[HPforGrownups] Re: If you were JKR....

[Herald Talia]

No: HPFGUIDX 26067



On Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:14:11 -0000 fourfuries at aol.com writes:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., heidi.h.tandy.c92 at a... wrote:
> > And you'd planned out seven entire books, where terrorism, random 
> attacks, 
> > mass murders and violence were - not a subplot, not a theme - an 
> overarching 
> > Thing in the background, and then THIS happened - this horrible, 
> > unpredictable, but not unimaginable THING happened - would you 
> consider 
> > changing any plot points that came too close to what really 
> happened? 

> > If you were the writer, what would you do?
And four furies wrote
> 
> If I were a writer as gifted, in terms of vision, as JKR, I do not 
> think I would have much to change.  There is no need either to mimic 
> 
> events nor to avoid comparisons.  Evil exists, both in fantasy and 
> in 
> reality. The challenge for the writer is to avoid facile 
> descriptions 
> that make all Slytherins evil, or all Gryffindors good, just as the 
> challenge in real life is to avoid stereotyping of Muslims, Arabs, 
> and Americans as all one thing or another.  JKR has already factored 
> 
> for these complexities, already given us a glimpse of the subtleties 
> 
> of human motivation that she is prepared to present in her 
> continuing 
> story.  

First of all, let me say that JKR has been writing these books as
terrible tradgedies have been going on in many parts of the world.
Growing up in GB - she clearly had the context of terrorism over there to
utilize. When you are not in the affected part of the world, terrorism
seems remote and surreal. You hear a statistic - 30 people dead in a
bombing - and it kind of rolls over your head. You don't think of 10
teddy bears that will never be hugged again, ten parents who come home to
empty houses. You don't think of 20 children who will never have someone
to call "Mom" or "Dad" again. You don't think of the individuality of
these people - of the lives torn asunder. 
	But when you actually live in the country where terrorism is a threat,
it's different. It affects you. JKR clearly already made her choice. I'm
speaking as an American who has heard about bombings in GB, but also as a
Jew with relatives in Israel. 

<snip>
> 4FR
>now that our innocense has been lost.

Your innocence has been lost, and you're very lucky to have had it. Other
people, in other parts of the world are not so lucky. I'm sure that JKR
realizes that. I for one, hope she doesn't alter one iota of her books.
They are meaningful only if they reflect real suffering, and real
redemption. 
As Heidi said, i think via Dumbledore's voice, JKR can remind the world
of making choices between what is right and what is easy. She can only do
that if she keeps the books "real"
If I was the writer, that's what I'd do. But as the reader, I can't wait
for the next installment. 
I'm with Frances who wrote: 
>, I realizeThis reminds me very much of what Harry said to Fred and
George at the 
>end of GoF when he gives them the money. We do need to find something 
>to help keep us going in the blackest times and one of the things we do 
>have is our imagination and our ability to create stories which people 
>can enjoy and lose themselves in.

The world became a slightly scarier place on Tuesday. We need more art,
more literature, more writing, to help us cope. 
Robyn