Will Harry die or not?

[jellocat at comcast.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 130254

eggplant107 that stated the following: 
> In Shakespeare's best plays the hero dies and they are still 
> enormously popular 400 years later; in the most profitable movie 
> of all time, Titanic, the hero also dies. I think Harry will die 
> too.

greg_a126:
> >JKR has to know that.

eggplant107:
> JKR knows that if she kills Harry it will be extraordinarily
> controversial, people will say she is traumatizing children, there
> will be gnashing of teeth and riots in the street. How could any
> author resist doing that, she's need a will of iron. 


I'd like to add just a few cents to the discussion of whether Harry dies or not but please forgive me for not being able to quote too many sources (because I'm at work...). 

I'm hoping he lives. I'm hoping he lives and the end of book 7 is left wide open - left to our imaginations as to what Harry ends up doing in the future. I think killing him would be too cliche at this point. For one thing, these are children's stories, as JKR has stated herself, though easily gobbled up by adults as well, as all great stories are universal in regards to the ages they reach out to. Killing Harry would be incredibly traumatic to children all over the world who look up to Harry as a kid that fought back the forces of evil and won by his own accord. 

To me, these stories show stages we go through from child to adult - the loss of a parent, becoming resourceful in the world, finding friendship and loyalty, fighting for what you believe in, discovering love, standing up for yourself, fighting depression, and so on. Harry's death would simply obliterate, to me, JKR's seeming stance on maintaining decorum, strength and courage in the face of all that's nasty and bitter in the world and finding solace in friends, family and your own convictions. 

I think these stories are much different from the usual hero archetype we all grew up with. Yes, many Shakespearian heroes die but because of a tragic misuse of power, usually. To me, these stories of Harry are born of hope and what good would the death of its protagonist do to keep that hope alive in children who look to Harry as someone they can emulate.

I, for one, really hope that the trio survive, intact, simply because their courage is symbolic, to me, of human courage in all respects. And killing any part of that would be like turning off a light on possibility.

OH: Had to laugh when I read Katherine Coble's msg. Deep Throat as the most  profitable movie ever and LL doesn't die - LOL!!!!! Thanks for that! I agree entirely with you, Katherine, about the themes of family, etc. killing off Harry would totally be a betrayal of the entire series.

Eggplant also stated: 
> "To be conventional and predictable would betray the entire 
> series. They may talk about it but in their heart of hearts most 
> people cannot imagine Rowling killing Harry, and that is exactly 
> why she should."

See, I think the opposite - killing him would be too predictable and cliche, at that. 

jellocat

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