JKR Preaching? (was Re: Cultural standards ...)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 144476

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Ceridwen" <ceridwennight at h...> 
wrote:
>
> Lupinlore:
> > If JKR wants to avoid the label of 
> > moralist and still deal with the issue of forgiveness in this
> > context, 
> > she will have to be very careful indeed.
> 
> Ceridwen:
> Nice parallel with Frodo and Saruman.  They didn't play that very 
> well in the movie at all.  But, yes, the same idea.  Though, being 
> more DDM!Snape, I would see it as both crushing and beginning 
> healing.  Unlike LV, who can't stand being anywhere near love.
> 
> To keep with the rest of the series, I would say that this sort of 
> forgiveness, if used, would invoke ancient magic in the same way 
that 
> Lily's sacrifice did.  Lupin might be used, as a DADA expert, to 
> discuss it with Harry and expound for us.  That is, if it's used.
> 
> If it is, I would think JKR is going for at least a form of High 
> myth/magic with this.  I'm not sure how to explain it.  But there 
are 
> certain heroic stories that seem to rise above the ground.  Maybe 
not 
> above other hero stories, but there's something different in them.  
I 
> don't think she's got that feeling, at least for me.  And I'm 
> probably botching this whole explanation.
> 
> But, back to Frodo for a minute, he also forgave Gollum, and put 
> Gollum's interests at his heart.  We know what happened there as 
> well.  It seems to be a part of the hero's inner journey to forgive 
> and move on.  Since Harry's our hero, I can't see this not 
happening, 
> at least for Draco Malfoy.  I do think that forgiving and then 
> putting past wrongs behind is growing and maturing.  Not that I 
> always do it, there are a couple of people who... never mind.  
> Anyway, progressing beyond the hurt and elevating past it is a part 
> of the hero's journey, so I do think we'll see it with Harry.

Geoff:
Don't forget that both these authors - and also C.S.Lewis - write 
from a Christian aspect although this may be veiled in the context of 
the story. 

In LOTR, forgivness - and also pity - play a very large part. Gandalf 
refers to Bilbo's pity in not killing Gollum as possibly playing a 
major part in the unfolding of the story and in the film version of 
LOTR, Frodo says at one point "I need to know that he can come back" 
or words to that effect and it is his refraining from harming Gollum 
which finally saves him from a descent into the dark at Mount Doom 
and leads to the donwfall of Sauron.

Again, in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", Edmund becomes a 
traitor under the influence of the White Witch and is rescued from 
being sacrificed by Aslan's followers. When the White Witch demands 
his life as a traitor, Aslan demonstrates forgiveness and pity by 
allowing himself to be killed in Edmund's stead.

But all the evil powers - the White Witch, Voldemort and Sauron have 
one thing in common. They cannot see beyond their own demands; they 
have no concept of love, forgiveness or pity. 

Sauron cannot conceive of the fact that a Ringbearer would want 
nothing other than to destroy it because of the evil effect it has on 
Middle-earth and to break the power of Barad-dur. 

The White Witch wants to hold Narnia in her grip and believes that 
the Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time will enable her to do so. She 
does not know and cannot understand the Deeper Magic from before the 
Dawn of Time which allows Aslan as an innocent sacrificial victim to 
rescue Edmund from her clutches. (We do need to remember that CSL 
intended the book to be an allegory of Christain belief for young 
people). 

Voldemort desires to conquer the Wizarding World and cannot 
understand how Lily's love thwarted him and how his interpretation of 
the prophecy has allowed Harry to escape him so often. I cannot 
predict how this will work out in the end to bring about the downfall 
of Voldemort and the fulfilment of Harry's "quest" or even the 
rehabilitation of Draco (both of which I hugely want to happen) but 
forgiveness and pity will have to be faced by Harry. We have seen a 
glimmer of the latter in the Lightning-Struck Tower when he sees the 
moral crossfire in which Draco has been caught; the former may have 
to come into play with Snape....

Looking at it (personally) as a Christian, we are in receipt of 
forgiveness from God through Christ - if we so desire it. It is there 
as a gift. It is when we accept that gift ourselves that we can learn 
to forgive others and put their interests at our heart because we 
continue to seek forgiveness ourselves; faith does not necessarily 
stop us from doing actions for which we need forgiveness 
again. "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." 
Forgiveness and pity (in its best sense) must play a part if we - and 
our fictional heroes - are to go on to complete their tasks and live 
a satisfying and fulfilled life.