Perfect Lily (Re: But DID James listen?)

[OctobersChild48 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 150103

Alla dumbledore11214 at yahoo.com writes:
> But the thing that I find the most bothersome in as you said 
> Sherry "bad father/holy mother" cliche is JKR differentiating 
> between James's sacrifice and Lily's sacrifice in her July 2005 
> interview.
> 
> I mean, really, father's sacrifice for his child and wife somehow 
> counts less than mother's sacrifice? Why is that? Now, maybe I 
> misunderstood that part of JKR's interview, but I have not bothered 
> to reread that part since it left a very unpleasant feeling in me.
 

Since I am running hopelessly behind, as per usual, someone may have already 
answered this, but I'm going to anyway. Lily's sacrifice was greater because 
she was given the option to stand aside and live. Voldemort gave her the choice 
to stand aside. James was not given that choice. Yes, James sacrificed his 
life to protect his family, but as Jo states, he was going to die anyway, he was 
not given a choice. Lily was, therefore her sacrifice was greater. She chose 
to die to protect her child when she could have lived. And Jo is quite adamant 
about the fact that if Lily had accepted Voldemort's offer to stand aside he 
would have let her live. I am hoping to find out why that is in book 7.

Sandy