Do we need any more death cases?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 89837

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nkafkafi" <nkafkafi at y...> wrote:
> Andrew wrote:
> > 
> > My I draw your thoughts, to a famous childrens book, written many 
> > years ago, in a less free society. This book, as it happens, is 
> > named The Hobbit. There is tons of killing in that book, villagers, 
> > spiders, and main character dwarves. Is it impossible that JKR may 
> > kill of main charactars, no.
> > 
> > Andrew
> 
> Neri answers:
> 
> I read The Hobit the last time several years ago, so my memory might 
> not be accurate, but I remember the death of only one major 
> character, at the very end and with a good moral. So I'd say that by 
> the Hobbit's standard JKR already filled her blood quota.
> 
> A more relevant example may be LOTR, with a full-scale war and a very 
> high body count. I can recall the death of only one major character 
> in LOTR (Boromir, of course. Theoden was hardly a major character in 
> the book, as opposed to the movies), and again with a very good 
> moral. 
> 
> But I certainly did not claim it is impossible JKR will kill more 
> major characters. I merely asked: what for?
> 
> Neri

Carol (warning: Spoilers for LOTR and "The Hobbit.")
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Three of the dwarves in "The Hobbit" are killed, at least one of whom
(Thorin) is a major character. (The themes in the Battle of Five
Armies chapter are more "adult" than those elsewhere in the book--the
evils of war and greed, for example.) As for LOTR, it did start out as
a sequel to "The Hobbit," which accounts for the slow pace of the
initial chapters, but it ceases to resemble a children's book by the
eighth chapter ("Fog on the Barrow Downs"), and the more adult themes
are present from the outset with the lure of the One Ring and the
mysterious Nazgul (whom we don't equate yet with the Black Riders). I
think that for Tolkien, having to leave Middle Earth, as Frodo does,
is sadder than dying.You're right, though, that sacrifice doesn't have
to involve death, as Frodo's case clearly illustrates. BTW, Tolkien
considered having Pippin die "doing something brave" and changed his
mind, instead having him "grow" both literally and figuratively. I
think that will happen to the characters in the HP series as well,
especially Harry, Ron, and Neville. I agree with you that none of them
needs to die, though they will certainly make sacrifices. However, JKR
has said straight out that there will be more deaths and that some of
them will be "favorite characters." I personally think that means
Dumbledore and/or Hagrid and possibly Lupin as well (all characters
for whom JKR has expressed affection). I hope it doesn't mean HRH,
Neville, or Snape, but I'm afraid that at least one Weasley will die.
I'm sure that we'll lose some minor characters as well, say Dean
Thomas or Professor Flitwick. And then there's Draco and his
father--bad guys, certainly, but many readers seem to like them.

In any case, as someone else has said, the war is about to begin, and
war means deaths--fortunately not on the scale of LOTR, much less real
wars like WWI or II, but deaths, nevertheless. And they won't all be
bad guys or minor characters.

Carol