Conspiracies and re-assessments

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 112555

> Syroun:
> In response to Valky and in defense of Magda, et. Al.
> I belive that JKR intended to present Harry's parents as
> multifaceted characters,
> I have posted the following observation before without response: I
> believe that Harry, through Lupin/Sirius/the Pensieve, comes to
> find that his father possessed some qualities that he would rather
> not have.

> Alla:
> Yes, yes I totally agree with this paragraph you wrote, BUT that is
> not exactly what happened to Harry, IMO.
> It seemed to me that after hearing from many people for several
> years that his father was a Saint, he is now ready to think of his
> father as a Devil.
> He does not just think that his father possessed some qualities he
> would rather not have, he is wondering why Lily married him.

Valky Now:
I also agree that the point is to illustrate to Harry and the reader 
that James was *not* a saint.
However, I insist that further to this JKR is *also* illustrating 
that on the whole _good people_ are not saints. They are flawed and 
have layers of ego that can disguise their true self. 
We have argued time and time again that this is the message woven 
deeply into Snape. And those who did met with entirely as much 
resistance as I have in defending James this way. The tragedy of the 
story is that it is probably true of both James and Snape. Had it 
not been for LV's 'gift for spreading enmity and discord' they may 
have at some point realised that they were very *like* creatures 
both with their flaws and misgivings and both with their 
multifaceted brilliance. I do not suppose that they would have been 
good friends, though they might have been, but I do suspect they 
would have worked together brilliantly. Perhaps with a little, at 
best lighthearted, disdain for each others vanity.
 

Alla continues:
> It is a normal porcess of growing up - recognising that your 
parents
are not perfect, BUT since Harry's reactions here are so extreme
(Don't get me wrong - I applaud him for empasizing with Snape), and
there are two more books coming, I tend to think that in the next
books JKR will flip the coin again, that few more surprises are
coming for Harry, which will again change his picture of his father
in a more positive way.

Valky:
I just wanted to say YES! to this Alla. You are soo right. We will 
be flipped this way and that on Snape and James until the final 
chapters of the series. We will question endlessly these two men 
until we can question no more and just throw up our hands saying "OK 
JK just tell us, we give in. Who is Snape? and who is James?"  I am 
sure JKR would just be glad if we are having fun.