[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape and the "Chosen One" Was: Nice vs. Good - Compassion

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 153328

On 3 Jun 2006 at 5:03, lupinlore wrote:

> But how do you expect things to end?  What do you think would be 
> appropriate?  Surely you don't think that the Dursleys, Umbridge, and 
> Snape can go unpunished for their reprehensible crimes against Harry 
> and the series will still have a moral leg to stand on?

Shaun:

Well, I'd like to address this if I may.

Yes, I most certainly do think that the series could have a 'moral leg to stand on' if the 
Dursleys and Umbridge fail to be punished for their ill treatment of Harry (personally I don't 
agree with the idea that Snape has abused Harry, so I don't include him in this - but the 
Dursleys, at the very least, are guilty of severe neglect in my view, and Umbridge is, again, in 
my view, genuinely abusive as a teacher).

I would not *object* in any way to JKR deciding to address the issues of ill treatment 
(including that committed by Snape, if she personally considers it to be abuse - she's entitled 
to if she wants to, I won't insist everybody else except my personal opinions on what is and 
isn't abusive) if she wants to. These things have occurred in the books and if she wants to tie 
up that particular part of the storyline then that is fine with me. But it's also fine with me if she 
doesn't. There are at least dozens of themes and interlocking storylines in the Harry Potter 
books, some major, some minor and I think it would be completely unreasonable to expect 
JKR to attempt to wrap up every single one of those storylines and themes. It would also be 
inherently unrealistic *unless* we are treated to a completely apocalyptic storyline in which 
the entire world is destroyed. In real life, not everything gets wrapped up neatly at the same 
time. If book 7 follows the pattern of the other books and covers a single year in the life of 
Harry Potter and those around him we can't expect everything to be wrapped up neatly. Good 
grief - Chapter 150 (and it'd have to be at least that long) would have to be full of dozens of 
marriages to satisfy all the shippers (actually we'd also need Wizarding Marriage Law to be 
rather loose on issues like polygamy to satisfy *all* the shippers).

Every single issue isn't going to be wrapped up.

I hope that all the major issues are - and at least some of the more minor issues are. But 
some minor plot points will be left unresolved.

These books are not books about the abuse of Harry Potter. While abuse is present in the 
books, it's not at the core of the story, it's not the major issue of the books. The nastiness of 
Vernon Dursley pales in comparison to the sheer evil of Lord Voldemort. It's the defeat of 
Voldemort that I expect to be the primary issue addressed in book 7 - although even that is 
just a guess. I hope some more minor issues are addressed, but I don't expect them all to be 
addressed.

If JKR chooses to address the issues of abuse, and punish the abusers that would be fine 
with me. In fact, I would be delighted if she did, because I think that would be interesting to 
see. But if she instead chooses to address others of the myriad of issues she could also 
choose to address, then to me that will not be any type of moral failure - it's just a reflection of 
the fact that you can't tie up everything.

Are there ways in which the books, in my view, could be a moral failure? Yes - but only if JKR 
explicitly presents a morality that is *wrong* (and even that is something that would almost 
certainly be open to very strong debate). Simply not explicitly addressing every single moral 
issue that has been raised in the opinion of at least some of her fans would not be any type 
of failure.

These books are not "Harry Potter and the Horrible Stuff He's Had to Put Up With". To me, 
overall, if I had to go for a theme, they are "Harry Potter and the Future of the Wizarding 
World" - but again, that's just my theme.

There are lots of issues I'd like to see JKR address in the final books ["Harry looked back and 
realised Snape was the best teacher he'd ever had." (-8] because of the personal things I 
read in the books and interest me about them and amuse me about them. But I'm not going 
to label an author - especially not an author whose given me six (so far) enjoyable books, a 
couple of thousand pages and hours of pleasure as having failed in anyway simply because 
she doesn't address my particular hobbyhorses in wrapping up the series she's given well 
over a decade of her life to.

If she chooses to specifically address the things I'm interested in - great. If she chooses to 
specifically address whether Harry was abused or not, by certain people, and to punish them 
for that - great as well.

If she chooses to focus instead on other minor issues, alongside the overarching ones - then 
I'm not going to criticise her just because she didn't cater to my particular prejudices.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia