Harry, Frodo, and the Nature of Evil (...will Harry AK?)

[bboy_mn at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 87231

In the Off-Topic group someone posted a 1956 book review of 'Lord of
the Rings - Return of the King' which is very enlightening. It speaks
of the nature of good and evil. And this nature applies to Harry
Potter just as much or more than it applies to Lord of the Rings.

---Quote - NY Times Website ---
http://www.nytimes.com/1956/01/22/books/tolkien-king.html

Chance, or Providence, has put the Ring in the hands of the
representatives of Good, Elrond, Gandalf, Aragorn. By using it they
could destroy Sauron, the incarnation of evil, but at the cost of
becoming his successor. If Sauron recovers the Ring, his victory will
be immediate and complete, but even without it his power is greater
than any his enemies can bring against him, so that, unless Frodo
succeeds in destroying the Ring, Sauron must win.

Evil, that is, has every advantage but one-it is inferior in
imagination. Good can imagine the possibility of becoming evil-hence
the refusal of Gandalf and Aragorn to use the Ring-but Evil, defiantly
chosen, can no longer imagine anything but itself. Sauron cannot
imagine any motives except lust for domination and fear so that, when
he has learned that his enemies have the Ring, the thought that they
might try to destroy it never enters his head, and his eye is kept
toward Gondor and away from Mordor and the Mount of Doom.

Further, his worship of power is accompanied, as it must be, by anger
and a lust for cruelty:...

---End Quote---

In this quote, we also see the difference between Harry Potter and
Voldemort, Harry can see the potential for good and evil within
himself, but Voldemort, corrupted by his own evil, can see nothing but
himself.

When one dictator defeats another, when evil defeats evil, nothing is
gained; it simply becomes the perpetuation of evil. 

Harry is a powerful wizard. far more powerful the either he or we
know. He could defeat Voldemort by AKing him and take over the
corrupted wizard world. Lord knows, someone needs to take it in hand.
But that's not going to happen. 

"Evil, ..., has every advantage but one-it is inferior in imagination.
Good can imagine the possibility of becoming evil-... -but Evil,
defiantly chosen, can no longer imagine anything but itself". 

Can we see that weakness in Voldemort? Can we, in this quote, see why
Voldemort's plans always fail, and why he will ultimately be defeated?
I'm sure I can.

Harry is a true epic hero, he will not choose to use evil to defeat
evil, for Harry victory to be truly inspiring, he must find a hero's
victory. He must defeat Voldemort within the bounds of good.

I don't know how Harry will defeat Voldemort. I'm sure JKR has an
amazing surprise in store for us. But I do know that Harry will not
allow himself to become tained by using the unforgivables in a dark
and definitive way.

Some else, said essential the same thing, that Harry will not be
corrupted by using dark forces for victory in the "How's Harry going
to learn the curses?" thread, unfortunately, I am unable to find that
exact post.


Evil is only truly defeated when it is defeated by good.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn