Depth? Things to take on their face value (Was: Sirius' loyalty)

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 139771

Nora wrote:
So, here's a tangent for you.

Let me repeat the comments: "I think the question really is do you,
as readers, believe that Sirius would have died? Because Sirius is
saying that...Right, well, that's what I believed."

In other words, JKR is saying that Sirius is utterly sincere in this
situation, and his declaration is pretty much to be taken at face
value.

This seems to me to be, to the chagrin of some, a tendency that's
increasing in strength through the series. For entertainment's sake,
let's pull out another one which struck me very strongly:

"...because the plan was, which I really hope I fulfilled, is that
the reader, like Harry, would gradually discover Ginny as pretty much
the ideal girl for Harry. She's tough, not in an unpleasant way, but
she's gutsy. He needs to be with someone who can stand the demands of
being with Harry Potter, because he's a scary boyfriend in a lot of
ways. He's a marked man. I think she's funny, and I think that she's
very warm and compassionate. These are all things that Harry requires
in his ideal woman."

So, it's also obvious that JKR thinks, absolutely unproblematically,
that Ginny is *the* perfect girl for Harry, end stop no doubts no
questions asked. This is, to put it mildly, an issue that some
readers have had issues with. Is there more 'depth' to be read into
Harry's attraction to Ginny?

I can think of other things. Dumbledore's assertions about Harry:
his heart saved him and not his mind, Harry has a fundamentally pure
heart. Enough potential treacle to make us look for a hankie, but
all also intended in utter sincerity.

I'd offer the proposal that there are many things in the series which
JKR as the author *intends* to be taken at their face value, and
accepted by the reader. Correspondingly, this means that the
subversive readings (which do not accept these things) are highly
unlikely to receive any validation or confirmation in canon. Of
course, nothing can stop the determined theorist.

I'd love to hear what things y'all might put in this category.

To pick back up...

vmonte:
Yes, I agree completely. 
JKR's comments that "it's our choices that determine who we are" is 
also something that we should never forget.

Snape and Draco consistently choose to behave badly to the other 
characters in the series.

JKR is not going to let them off the hook for their actions. Snape is 
not a vampire and a wolf did not bite Draco. She is not going to give 
them an illness to explain away their nastiness. Even Fenrir, who 
does have an illness, and is bad, chooses to do harm when he is not 
in werewolf mode.

I'm not sure why it's so hard for people to take what Sirius says at 
face value. The poor man's been sitting in Azkaban over a decade 
feeling bad about his part in his best friend's death. He made Peter
the secret keeper, and he feels bad about it. 

Vivian