Harry and Christ and other observations

[saieditor]

No: HPFGUIDX 78260

Wanda wrote, with great wisdom
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I think the Christian themes in the HP books are a natural 
outgrowth  of the author's beliefs; naturally, she's going to write 
about what  she thinks is true and strong. But I don't think it's a  
surreptitious way of brainwashing unsuspecting children - it's just  
what Rowling thinks. 
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>From what I read in one or two interviews, JKR has stated she is a 
Christian, and basically put a no comment [or a stop here, go no 
further]  on her beliefs and their relationship to the narrative in 
the HP books and books to come. 

This has me speculating, particularly in the light of adamant 
replies by JKR to interviews that Sirius "is not coming back" in any 
shape or form. I thought Nearly Headless Nick made that clear also, 
in the uncomfortable conversation with Harry prior to the Leaving 
Feast. 

I am speculating now about Voldy's statement to Harry in SS, 'there 
is no good nor evil, only power'. This raises a further problem in 
that due Harry's absorption with dreams about doors and corridors, 
we now have a theme of mind possession, or possession of 
consciousness, which, in some part, has to be resolved before any 
conflict. I dont think Harry, in this vulnerable state, will be in 
any final face to face conflict with Voldy. How could he?

Some one will have to take up the gauntlet to prod Harry into 
further Occlumens lessons or teach him new stategies to protect his 
mind. 
 
I have noted carefully the absence of any overt Christian themes or 
structures, (as someone else mentioned, there is no chapel, the main 
feast is the Yule Ball, and the exchange of presents)so this, 
without reading too much into it, simply reflects where most people 
are with Christmas. Where I come from, it is nothing but an 
opportunity for adverting, marketing, Santa commercials ad nauseum, 
and I am generally sick of the commercialisation of Christmas. I 
digress. 

Life after death is obviously going to be explored further in terms 
of how the Wizarding World copes with this. Wizards obviously live 
longer, and the Department of Mysteries obviously holds the 
teachings that the students at Hogwarts have yet to be exposed to 
about life after death, thank you Nearly Headless Nick for starting 
the conversation. 

Noting the absence of any overt Christian themes or symbology, In 
General, I can only come back to Dumbledore and his statement to 
Fudge, people are defined by their choices, and experience the 
consequences of their choices. In that, there is no difference 
between the Muggle world and the Wizarding World. What does seem 
strikingly odd to me is that there is some glaring gaps in morality 
in the Wizarding World regarding the acts of some of the characters.

Take Doris Umbridge. Now the narrative portrayed her as a cruel 
person. I reckon she is possessed by Voldy, and I reckon that comes 
when she holds Harry's hand and this feeling of happiness came over 
Harry. For instance, in a rather LARGE moral slippage, she set 
Dementors onto Harry. How? Who authorised this? Voldemort, I reckon. 

She made quills carve into his hand. 

Fudge apparently has been taking Lucius's money for years.

Ludo Bagman cheated on Fred and George, paying them with Leprechaun 
Gold, and is fleeing goblins. Apparently he owes money everywhere. 

Viktor used a crucio curse on Cedric in the Triwizard Tournament. 

Kakaroff was coaching Viktor to use avada kedavra in the Triwizard 
tournament. (If  I am wrong, someone correct me). 

Take the duel in COS. Draco fires a spell at Harry on "two" instead 
of three.

There were all these slips of integrity and morality in all the HP 
books and they bother me considerably. Perhaps JKR is just showing 
us what people are like, and how people attain what it is they 
desire. However, nothing gets in the way of them experiencing the 
consequences of their choices. As Dumbledore points out, as the twig 
is bent, so the tree is shaped. All these slips of morality point to 
the absence of Christian norms for this narrative. 

As for Harry being a Christ figure, well, Christ figures are 
generally fictional persons who give a life in order that others go 
free. Cool Hand Luke was one such christ figure, and there are 
plenty of others in movies and books. Seems to me that Harry is busy 
trying to stay alive, rather than to sacrifice his life. 

I am not yet convinced that Dumbledore is referring to LOVE as the 
great mystery locked behind that door in the Department of 
Mysteries. I think there is another surprise coming about that. 

I dont see an overt Christian myth or theme coming out, if JKR has 
completely closed the door on Sirius coming back. Ther is nothing 
Christian about being possessed by evil and defeated by evil if that 
is what you want to call Voldemort. 

Chris Parnell