her vision, no matter
how we choose to classify it. That lots of her readers are children is
known to her and concerns her a bit, but she's not changing her vision
to suit her readership (and more power to her!).

If Harry is left standing at the end of the series, and there is no
moral victory, then yes, the series might feel for naught. But if he is
lying dead and there is a clear moral victory and message, I will mourn
the character and rejoice in the books.

--Amanda


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