Harry and the Decision

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 127601


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "bbkkyy55" <bbkkyy55 at y...> wrote:
Bonnie:I'm an old fan of LOTR, and of course HP.  More recently I've 
> read a lot of Terry Brooks' Shannara series.  Heros in these books 
> all seem to have some common links.
> 
> 1.  The ones we like best seem to be the reluctant ones who are 
> brought to the point where they "decide" to take on the "task".  In 
> the Shannara series they are most of the time very suspicious and 
> finally become convinced that there is only one solution to the 
> problem (evil) and that they are "it".  Frodo decides for himself, 
> almost, that he is the only one who can really do it, so he 
> volunteers, although he is by no means eager to take on the challenge.
> 
> 2.  They never really know what they are getting into.  They never 
> really know everything that they will have to deal with.
> 
> 3.  They will not sit by and let evil take over.  They are never 
> apathetic.  They would rather die fighting evil than submit to it.
> 
> 4.  They are honest, decent people who even after finding out how 
> daunting the task is that they have taken on, will not back down or 
> turn and run.  They have a basic integrity that won't allow them to 
> quit, even at great peril to themselves, or even death.  They have 
> committed to take on the task and that commitment carries them 
> through.  
> 
> 5.  They have good loyal friends who they would die for, and who 
> would die for them (Sam and Frodo).  They also have a good portion of 
> luck.  The two of these, friends and luck, often enable them to 
> complete the task. 
> 
> Now Harry certainly can fit in #2, until the end of OOTP he had no 
> idea of the Prophecy, and probably still doesn't know entirely what 
> he's up against.  Though after the BOM he must have a better idea.
> 
> He certainly fits #3. He feels an obligation to jump into the battle 
> and right any wrong that appears.  Get the SS, rescue Ginny, save 
> Sirius, etc.  In GOF he decides to die fighting LV rather than submit.
> 
> He definitely fits #5 as far as friends and luck are concerned.

The first thing to do is to read Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With a
Thousand Faces."  His book explores the idea of heroism and the heroic
tale from Gilgamesh to Beowulf to Harry Potter.  JKR has read it and
is mindful of it.  Anybody who has read fantasy or will read fantasy
will be rewarded for reading this.

Of course, I don't think Harry Potter is fantasy.  It's much more
consistent with science fiction, given that magic in Harry's world
follows laws like our own physical world and exists in a world
parallel to our own.  Magic *is* science in Harry's world; it's
researched, developed, understood.

The debate of science fiction versus fantasy is endless; I found over
52 definitions of SF, but this one makes the best argument for Harry
as SF:

" Science fiction: the unknown is to be understood and thereby changed 
Fantasy:  the unknown is to be loved for its strangeness"  -- Nancy
Lebovitz (Not the photographer Nancy Lebo*w*itz)

It's the seeking to understand Harry's wizard world that bring me down
on the side of Harry being SF.  Harry seeks to understand this world
as a student, using the same tools of inquiry that science uses.

Actually, it doesn't really matter which Harry is.  It's the great
story of my daughers' generation.

Jim Ferer