Harry Dying -- childrens' books - Percy

[Bente13 at peoplepc.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25006

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., bbennett at j... wrote:
> > Bente13 at p... 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. 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).>
> 
> Penny wrote: 
> > Sorry -- I couldn't disagree more.  <snip> But, the fact that the 
> protagonist was a child when the series began does not make these 
> books "childrens' books."  
> 
> I won't go into all the reasons why I also disagree that these are 
> childrens' books (there's a thread that's a few months old that is 
> full of my opinions :), but I will say you can't argue that these 
are 
> childrens' book simply because they're about children. Just read 
Lord 
> of the Flies.
> 
> <I personally don't believe that he will die at the end of Book 7, 
> but it's not because I think JKR will keep the tone light because 
> they're just childrens' books.  It's also not because of her 
> statements about not writing more than 7 books.  I just don't have 
> the gut feeling that Harry will die in the end.  :--)
> 
> My opinion that Harry won't die also comes from my gut (a friend 
who 
> is quite well versed in the classics argues that the ending chapter 
> may very well be "The Man Who Died". I tend to put my hands over my 
> ears and hum loudly when she brings this up). But the 'Harry won't 
> die because these are for children' argument doesn't hold up if you 
> remember that lots of people die in lots of books that have been 
> written for children. 
> 
> Penny wrote:
> >I know we've had this debate before, but I'll say again that IMO, 
> Hermione is a far, far better judge of character than Ron.
> 
> Except in the case of Lockhart :). Seriously, though, I agree that 
> Percy is not a bad guy just because he can be difficult sometimes. 
> You can't think a character is destined to fail or to give in to 
> the "dark side" just because of flaws. Sometimes the flaws are the 
> things that make you stronger. 
> 
> B