[HPforGrownups] Harry's goal, Harry's resilience

[Jo Jackson]

No: HPFGUIDX 34615

Dear all

The backbone of a book is supposedly the burning desire of the main 
character.  What exactly is Harry's do you think?  

The latest research on child development tells that the first four years of a 
child's life are the most important.  Harry, of course, has only one year with 
his parents (with whom he is very strongly bonded) before moving to an 
existence where he is shown no love.  The only attention he gets is 
'negative'.  

For children with this type of upbringing some still do well...as long as there 
is some love found somewhere.  Most children with Harry's upbringing do 
not do well at all...no love = no life success.  I speculate that the intensity 
of the bond in those first months of life is what has carried Harry 
through...and he remembers every other bit of positive attention he has 
ever recieved as a child...'you bowed to me in a shop once'.  

Some children with an abusive background however, turn into very special 
people.  The studies that are done on these people talk about the 
extraordinary quality of resilience they have...and resilience is Harry's 
dominant characteristic, IMO.  

These resilient people have tend to be more compassionate and empathic 
than average...and their sense of self-worth often comes from their ability 
to serve others.  But it is developed early, this compassion...I imagine the 
young Harry protecting pets, other small children etc. from Dudley.  These 
people are also optimistic, and tend to believe that they can make a 
difference.  They try not to dwell on the past, but only take the things from 
it that will be useful to their own life journey.  All like Harry?

Anyway, what does Harry want to do?  Is it simply to ensure that no other 
baby loses his parents to Voldemort...that would be my theory I guess.  I 
suppose I'm looking for a life purpose that explains his lack of questions 
about his background.

But I think JKR has done a very realistic portrait of resilience...how it 
develops, and the difference those people make in the world.

Jo Jackson King (whose mother and husband both have Harry levels of 
resilience, for the same kind of reasons....my own childhood was 
unfortunately happy!)