Red and Green [was Re: Dumbledore's Gleam Revisited]

[Cindy L Wells]

No: HPFGUIDX 59618

Jaimee wrote:

> The colors red and green have been analyzed several times on this
> site, and I apologize ahead of times for mentioning them again....but
> I just can't get over how JKR uses the colors red and green to
> indicate "good" and "evil," respectively.
>
> We have red Gryffindor and green Slytherin. We have red sparks issued
> from Harry's, Dumbledore's, most good wizard's wands...but green from
> Voldemort's and Crouch!Moody for the Unforgivables. We even have the
> red phoenix and the green snake.
>
> But with eye color, everything's reversed. Voldemort has *red* eyes,
> and Harry has *green* eyes. I mean...it would have been a little on
> the freaky side for Harry to keep with trend of good=red and have the
> red eyes...but even so, the fact that their eyes are red (for the bad
> guy) and green (for the good guy) has always left me feeling
> unsettled.

It seems to me that this is just JKR trying to get across in yet another way
the importance of choices. We seem to have almost a red and green version of
the yin and yang symbol, where there is dark inside the lightness (Harry's
own potential within Slytherin) and light in the darkness (Voldemort's
childhood trauma which leads to a tiny bit of sympathy). Actually, the spots
inside the symbol almost resemble eyes. :-D Each side contains an element of
the other, and therefore it is truly the choices we make that differentiate
which is stronger.

In fact, I believe that facing the darkness inside seems to be an essential
component of fighting the darker forces effectively. Lupin was one of the
best DADA teachers, I think particularly so, because he had to face the
darkness inside himself in a very significant way. You almost have to go
through that internal battle before you can effectively face it externally.
Otherwise, that ignorance can be used against you. If you still live in fear
of what's inside of you, that can be easily played upon, no matter how
courageous and brave you are externally.

This is something that is reinforced by the whole Joseph Campbell "Hero's
Journey" concept, that most of the dragons and evil monsters that heroes
face in mythology are actually symbolic reflections of internal battles with
inner demons. It's just Harry's luck that he's dealing with them both inside
and out, and it looks like this will only intensify in the OoP.

Just my two knuts worth. :-)

Cindy W