Issues with the term "realistic"

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 121318


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Janet Anderson" 
<norek_archives2 at h...> wrote:

Janet:
> And come to think of it, why isn't that "realistic?" What's 
unrealistic 
> about getting married, having a family, finding a job, enjoying 
friendships? 
> Those are things everybody actually *does* in *real life.*  What's 
> unrealistic about living a long time and eventually boring your 
> grandchildren with stories about when you were their age you had to 
fight 
> Voldemort uphill both ways?  Those aren't mysterious fantasy 
activities, 
> they're what everyone hopes to do, and many, many people are 
fortunate 
> enough to do just that, even after a war (if they survive).
> 
> It seems strange that when reading a story about people flying on 
> broomsticks, turning into animals, casting spells, becoming 
invisible, 
> playing tag with dragons, and associating with various non-human 
races, to 
> hear people declare that having the hero successfully win against 
the 
> villain and go on to enjoy his life along with those who helped him 
in his 
> fight would be "unrealistic."


Geoff:
I am not the sort of person who likes "real life" stories. I can get 
enough of those on the front page of the papers.

I get great pleasure out of willingly suspending my disbelief and 
entering into a story almost as a participant. My family sometimes 
think I am quietly barmy because I am into LOTR and HP on the one 
hand and go off into the realms of Star Trek on the other. I like to 
enter a world which detaches me from the mundane and introduces me to 
a new world which I can still recognise as an off-shoot of my own but 
which contains things of wonder to excite me. Tolkien was a great 
believer in "sub-creation" as being a gift of God given to us to 
enjoy.

Way back, when the world was young (in message 78617 to be 
precise!!), I wrote the following which may or may not be germane to 
the present discussion....

<quote>
"None of our favourite book characters are real; that's what "fiction"
means!

Frodo Baggins is not real. Jane Eyre is not real. Shylock is not
real. They may be based in part on real people but they themselves
are not intrinsically real.

That does not mean that we cannot treat them as real, to share in
their experiences, to cheer for them, cry for them and hope against
hope that things will work out for them.

To use the idea of a dream is a cop out. I remember how angry my wife
got when the Dallas incident occurred.

I have my own "wishes" as to how HP will work out. In the event, it
won't end the way I have wished but, if it does finish in a dream
resolution, I shall feel that I have been the subject of a confidence
trick to lure me through seven books to a disappointing conclusion.
And, as someone pointed out recently, it would be a possible disaster
to the younger readers of the books - for whom Harry was first
introduced - as it would undermine the power of their imaginations
which are such a valuable part of their development."
</quote>

My own ideal ending would be to see Harry (plus friends if necessary) 
defeating Voldemort and being able to settle to being in the 
Wizarding world, in one piece, without having to perpetually look 
over his shoulder and able to pursue something which he felt of value 
and still mount his Firebolt on a Saturday afternoon.......

Not everybody's cup of tea I suppose..... But, only time and a 
certain pen in Edinburgh will reveal all.

Geoff
http://www.aspectsofexmoor.com
Enjoy a virtual visit to the Exmoor National Park 
and the preserved West Somerset Railway