Harry Agonistes (was Re: Ever so evil ? was Dumbledore's role in Sirius' death

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 99138

 > Kneasy:
> <snip> Yes, I know Draco tried to recruit him very early on,
> but what did Harry know then? Not much. Yet again it was a 
decision
> based on personal likes/dislikes. So much of what Harry does 
is based
> on the personal. 
> 
> Neri:
> I know this is your interpretation of this scene, but my 
> interpretation is different. This is a classic scene, used 
(usually 
> many times) in any good-against-evil novel, of the good hero 
> instinctively recognizing evil and opposing it.

Harry instinctively recognizes evil? If this is supposed to be an 
instinct, it's a pretty weak one. Harry doesn't recognize Quirrell, 
Tom Riddle, Scabbers, or Fake!Moody as evil. He doesn't even 
recognize when Voldemort is putting lies into his head.

Besides, if Harry has the inherent ability to recognize and reject 
the path of evil, then why should we care  that he chose 
Gryffindor? He should have gone into Slytherin and led all the 
other Slythies back to the light. And how can I sympathize with all 
those poor Potterverse people agonizing over their choices, if all 
they have to do  is whatever Harry feels is right?

IMO, the major theme of the books  is that people, including  
readers,  should  not trust their subjective sense of good and evil 
very far.  Pace Star Wars,  you really shouldn't trust your 
feelings--even Dumbledore cannot. To paraphrase OOP, he 
should have known he was doing the wrong thing because he 
felt so good about it. 

I think JKR has made a great leap forward in good-vs-evil novels. 
She has dared to make the good side morally complex. Unlike 
Tolkien or Star Wars, everyone in the Potterverse does not draw 
the line between good and evil in the same place. The 
characters may not draw the line where Dumbledore  would, but, 
JKR seems to be saying, as long as they draw it somewhere, 
and refuse to cross it,  Dumbledore is on their side.

Pippin