Harry's Death - could be "happy" ending?

[kljohnson7868]

No: HPFGUIDX 154654

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Sherry Gomes" <sherriola at ...> 
wrote:

> I would be gravely concerned with the message such an ending would 
send
> kids, especially teenagers.  If you die you will be happy.  
Teenage suicide
> is already an epidemic and doesn't need anything to make troubled 
kids think
> they will find happiness by killing themselves or dying in 
general. 

There is a vast difference between killing oneself to end the "pain" 
of this world (ie, suicide) and sacrificing oneself for the better 
good (archetypical Christ figure).

> If Harry does dies--crosses fingers, knocks on wood and
> where's the salt to throw over my shoulder?--I hope it is seen as 
the
> tragedy it will be, not just a way for Harry to be happy at last. 

It will be a tragedy, of course, because he is so young and has been 
through so much pain and sadness....and we hope that he would be 
having a much happier adulthood. But not every hero lives. But they 
can (and often do) find meaning in the suffering, a greater purpose, 
so to speak.

 Maybe,
> according to Dumbledore, Death is indeed the next great adventure, 
but in my
> opinion, it's an adventure a 17-year-old boy should not want or be 
ready to
> take quite yet.

While I agree with you, I still think it is acceptable to end the 
series with his death - even though I do hope that the first chapter 
of the first book in the series ("The Boy Who Lived") will be 
prophetic.

Kathi