Abstemiousness with truth - the careful fantasy world of Potter

[tbernhard2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 43403

Responding to Pippin, doffy and Malady, all of whom I thank for their 
posts

Pippin
> The reading works only, if, as in Frankenstein, it is equivocal. If 
> Rowling ever made it unambiguous, then it would be highly 
> unsatisfying aesthetically, as it would be propping up a weak 
> fictional device (information the hero could have used is kept 
> from him by  arbitrary means) with an even weaker one (it was all 
> a dream.)

The response to these books is phenomenal. It was when I asked myself 
why that I was struck by this line of thought regarding what, in 
fact, the canon represents. It's not theory at all, to me. Rather, 
some of the magical devices seem so particularly centred on salvaging 
an apparently hopeless situation - the Time Turner is a really good 
example of this, or Voldemort's convenient arrogance at the end of 
GoF - that they set off alarms in my head.

It's not so much that Rowling should be read as I read her, but that 
she can be read thus, with no difficulty whatsoever. Nor do I think 
the fantasy world reading is the only reading - if it were, and if I 
believed it so, there would be absolutely no attraction to the books 
at all. As it is, the books succeed because, even though it is 
possible that Rowling "means" the magical world is a fantasy world, 
which doesn't in fact have to end at all, for I do not believe it 
will end in a waking up from a dream scene, but will be left 
ambiguous, the attention to detail, the creative energy put into the 
development of character within the books, almost as if they were 
extended character studies like Dickens' works, for example, is our 
test of belief, as readers. Like Potter, we live in a terrifying and 
horrible and dangerous world, which can often lie to us and much of 
which is hidden from us, or forbidden us, and often there's little we 
can do about things, that wouldn't bring great risk to ourselves. 
Like Potter, we have a fantasy world (the Potter books) that explain 
darkness, that provide a situation where our "gut feelings", like the 
scene in the second task to which I referred, are the most important 
thing.

One scene that struck me as, however, relevatory is the 2 Harry part 
of that very Time Turner episode, the most transcendental moment of 
the series so far, bar none. It is through Harry's "imagining" that 
he finds his strength. Rowling seems here to be commenting quite 
directly on what I have described. With all the emotional tingles I 
felt as I read the passages, the alarm bells were not far in the 
distance. And remember, Harry at that point was also surrounded by 
Dementors, by insanity, as it were. I would say that that scene alone 
almost makes the Potter books "equivocal."

>Harry's attempts to penetrate it have yielded absolutely nothing of 
>value as  far as solving the mysteries are concerned.

I wasn't thinking of the books in the restricted section when I 
posted this - rather of what it lead to. My lack of clarity. Sorry.

dobby

>I honestly, don't think this is where JKR is going with the story. I 
>think, in the end, we will be left with questions, but "Did it 
>happen?" "Was it real or fantasy?" won't be the questions.

It's not that kind of fantasy world. There is no waking up. It is 
sustained, magically, like the unexplained ancient magic that 
protects the Dursley house.

Malady

>While I really do not believe JKR is going that direction with the
>books, I do believe it is a viable interpretation. 

It's not a direction, but a level, if you will, a part of the books. 
It doesn't have to end with Harry's end, and probably won't. 

Your post reminded me of one more very significant "convenience" - 
that is, the slamming of the window when Hermione catches Skeeter. 
Now, at that very moment, Harry was being hugged by Molly, and 
remember what he was doing.

darkthirty