Character Discussion: Lily

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 120508


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Hans Andréa <ibotsjfvxfst at y...> 
wrote:

- in message 120498:

Hans:
> I think it's almost inevitable that Jo will give Lily some flaws. 
It's
> precisely Harry's flaws that make us identify with him so much. We 
love him
> for his nobility, his courage, his fairness, and his selfless 
actions, but
> we, and I'm including many millions of children and adults all over 
the
> world, identify with Harry because of the difficulty he's having 
coping with
> the pain of bereavement, or with Malfoy's and Snape's constant 
jibes about
> Harry's parents and friends, or with his powerlessness against 
Voldemort and
> his allies.
> 
> What Jo is doing is personifying forces that a person, who wants to 
enter
> the absolute spiritual centre of his/her being, will meet and have 
to deal
> with. In order to personify these forces properly, you have to make 
them
> truly human. And to be truly human you have to have flaws! 

- and in message 120499:

Hans:
> That is the message of Harry Potter. Drink the Living
> Water and you shall return to your divine origins.

Geoff:
As I have remarked on previous occasions, I cannot buy into your 
views on the Path of Liberation.

I have on several occasions said that I see Harry as an everyman, a 
representative of a Christian - or of a seeker for truth - on his 
journey through life. I have expanded on these thoughts in messages 
81249, 104472, 107680 and 110254 among others. 

Back in message 84481, Hans, writing as Ivan Vablatsky, said that it 
was not a case of Harry being either everyman or Christ, he was both, 
a view which I disagreed with in message 84556. Again, in 84481, 
references are made to New Age teaching - the age of Aquarius - in 
which Christianity has no place.

I have said in the past that although HP is not overtly Christian, it 
reflects the views of its author, as did Tolkien's work; I do not 
necessarily look for direct comparisons to Christian teaching but 
feel that the mores expressed in the books will echo those views.

With reference to your comment in message 120499, Christ indicated in 
John 4 in his conversation with the Samaritan woman that he was the 
one who provides the living water to those who believe.

This raises the whole question of what do we read into the stories of 
Harry Potter? Why did JKR write them? For her own satisfaction?
Probably. To give pleasure to millions of people? Also probably. To 
be read at different levels of understanding. Yes - I might say in 
passing that one of my favourite books if "Winnie the Pooh" which has 
two distinct levels of understanding at least. Which then leads to 
the next thought. Are they books for children? Yes, but not children 
alone; for children at heart in the best meaning of this. Are they 
textbooks for faith to proselytise? No. There are signposts and 
pointers for those who look but I do not believe that they have been 
written deliberately to fit a pattern imposed by someone other than 
the author. 

I read the books firstly for pleasure; I like Harry. I see myself as 
I was many years ago, brash, impulsive, questioning, uncertain and 
certain that everything is black or white. The greys have come with 
age. I do not read them a priori in order to cross intellectual 
swords with others on the group. That is a spin off which can lead us 
into over-analysis and theorising which only drains the first fresh 
enjoyment of each book which we experienced as we came to it.

Hm. Where did I leave my tin hat?