[HPforGrownups] Re: Narrative strategy and Harry's death

[Hans Andréa]

No: HPFGUIDX 107243

--- ariston3344 wrote:
 
> Any scene leading to Harry's death would obviously be THE
> climax of the entire series - it's almost unthinkable to me that
> such a scene would not be told from Harry's POV.  But if it is
> told from his POV, how would JKR smoothly handle Harry's
> death itself?

Hans' response:
> I predict that Harry will go through the Gate of Saturn. 
> It's a symbolic death, but at the same time very real from a
> story point of view. It will obviously be quite simple to tell this
> from Harry's POV. 

ariston again:
If Harry is able to come back to life after death, then that does 
more or less render the POV question moot.  But JKR has gone on record
saying, "once you're dead, you're dead. So, yeah, I'm afraid there will be
no
coming back for Harry's parents." 

Hans now:
Yes I knew about Jo's statement there. However I see this as a paradox
rather than a statement that makes Harry's return from Hades impossible. 
We have two seemingly irreconcilable statements: my assertion that Harry
will pass through the Gate of Saturn and return, and Jo's statement that
once you're dead you're dead.

Until I've read Book 7 thoroughly and unless it proves me totally wrong I'm
sticking to my theory that Harry Potter brings the ancient and ever new
message of liberation from suffering and death, as brought by many of the
sacred scriptures, legends, fairy tales etc. The Path of liberation
culminates in the passage through the Gate of Saturn.

I quote from my essay, which is filed under essays in the Group's files:
"Saturn is represented in legends as the God of death and time, and in
Rosicrucian traditions the Gate of Saturn is the end of life in this fallen
universe. Every human being passes through the Gate of Saturn at the end of
every incarnation. A new incarnation follows later. However when the
candidate on the Path of Liberation passes through the Gate of Saturn this
is a totally different kind of death. The Gate of Saturn represents the
death of the total self-sacrifice of the fallen human being, and the
resurrection of the original divine human being in an indestructible body of
unsurpassable majesty and glory."

In other words there are two ways of passing through the Gate of Saturn: one
as a normal person at the end of every incarnation INVOLUNTARILY and one as
the final stage in the process of liberation, VOLUNTARILY. The latter death
is the final dissolution of all that is mortal, finite, and not in
accordance with the plan of the Potter of the universe. This death is more
like the shedding of an old coat which has been useful in the past but has
now been replaced by a refulgent vesture of everlasting quality.

The difference is that one is involuntary and one is voluntary (This has not
the remotest connection with suicide of course). I think that is where the
paradox will be reconciled. I think Harry will go through the Gate
voluntarily, and that is why I think he'll be able to come back. Sirius and
Harry's parents went involuntarily and so what Jo said applies to them.

I've been thinking aloud while writing this and I now feel quite happy that
this is the key. I also refer members to the posts on returning from Hades
in the Greek legends. 

How Jo will turn all this into a ripping yarn is beyond my imagination.

I'll be very interested to see whether other members feels satisfied that
I've solved the paradox.

Hans in Holland


	
	
		
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