[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry's experiences : what's missing ?

[Christopher Nehren]

No: HPFGUIDX 116269


On Fri, 2004-10-22 at 16:50 +0000, finwitch wrote:
> And if we look at Grimms' Fairy Tales or those by H.C.Andersen or 
> other classical fairy tales - original any way, not the over-sweet 
> Disney-versions - that ARE considered as children's books, do they 
> not deal with death? Or sufferance? Or violence? Think of the little 
> girl selling matches, where the heroine freezes to death at the end. 
> Or the Prince and the Sparrow... they died, too.

Or my favourite when discussing this topic -- the ubiquitous "Ring
Around the Rosy", which deals with death, sufferance, and violence
(manifested in the increased lawlessness made possible by the lack of
any real law enforcement) all at once. Anyone remember doing the song
and dance for that as a youngster? Anyone in that set of people also
remember their reaction when they learned what it really meant?

> So you can't really say thing X won't be in a book just because it's 
> for children. Harry *can* die, since I certainly see HP-serie being 
> like the classic tales where even heros DO die.

I -- not being of the evil-loving, cynical, pessimistic, or paranoid
persuasions -- would rather not enjoy this. Let's hope that Harry's
death would be so horrible that JKR would be unable to write it. :) 

> And what Harry's missing - well, GOOD things! Life! (Hmm.. what if 
> Harry can get rid of Voldy by *living*... now that would be 
> something, wouldn't it?)

Well, Harry kind-of sort-of did that once already. And up till the end
of GoF, Harry's being alive has kept Voldemort at bay -- he's been quite
a meddlesome kid.

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