Themes in the HP series ( Was: Secrecy (Was: Re: It's over, Snape is evil))

[mompowered]

No: HPFGUIDX 137537

Dan wrote:

> Before this discussion, though, the question of what needs to be
> answered, not just plotwise, but in accordance with the stated
> intentions of the author and the hit-over-the-head thematic 
importance
> of acting on a sense of justice, a desire for truth, and love in 
the
> books must be set clearly before those taking sides on the debate.
> 
> Is it worth it to attmept this? Or should I just go into lurk for a
> couple years, satisfying myself that once the plot irritants are 
more
> or less cleared up, the themes of the writing can safely be 
addressed?

Based on my reading, here are my musings/thoughts on some of the 
themes in the HP books:

1) Love/Compassion:

I've enjoyed the posts here on Last Judgement Love.  The type of 
love discussed here is not romantic or sentimental love, but seems 
to be more in keeping with the notion of compassion...which is 
something Harry seems, IMO, to have in greater abundance than 
average.  Note his reaction to learning about Tom Riddle's past.  
Dumbledore's aim, presumably, in showing him these memories is so he 
can have greater knowledge of Lord Voldemort's modus operandi:  His 
need to collect trophies, his fear of death and desire for 
immortality, his demonstrating an inclination and ability for 
cruelty at an early age...but Harry's learning about his past has an 
additional effect:  he comes, to some extent, to understand some of 
the causes and conditions that led Tom Riddle to become the way that 
he is, and thus, comes to have some compassion for the boy that was 
Tom Riddle.

Dumbledore asks Harry whether he is feeling sorry for Lord Voldemort 
and Harry replies that he is not, but compassion is different than 
pity and different than feeling sorry for someone.  Compassion also 
allows for a sense of justice.  Compassion, IMO, is the deep 
understanding of the causes and conditions that led a person to be 
and act the way they are. Part of those causes and conditions can be 
nature, others nurture.  My mother, who is, at times, a litany of 
cliches and sayings used to say, "There, for the grace of God, go 
I".  Compassion is understanding this; understanding that if I were 
subject to the same causes and conditions this person had been 
subjected to, I may have had similar responses  (also, keeping in 
mind however, that choice, which is another theme in these books 
also comes into play here, and choice, ulimately trumps a person's 
background:  One may have been subject to an abusive background, and 
that, in turn makes that person more likely to be an abuser, but it 
it ulimately a person's choices that determine what they are to 
become).  One can have compassion for even someone like Tom Riddle, 
while at the same time demanding that justice be served, while 
acknowledging that they need to be defeated so they can no longer 
harm others.

 To reference another book:  In Lord of the Rings, Frodo decides not 
to kill Gollum and later Sam makes the comment that it was a pity he 
hadn't killed him, to which Ganalf replies, "Pity?  It was pity that 
stayed his hand".  In my mind, this was in part pity, but also 
compassion.  Frodo, from having carried the ring himself, has an 
insight that nobody else has about what Gollum has gone through, and 
he even sees, in Gollum, a bit of what the ring could do to him.  
(Going a little off on a tangent, I've noted a couple people making 
parallels here, in the past between Gollum and Snape.  In my mind 
however,  if there are any parallels here it would be between Gollum 
and Peter Pettigrew, as Harry made the decision not to kill him or 
allow Lupin and Sirius to kill him, and, as Gollum did, I think 
he "still has a part to play" in all this, though I think that might 
be through a decision he makes because of his life debt to Harry vs. 
the part Gollum played in which there was no redemption for him...he 
just saved the day by biting Frodo's finger off because of his 
corruption by the ring).

2)  Redemption:

Quote from JK Rowling Interview:  " There's an important kind of 
redemptive pattern to Snape
JKR: He, um, there's so much I wish I could say to you, and I can't 
because it would ruin. I promise you, whoever asked that question, 
can I just say to you that I'm slightly stunned that you've said 
that and you'll find out why I'm so stunned if you read Book 7. 
That's all I'm going to say."

I think redemption is an important theme in these books.  We have 
several characters who could have an "important kind of redemptive 
pattern" happening.  I think an important question, however, is the 
nature of redemption in these books, and the question of who can be 
redeemed?  Now, in HBP, we have the concept of the soul and based on 
this book, and JKR's comments, the books are looking less secular.  
We are told that acts like murder tear the soul, and that the 
Horcrux, the most wicked of magical inventions, takes this a step 
further and actually places a piece of that torn soul into an 
object.  My question here is:  can torn souls be mended, and how far 
does that redemption extend?  In Christian theology, that redemption 
seems to be unlimited if a person has truly repented.  In the HP 
books, can someone who has torn their soul through unforgiveable 
curses (are they truly unforgiveable?), cruel acts, etc., but then 
is truly repentant, makes amends in a big way, even to the point of 
sacrificing themselves or their most dear ambitions to make amends 
for their wrongs -- is that person able to mend their torn soul and 
make it whole again (at least if they haven't make horcruxes and all 
of their soul-parts are there)? 

We don't really know what happens to the soul-parts when a horcrux 
is destroyed...perhaps they go back to the original piece of soul 
and we will find, in book 7, an increasingly human LV with a more 
complete soul, although one that is not intact.  Back again to the 
Last Judgement Love posts -- what would happen if a conscience could 
be magically injected in to a sociopath like LV and he was forced to 
face all the wrongs he had done? This might, in fact, be a 
punishment worse than death.

3)  Choice:

"It is our choices that define us, not our abilities."  The theme of 
choice seems to be a strong one in the HP books.  As I stated above, 
it is important to understand someone's background in understanding 
the path they have taken, but, ultimately, that path is a choice -- 
our choices, as with the characters in the HP books, define what we 
are and will become.  And, of course, the choice between what is 
easy and what is right.  IMO, one important thing about Harry is 
that he is not the perfect hero, which makes him more interesting, 
but his choices are one thing that do make him courageous and 
heroic.  He frequently does choose what is right over what is easy:  
choosing to let Peter Pettigrew live, the underwater rescue in GOF, 
going to great lengths to stop the theft of the Philosopher's Stone 
(Sorcerer's Stone here in the U.S., I like the original title better:
(, as a few examples.  What are some other instances of right vs. 
easy?  I think the question of choice is one reason I enjoy 
speculating over what happened on the tower -- because it is so 
murky.  We don't really know what happened there, except as we saw 
it throught Harry's eyes.  If Snape is truly with LV or in it for 
himself, then, of course, he made the easy choice over the right 
choice:  to kill Dumbledore and to spare his own life.  However, if 
there was a plan in place, or if somehow Snape knew that Dumbledore 
was already dying from the potion or ring injury, but that by doing 
the AK (fake or real) on Dumbledore, and getting him off the tower, 
he could accomplish the following: 1) save Draco and prevent him 
from becoming a murderer, and perhaps get LV to spare him or to hide 
him from LV   2) Save himself, thus possibly getting himself deeper 
into the DE camp so he can assist the fight against LV in some way  
3) Keep Fenrir from chomping on Dumbledore by getting his body out 
of the way 4)Lead the DEs out of Hogwarts, then it is not so clear.  
In this case, could doing what he did be considered making the right 
choice over the easy choice?  

Any other thoughts on themes in the HP books?
Thanks.
Cheryl