[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry's sacrifice

[Jade Rauenzahn]

No: HPFGUIDX 58711

----- Original Message ----- 
From: rayheuer3 at aol.com 

*snip*
>Has Harry ever lost an eye, an ear, a limb, or even a tooth?  No.  Does Harry 
>walk with a limp?  Does he suffer from shortness of breath?  No.  So, what 
>has he sacrificed?

*snip*
>Like most heroes, he has companions willing to 
>sacrifice themselves for him.  But Harry has yet 
>to sacrifice anything.

*snip*
>When Ron sacrificed himself on the chess board in PS/SS, he did so with the 
>knowledge that he might have been fatally injured.

*snip*
>Risk does not equal sacrifice.  LOSS equals sacrifice, and so far Harry has 
>never lost anything by his own actions.


Sure, Harry has never suffered the loss of an eye or limb, or whatever have you. We're not here to talk about the textbook definition of sacrifice. As we all know, a definition of a word varies from text to written word to individial interpretation. I could throw this definition of the word at you:

Sacrifice: Hence, to destroy, surrender, or suffer to be lost, for the sake of obtaining something; 
- Webster's Revised  Unabridged Dictionary.

Lets go back to CoS. Harry was down there with the Basilisk, fighting with all his might - willing to sacrifice his LIFE to try to save Ginny's. He 'suffered to be lost' his very own life for the sake of saving Ginny. He knew he could have died - he was all alone, in a chamber deep down where only one person knew of his location (that person which was blocked from his location, mind you). He could have ran, gone back through the chamber and seen if Ron had moved some of the rocks yet. The Basilisk was blind - surely he could lose the tail if he had tried. The fact that he stayed was a credit - he was willing to sacrifice everything, and that's what the real meaning of the word is here. 

You say that he has friends who are willing to sacrifice everything and Harry just isn't as good as them. I ask where the accuracy in that is. Your example of Ron and the chess game in PS/SS. Ron didn't sacrifice any more there than Harry did down in that chamber. In fact, one could argue that Harry sacrificed more, because he was inches from death, all alone, where no one would help him.

So sure, Harry hasn't actually *sacrificed* anything as far as Webster's dictionary goes, but he was willing and prepared to. That's what sacrifice means here. He sacrificed any self-preservation he had when he faced Voldemort in GoF, or battled against the snake in CoS.

If you follow your definition of 'sacrifice' than none of our principals has actually followed through on one. Not Ron, not Hermione, and not Harry. But look at what they have done, what they have put on the line. How could you not call that sacrifice?

- Jade Rauenzahn



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