Conspiracy Theories

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 96589

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jim Ferer" <jferer at y...> wrote:
> I'll say up front that I am not a conspiracy theorist; conspiracy
> theories seem to start on the premise that nothing is what it seems,
> and that unseen external forces manipulate the world and everything in
> it.  The highy probable is rejected and notions with no reason to
> believe them are promoted.
> 
> Therefore, good people are evil, evil people are misunderstood, and
> everyone has a hidden agenda. We're used to seeing this in our
> entertainment, where your best buddy in the Army turns out to be the
> guy halping the drug dealers.  It's not a good way to look at the
> world, IMHO.
> 

Depends how you define conspiracy.
In the strict meaning of the word Voldy, Malfoy et al *conspired* to
steal the Prophecy orb, Harry and the DA *conspired* to thwart
Umbridge. Perfectly reasonable activities given the plot situation.
And how else would you describe them?

We know that DD has a plan; quite what it is hasn't been revealed.
It's his hidden agenda. Something you apparently disapprove of.
Speculating how he expects to achieve his aims is a perfectly valid
field of inquiry IMO. Postulating exactly how Voldy got into Godrics
Hollow and who helped him and why, likewise. 

If by conspiracy theories you mean some over-arching complex of
personal and philosophical motives for the whole  kit-and-caboodle
of HP then that is what we expect to read in book 7.


> But this is a Harry Potter discussion group, so here's my point: I
> don't think JKR is a conspiracy theorist, either. She particularly
> will not give us examples of treachery on the part of characters close
> to Harry.  This would be a terrible betrayal of young readers by an
> author. 

Conspiracy theorist. What exactly is that? Generally speaking it's some
nut who believes that  the world is run by the Masons, the Illuminati or
whatever. A  7 book series that tempts  us to wonder who did what and
why hardly falls into the same category. Because in those terms JKR *is*
a conspiracy theorist - she hides things, she won't reveal things, she
refuses to answer questions on web-casts leaving us to stew in our
own juices - and relishes the fact that no-one has yet guessed what
it's all about.


If you're talking about Ron, Hermione or Neville, then agreed, they are
unlikely to betray Harry deliberately, but deliberately is the key word -
they can be tricked, there can be misunderstandings, maybe another 
falling out as in GoF.


> What would it teach them?
> 
> The world is no damn good;
> 
> Love, loyalty and friendship aren't real. Goodness isn't real. Only
> evil and selfishness are real;
> 
> Don't believe in or trust anyone.
> 
> IOW, Voldemort was right all along.
> 

What an odd conclusion. You  see Voldy winning? Of course not.
In the Paxman interview broadcast just before OoP was published, JKR
mentioned a letter she'd received from a mother saying that the
books gave the wrong impression to children and that she didn't want
her children exposed to Harry suffering. JKR replied personally saying
that she obviously hadn't read the books because Harry does nothing 
but suffer and that they'd better not read future books because things
were going to get darker. Add in the fact that JKR refuses to confirm
that Harry will survive and you begin to wonder how much it is a 
childrens book. (BTW It was Bloomsbury who decided to publish it for
the childrens list, not JK; and they did so not knowing the end.)

Seems as if you might have problems with future books. 

Until there was a deliberate leak nobody expected the death of a major
character in OoP. Harry's resultant distress is not the work of conspiracy
theorists on site; it's the plot. And from straws in the wind more of the
same can be expected. Is it so unreasonable for the members to try
and second guess the author?


> Why am I ranting about this?  I feel strongly about it.  I'm genuinely
> troubled by the conspiracy theory world view.  In the Harry Potter
> context, I don't want my kids to think this is how the world works.  I
> don't want other HP readers to think that, either.
> 
> JKR has many surprises for us, but she always plays fair and straight.
>  That's a big part of her genius.
>

What world view?
Real Life or the Potterverse or the Site?
They're all different.
Because if you don't want your kids exposed to all the 'conspiracy' 
theories, remember, they're not in the books, they only exist on this
site and others like it. 
And this site is meant to be for adults, not kids. The remedy is in your
hands as a parent. 
And speaking as a 60 year old adult I do not take kindly to others with
'correct opinions' telling me what to think.

Kneasy