Oh my goodness, what book are THEY reading?

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 106865

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "albusthewhite" <jacobalfredo at h...> wrote:
>Snip> 
> Of course I'm (mostly) kidding - my point is that while our
> political values are very important, and while we absolutely 
> *should* examine our literature, cinema, etc. to see what kind
> of political messages they contain (for they all have some 
> political statement), we should also be sophisticated enough to
> disengage from that discourse in order to enjoy some world-class
> storytelling.  AND we should be able to read and understand 
> criticism of those books and films, even when we disagree with
> them, without resorting to brutish bullying (as seen in certain 
>anti-French, anti-academic remarks).
> 

I agree with you in part - but where to draw the line?
HP is not a political tract; though it's possible -  as evidenced by the
posts made to this site - to find characters or passages that support
or oppose your personal philosophy or world view. No problem.

However, I  for one get twitchy when a non-reader (obvious from the
poor grasp of what HP is about) uses it to promote a political stance.
That is not literary criticism, it's polemics. Fictional HP is being press-
ganged as the vehicle for advocating a Real World agenda. It is the 
other end of the spectrum to the far right religious fundamentalists -
"It's evil; it glorifies witchcraft.". There's a deal of difference between
a review that  says "Disappointing; poorly visualised characters, weak
plot, predictable finale. Not recommended," and one which effectively
says "This book promotes capitalism, therefore it is no good." 

JKR  writes a good tale; engaging, detailed and intriguing. Strictly
speaking by literary standards her prose leaves something to be 
desired; it's not top flight. So what? Only nit-pickers care about that.

Hopefully we the readers take a more relaxed view. Most of us accept
that the plot and characters require a background (the Potterverse) 
which is traditionally English and a generation or two out of date when
compared with current educational fashions. Hardly a cause for concern.

I'm not about to engage in political analyses of HP; seems pointless.
For those that wish to subsume a fantasy tale into their political
manifesto to serve their own limited ends I offer a favorite quote of mine: 
"Forgive him Caesar - he is a barbarian and considers that the customs
of his tribe are the laws of nature."
G.B.Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra."

Kneasy