Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings

[dcgmck]

No: HPFGUIDX 107810

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "greatelderone" 
<greatelderone at y...> wrote:

gildroy:
> > [snip] or the character who would be expected to play a leading 
role in the opposing the "Dark Wizard" but in the event proves to be 
totally inadequate (Denethor/Cornelius Fudge). 
> 
> GEO: How can you even compare the two? Fudge totally ignored the 
threat of Voldemort and tried to silence those that spoke out while 
Denethor's only major mistakes were in overestimating how strong his 
bloodline was and probably listening to Sauron, but he took an active 
hand in opposing Sauron g Sauron unlike Fudge for instance.

dcgmck:
Jackson's Denethor might match up with Cornelius Fudge, but Tolkien's 
clearly does not.  If Denethor brings anyone to mind, it is Barty 
Crouch, Sr. in his mistaken judgment of his sons and the folly this 
leads him to commit, injuring the cause of all those aligned against 
the Dark Lord.  Denethor loses hope when he receives proof that 
Boromir, his favored son, is dead.  Crouch loses not hope, but 
control, when his son, first unduly slighted, then unduly favored, 
returns from "the dead" state of curse control.
> 
> > gildroy:  
> > The book ends as it began with Harry Potter in exile which seems 
to be a natural and satisfying conclusion to the story, though this 
ending would arguably be more C.S. Lewis than Tolkien. 
> 
> GEO: Rowling is neither Lewis or Tolkien.

dcgmck:
No, but she is incorporating a number of archetypes consistent with 
the epic genre, which makes finding a fair number of parallels almost 
mandatory.
> 
> 
> GEO: [snip] Harry isn't a direct parallel of Frodo. IMO, he also 
has bits of Aragorn in him being the one who has been a thorn in the 
dark lord's plans and being raised in secrecy (Rivendell, Dursleys) 
away from their heritage. 

dcgmck:
Actually, Harry is more like Beowulf, Jason (the Argonaut), Theseus, 
Oedipus, or Heracles than either Aragorn or Frodo, in that he is 
raised without awareness of his heritage.  Aragorn is steeped in and 
stuffed with his heritage in Rivendell, home of his uncle so far 
removed.  Frodo goes to live with Bilbo but frequently visits his 
Brandybuck and Took relatives after his parents drown.