Cynicism and Betrayal in Canon

[Jim Ferer <jferer@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51204

I apologize to those who have heard this rant before, but it's
something that bugs me.  

It's not hard to find speculation here about Evil!Lupin,
Evil!Dumbledore, Evil!McGonagall, Evil!Sirius, and so on; who did I
miss? Someone, I'm sure.

I find all these theories distasteful. Not those who propose them, of
course, but the sad cynicism that pervades modern literature,
entertainment, and attitude.

If JKR ever did write Evil!Dumbledore, etc., it would be nothing less
than the worst betrayal of readers ever by an author, and I could
never forgive her for it.  JKR writes for all readers, not just young
ones, but many of her readers are young and she knows it. What
attitude would that send to her readers?

1. People are no damn good.

2. Everyone will betray you sooner or later, so look out for yourself
only.  Get them before they get you.

3. Goodness and friendship is illusory; only evil is real. Loyalty is
for chumps.

I don't believe for one minute JKR is doing it. Let me repeat it: I
don't think there is any chance JKR will betray her characters or her
readers in that way.

I only am talking here about main characters that have been the
students' guardians and protectors.  I have no beef with other
characters being potential bad guys, like Evil!Fudge for example. I
happen to think he's set up as an example of what happens when people
lack the courage to act and thereby do evil's work, but if he was
actively evil, that wouldn't be the same thing as one of the core
characters betraying Harry or the Trio.

This is a literary approach, a reading of JKR's themes and her values
as I infer them, and doesn't depend on any quotes or perceived clues
in the canon.  I couldn't defend this based on canon text, either, and
won't try.

I don't believe I'm saying that the series has to be simplistic, like
a Roy Rogers Saturday western, with the good guys in white hats and
the villains in black ("You know what to do, boys").  We've already
been given more nuance than in your average adult novel  - despised
Lupin, nasty but on-the-right-side Snape, the ambiguous Fudge,
careless with the truth Skeeter, and more. We'll get more, but we will
not get characters we've counted on and had faith in turning on the
young people who trusted them. At least, I sure hope not.

Jim Ferer