Good Writing & Death

[mhbobbin]

No: HPFGUIDX 110962

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "anthyroserain" 
<anthyroserain at y...> wrote:
> B_Boymn:
> 
> > 3.) Sirius's death. Death is rarely satisfying; it rarely comes 
> with resolution. ((snip snip)) No tearful goodbyes, no chance to 
resolve old issues, no chance to say 'I love you' or 'I'm sorry'; 
just gone. In addition, [snip] But even after combining a common 
euphemism with the 'Chamber of  Death' we still, as readers, wanted 
satisfaction, meaning, justification, explanation, hope, and our 
beloved Sirius back, so  we did what we do, and that is, come up 
with alternate explanation and  conspiracy theories to supposed the 
idea that he was not really dead, or that he would return by some 
magical means. 
> 
> 
> Katie:
> 
> You know, I would find Sirius's death a whole lot less irritating 
if it made more sense. The thing is, yes, death is unsatisfying, but 
> Sirius's is even unsatisfying as a FICTIONAL death! (snip snip)
> 
> If JKR wrote in metaphors, it might be an acceptable death, but 
she  doesn't. HP might have magic in it, but it's recognizably about 
the  real world. It's not really a fable. The other deaths don't 
seem so bizarre: Harry's parents are killed, and so is Cedric. JKR  
definitely plays by the rules of fiction, and Sirius's death seems 
like a big exception.
> 
> It's such an unsatisfying death for readers: it comes as a 
complete  surprise, it happens through a device that was just 
introduced a few  pages before and never explained, and there's no 
body left. JKR must > know all this. She's either 1) going to have 
Sirius's "death" become  crucial to the story later on, or 2) trying 
to annoy her readers. As  she says she's sorry she "had to do it", 
and I have faith in her, I  trust it's 1)! (big snip)
Theoretically, if you make it beyond the 'tunnel of light', there is 
no turning back.  This is typically true in near death experience, 
but not always so in Mythological advantures. 

mhbobbin cannot resist adding even though it's been discussed before:

This was a diappointing death--not just for what it means to the 
fictional characters but because we're all left with so much 
foreshadowed. Yes, yes, the point is made about death being 
senseless etc. It's been made no matter what the outcome of Books 
Six and Seven. And she should have written a better death scene if 
she did not plan to build on it. Few deaths occur in a context with 
such interesting, symbolic props: an entrance to the Other World, a 
three headed dog and a pomegranate. Again, if she's not building to 
something, she's making us carry alot of extra weight in red herring.

 I don't even want to guess whether Sirius is coming back or not. 
Examples in Classical Mythology do not usually end  with the 
Recently Departed living back on earth happily.  But why put the 
props from Classical Mythology there at all?  I just hope that 
Sirius --and Harry if he journeys there--doesn't eat the food they 
serve beyond the veil.

mhbobbin