The importance of death /Harry and Cedric

[susanbones2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 147343

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Karen Chuplis <kchuplis at a...> 
wrote:
Karen wrote:
> >
> 
> There are often small comments like this in the narrative I think 
> people miss. Some are very small and barely tossed in, but there. 
I 
> think people miss those and then think Harry never feels 
anything.  For 
> instance in OoTP page 856:
> 
> "He sat there for a long time, gazing out at the water, trying not 
to 
> think about his godfather or to remember that it was directly 
across 
> from here, on the opposite bank, that Sirius had collapsed trying 
to 
> fend off a hundred dementors....
> 
> The sun had fallen before he realized that he was cold. He got up 
and 
> returned to the castle, wiping his face on his sleeve as he went."
> 
> I think that speaks so strongly of deep grief precisely because 
she 
> doesn't say "Harry wept by the lake in deep grief over the loss of 
> Sirius". Instead, she just tosses in a gesture. "wiping his face 
on his 
> sleeve as he went". It's such a deep thing. SNIPPED>

Jen writes:
You can not imagine how this little throw-away bit tore at my heart 
when I first read it. As you said it was a such a small thing. No 
huge signposts, no self-serving scenes that manipulate you. Just 
quiet words that demonstrate so much more. 

Karen again:>
How many times have we seen a child wiping 
> their face on their sleeve at a hurt? It's outstanding and if you 
don't 
> see Harry as deeply grieving then I think maybe you are missing 
these 
> small types of gestures in OoTP and in HBP.
> 
> kchuplis