[HPforGrownups] Re: Glasses

[liz]

No: HPFGUIDX 95321

> Lady McBeth wrote:
>> In reading the through the Reader's Digest link Pippin left for us,
> I 
>> discovered this quote:
>> She's thrilled with Stephen Fry's taped version of the books,
>> outraged that an Italian dust jacket shows Harry minus his
>> glasses. "Don't they understand that they are the clue to his
>> vulnerability?"
> 
> Tcy replied:
> I know this has been discussed in great depth (what hasn't?) – but my
> sieve-brain and that infernal Yahoo!search prevent me from recall in
> any great detail
so here's my knut and a half:  The part of this
> quote that catches my eye is the use of the word "clue."  She didn't
> say they were the cause, source, catalyst or metaphor – she said
> the "clue."  So his glasses aren't his vulnerability
but the clue to
> it.  So what *is* his vulnerability?  And is it a literal or
> figurative thing?
> 
> Again, more questions than answers.
> 
>Tcy
>(who also wears glasses and would be quite vulnerable (not to mention
>useless without them)

Liz now:
Perhaps his vulnerability is as simple as yours and anyone else who wears
glasses - he can't see very well without them. Glasses are certainly a
fairly obvious clue that a person has poor eyesight. A simple 'accio
glasses' from a quick-thinking DE (hmm, not too many of those), and Harry
would be rendered fairly ineffective in a battle situation such as the MOM
debacle. Bet Lucius is kicking himself he didn't think of that one.

This vulnerability has cropped up a couple of times that I can recall. The
only time Harry has been less than stellar on the Quidditch pitch, aside
from when the Dementors were around, was when the rain was so bad he
couldn't see through his glasses. Interestingly in that case Hermione's
'impervious' spell turns his weakness into a strength.

I haven't read COS in ages so forgive me if I misremember, but I think Harry
loses his glasses when he is fighting the basilisk. Or is it just that he
has to keep his eyes shut tight? In any case, COS is riddled(!) with
instances of vision-related vulnerabilty. In addition, the most vulnerable
point of a dragon is its eyes. Aragog is blind too, is he not?

What does all this put together mean? Umm, I don't really know, I have no
theories or ideas on how it might come into play. When I read Tcy's post it
just really struck me that the most obvious vulnerability the clue of
glasses points to is blindness/poor vision, and that this has been a small
theme in the series.

Liz