Ender's Game parallel--was--Re: emotional rescue

[ebeth0000000000]

No: HPFGUIDX 75148

Laura wrote:
> I don't think that it would be healthy for Harry (or any 15 year 
old) 
> to take on the burden of providing emotional support to an adult, 
> especially one who is in a quasi-parental relationship with him.  
> Certainly he needs someone to be close to him, provide regular, 
> *honest* communication with him and give him the occasional hug.  
> Remus is the ideal candidate-he seems to have great compassion and 
> understanding.  And because of that, I doubt that Remus would 
inflict 
> his own sorrows on Harry.  But for sure, Remus needs someone in 
his 
> life too-and he deserves someone.  It should be another adult, 
> though.  Moving into the position of Harry's adult confidante and 
> mentor would no doubt be tremendously theraputic to Remus, and 
> healthy for both of them.  But Harry is not ready to carry the 
weight 
> of Remus's problems, and he couldn't really understand them 
anyhow.  
> He is, after all, still a child, even if Dumbledore seems to 
forget 
> that sometimes.  
> 
> Laura

excellent point, Laura, and I do agree--as a person and a regular 
human being regarding Harry as a regular human being.

Unfortunately, I don't think we can hold out for Harry to get much 
regular, realistic, family-type emotional support from any adults 
anywhere in the series.  

I heard an author speak at a children's lit. convention who said 
that the first rule of writing books with children as the main 
characters is that you have to let them solve the main conflict in 
the book on their own--they can get hints, or assistance from adults 
(Like DD, Dobby, etc.), but ultimately they have to stand on their 
own two feet. (even if that's unrealistic for children in the real 
world--it's necessary for the story to work)  

After all, the child is the protagonist, and, in this case, a 
fantasy hero to boot, and must actively engage in finding the 
resolution to their conflict.  That's why so many principle 
characters in children's books are orphans--it's a convenient way to 
explain why the protagonist is on their own so much without any 
parental involvement.  

Sci-Fi author Orson Scott Card takes this concept to a different 
level in 'Ender's Game' when his child protagonist, Ender, actually 
resorts to killing another student when that student tries to kill 
Ender, because he has been so fully and completely conditioned (in 
his training as a soldier) that no adult or teacher will step in to 
help or save him, ever.  

I wonder if this is where JKR is going, taking away or diminishing 
all the adults Harry thought he could trust, since it is now clear 
that Harry must kill Lord Voldy or be killed himself.  I'm currently 
re-reading 'Ender's Game' to compare this concept and investigate 
(plus it's a good summer book anyway:))  

Especially parallel to Harry Potter is the idea that Ender is not a 
killer, but is forced to be, in order to save all humanity.  He must 
balance his love of all that is gentle and human, for he must want 
to preserve the world and fight for it, with his unusual skill and 
extraordinary power as a soldier which must be channelled to fight 
an extreme evil.  Sound familiar?  (Remember how Harry couldn't 
properly administer the Cruciatus curse on Bellatrix?  I look for 
Book 6 to become very, very dark indeed.)
  
Sobering, but dramatic, eh?
EBeth