Keeper of the Keys

[mcdee1980]

No: HPFGUIDX 97980

Sylvia:
> I hadn't really noticed it before, but in several recent posts 
> regarding Hagrid, his title of Keeper of the Keys has been 
> mentioned.In the New Testament, Simon Peter is given the title of 
> Keeper of the Keys of Heaven. If we are going to follow this 
> suggestion that  Harry is a Christ figure, perhaps Hagrid stands 
for 
> St. Peter, who first betrayed Jesus but then became the rock on 
which 
> the church was built.
> 
> Sylvia (who doesn't really believe a 17 year-old boy can be a 
Christ 
> figure and is clutching at straws)


Lady McBeth:

  Actually there are a lot of teens portrayed as "Christ figures" in 
literature!  I remember because I think I was forced to read every 
single one during my high school career.  Holden Caufield (sp?) 
in "The Catcher in the Rye", John Cotton in "Bless the Beasts and the 
Children" (Not sure if I have that title quite right it might be 
Bless the Beasts, Bless the Children), as well as one of the 
characters in John Knowles's "A Seperate Peace" are all considered by 
critics to be Christ figures and they are all characters in their 
teenage years.  
  I do like the theory about Hagrid being a parallel to St. Peter.  
You might also be able to compare some other characters to the 
apostles.  Fudge is a "doubting Thomas"; he is unable to believe 
until he sees with his own eyes.  Rita Skeeter could be a Paul type 
character.  She's not really involved in the story line, but shares 
the "truth" of the events at the end of GOF with the world.  Paul if 
you remember, started out not believing and in fact persecuting the 
followers of Christ.  
   BTW thank-you to the poster who pointed out that I was in fact 
thinking of Saul, not Solomon . . . had a little too much fun at the 
local pub before checking my email last night!

Lady McBeth, who always reads too far into things . . .