Will Harry die?

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 156813

Re: Will Harry die? (long) 

> Hans: "Rowling said she couldn't answer the questions about the
> book's religious content until the conclusion of book seven." CST
99
> > "If I talk too freely about whether I believe in God I think
the intelligent reader, whether 10 or 60, will be able to guess
what's coming in the books." JKR >
>
> Danielle: I would like to see your sources for this. I do not
recall Jo saying this in any interview.
>

Tonks:
These are quotes from interviews with JKR that you can find at Quick 
Quote Quill.  Hans has recorded them correctly.  It was these 
comments from JKR and some interesting symbols that I saw in the 
first book that made me start to wonder what she was doing and to 
delve into the books in more detail.

I know many do not agree with me, and that is fine.  I do think, 
however, given the comments by JKR and the symbolism that I see, 
that she does have as a blueprint and framework of the series, a 
Christian theme. It is not necessary for the reader to ever see or 
know the blueprint or see the foundation.  It is not necessary for 
the person who buys a new home to know every detail of its 
construction, but it is important that these details be there in 
order to produce the final result. The same is true for the story in 
a book. 

I have been reading transcripts of some lectures by Carl Jung which 
were on Alchemy, of all things. I would never have expected him to 
write about Alchemy. He talks of it as associated with the 
subconscious and with the process of Individuation. And since the HP 
series is about the coming of age of a young boy into a man, the 
series can certainly be seen as representing the process of 
individuation. 

Now Hans would be the first to tell you that he and I have never 
quite seen eye to eye on the idea of Alchemy being part of the HP 
books.  And as I am reading the notes from Jung, I reluctantly have 
to say that there does seem to be a pattern in the HP that does fit 
with much of what Jung has sited.  This is much to my compete 
shock!  There are many symbols and concepts from Alchemy in the 
books. Even the 2 snakes that DD saw going in opposite directions 
are there.  

Does this mean that JKR has read Jung's work?  I don't know.  She 
got the ideas from somewhere. She is a very intelligent woman and 
may know or has had a Jungian therapist who would have told her 
about his work.  Since she starts the series with references to 
Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone, I think that is also a clue to 
the possibility that she has in fact read his work. 

So all in all, what do I think the blueprint and framework of the 
books are?  They, IMO, are about the maturation of a young boy into 
a man, both psychologically and spirituality. The process of Alchemy 
is very old, predating Christianity.  Jung says that it appears to 
show universal truths that are present in a variety of religions.  
The Christian Alchemist came to it rather late and wrote until the 
17th century.  Much of what is currently written about Alchemy is, I 
think, from a Gnostic view, which is Hans' viewpoint. 

In my view Harry comes into maturity and his spirituality has a 
Christian tone, but so far only hidden in the framework of the 
series.  JKR said in one of her more resent interviews  last year, 
that she has not wanted to talk much about the religious aspect of 
the books, but if the interviewer would ask her after book 7, she 
will tell them, but by they will know, because they will see it.  

To answer Geoff, I don't think that the books make Jesus into a 
fictional character.  I think the books show the process of becoming 
a fully functional human being that gives a role model for all of 
us. It shows Harry as everyman, becoming all that he has the God 
given capacity to become.  And this includes discovering the Christ 
within himself.

Let me explain.  According to Jung, the early Alchemist did not 
understand the concept of the unconscious as we do.  They projected 
onto matter, and thus thought that God was in the matter and had to 
be freed.  Today, from a Christian perspective we would say that the 
idea of "the kingdom of God is within you" means at the core of our 
being, within us, within the part of our unconscious that we think 
of as the soul.  And in a sense this does agree with the ancient 
alchemist because we as humans do represent matter, the earth.  The 
process of modern Alchemy is going within the self to the deep 
unconscious and freeing the image of Christ that is in each of us. 
This is a Christian perspective, but it can also work with Buddha or 
whatever God or enlightened one of other religions as well.   It is 
a universal concept.  I understand it best from the Christian 
perspective.  I think that JKR is strongly influenced by that 
perspective as well, but is trying to write it for all people and 
that is why the symbolism that I see as explicitly Christian is not 
explained by her or shown in an unveiled manner.

As to will Harry die? I have already written about that in detail. 
Briefly, IMO, he and Ginny will both go beyond the veil, and return 
with Fawkes who represents the Holy Spirit. Harry is not 
representing Jesus, or Christ, he is discovering the Christ within 
himself in a symbolic death to the old self which I think will 
include a part of LV that is within him.


Tonks_op