[HPforGrownups] "in essence divided?" from OOTP chapter 22

[Gregory Lynn]

No: HPFGUIDX 120718

On Tue, 28 Dec 2004 23:56:40 -0000, nicouise <nicouise at hotmail.com> wrote:

> What does the comment "in essence divided?" posed as a question mean?
> 
> Again I am sorry if this question has been posted before but I need
> your help on this!!
> 

I think this tiny fragment of a scene has the potential to be the key
to everything.  Otherwise, why bother to put it in at all?

The key to figuring out what the events mean, I think, starts with
figuring out what the words mean.

"In essence divided"

The question is whether the essence is divided or whether the division
is the essence.  Is there something important that has been divided or
is there something otherwise unremarkable that has become significant
because it was divided?

I think it is the latter.  Division and unity have been strong themes
throughout the novels, from the urgings that the way to combat evil is
for good to stick together, to the division between the magical and
muggle worlds.

I have this bizarre little theory that when Voldemort attacked Harry
it was a sort of immovable object meeting and irresistable force kind
of thing.  The Avada Kedavra is unblockable, and the proteection Harry
got from his mother must be equally powerful or Harry would have died,
right?  So what happens when two equally powerful things meet in
conflict?  Things go boom.

Avada Kedavra always kills.  Harry can't be killed.  The curse
rebounds and hits Voldie who has taken steps to ensure that he can't
be killed.

So my bizarre little theory is that this event is a metaphor for some
other kind of split and that the various main characters are all
different aspects of the same person.

If you think about it, Hermione represents rational thought.  She does
what she is supposed to even when that means breaking rules and
prioritizing real life crises ahead of things like homework.  Ron
represents irrational thought, or perhaps non rational thought would
be a better way to put it.  He has a spider phobia, he is self
conscious about performance, et cetera.

Voldemort, in this theory represents all the selfish bits of a person,
wanting to live forever, wanting everyone to obey your every whim, et
cetera.

-- 
Gregory Lynn