[HPforGrownups] Re: Somethings not right

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 80818

On 15 Sep 2003 at 12:05, scooting2win wrote:

> context. Moral JKR put out: Don't tell. Moral kids are going to get: 
> Don't tell. Moral we as adults get from it: Harry has been abused 
> throughout the series, what's a little bloody pen. It just doesn't 
> fit right. JKR is a wonderful writer who puts books in children's 
> hand and makes them turn off tvs, computers, video games, and I 
> admire her for her ability to do so. I am not putting her down, I 
> just don't like the message that came across. And sure there will be 
> one kid who says, "Mom, it's just a book, it's make believe." But in 
> a way even that makes me wonder, is my kid going to say that or are 
> they going to say, Harry kept a secret that he should have told. 
> Lori again

The thing is Lori, I'm not seeing that message. I'm not seeing that 
moral. I can't see anything in the book to give children the impression 
that they shouldn't tell someone about abuse if it's occurring.

You're seeing a message in the book that I certainly don't think was 
intended - but I can't even see it there accidentally. Now that doesn't 
mean I'm right and you're wrong - but I work with kids - many of whom 
have been abused and some of who made the wrong choice about telling 
someone - and I can't see anything in Order of the Phoenix that makes it 
a skerrick more likely that any child will choose not to tell.

If anything, I see the opposite - kids seeing that even Harry Potter 
can't deal with everything alone - and sometimes that trying to, simply 
hurts him.

I'm not seeing the negatives you're seeing - quite the opposite 
actually. And I've been thinking about this most of today, because if 
you're right, it's something I'd feel a need to address in discussion 
with some of the kids I've encouraged to read the books.

But currently, I'm still thinking that any incidental message the books 
sends on this is a *positive* one.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia