Rulebreaking (Official Philip Nel Question #6)

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 38500

The question in Phil's book (_J.K. Rowling's Harry
Potter Novels_) is:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Think
about the individual's relationship to the law -
Hogwart's rules, national wizarding laws,
international wizarding laws - and then think about
those who operate outside of these laws.  Focus in
particular on the characters of Sirius Black, Barty
Crouch, Ludo Bagman, Arthur Weasley, the Weasley
twins, Harry, Ron and Hermione, all of whom either
bend the rules or break the law.  Which rules or laws
do they break?  Does Rowling see their behavior as
justified? Why or why not?  How does she gauge whether
a law or a rule is just or unjust?  When are laws or
rules susceptible to challenge?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's rich material just as is <tips cap Kansasward>,
but in case you need more to chew on, I've added some
glosses:

(1)  Other characters who belong on the above list are
Dumbledore, Lupin, Ali Bashir, Malfoys Jr. and Sr.,
Dudley, Riddle/Voldemort and his followers, and
Hagrid, all of whom also go up against laws, rules, or
(in Dudley's case) parental wishes.  Any thoughts on
rulebreaking in the light of these characters?

(2) A friend of mine commented that Harry's character
gets more complex (and less virtuous) in PA in that he
is now breaking a rule just because it inconveniences
him (i.e., he goes into Hogsmeade), whereas in PS/SS
and CS his rulebreaking had some higher purpose.  Do
you see changes in Harry's attitudes towards rules,
and if so, what should we make of these changes?  Any
predictions about further developments?

(3) On a couple of occasions, characters distinguish
between lower-level and higher-level laws.  Molly
worries about the punishments that might await Fred
and George once they leave the comparatively forgiving
realm of Hogwarts--"If they carry on the way they're
going, they'll end up in front of the Improper Use of
Magic Office" (GF 5)--and Hermione questions whether
their disregard for "silly school rule[s]" would
extend to breaking the law (GF 29).  Do you accept the
distinction?  Is it made consistently within the HP
universe?  Does it cause "slippery slope" problems?

(4) Critics of HP often cite Harry's rulebreaking,
Dumbledore's winking at it, etc., as a reason the
books are unsuitable for children.  Be honest, now: 
do you think the books send less-than-desirable
messages about rules?  About the rule of law?  How
*should* books deal with the phenomenon of
rulebreaking, if at all?
    Corollary to 4:  Hollywood code used to require
that villains be punished before the film's close;
Frank Capra had to fight to allow Mr. Potter <g> to
get away with grand larceny in _It's a Wonderful
Life_.  Will JKR be sending a bad message if Voldemort
goes unpunished?

(5) Thoreau wrote in "Civil Disobedience," "we should
be men [sic <g>] first, and subjects afterward.  It is
not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so
much as for the right," and numerous practitioners of
civil disobedience have made similar arguments, e.g.,
Jesus, Gandhi, and King.  If it is true that one must
sometimes contravene the law in order to do what is
right, what then should guide us in determining what
is right?:  does HP provide any guidelines about how
to make such determinations?  Picking up on some of
last week's discussion: is Rowling's moral universe
relativistic, and if not, what are its "higher laws"
to which people-made rules and laws must succumb? 

(6) What about the fact that the law and government of
the WW are themselves shown to be corrupt, unjust,
misguided, fallible, etc.?  As Eloise just wrote
(Message 38462), "The attitudes of, for example, Fudge
or Malfoy are those of respected parts of the
establishment," yet it is clear that Rowling does not
respect their attitudes, nor are we intended to.  What
do you think we are to conclude about our own
governments/laws from the examples given in HP?

Take it away,

Amy Z


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness
http://health.yahoo.com