Lily' sacrifice v James' sacrifice WAS: Perfect Lily

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 150250

 Carol wrote:
 
 It's the difference between the *hero*, whose courage is duplicated
every time a soldier fights valiantly in hand-to-hand combat, and the
*martyr*, who gives his or her life willingly, without a fight, for a
cause or principle that he or she believes in. A hero who fights a
losing battle against a merciless enemy has to die; a martyr who gives
up her own life in exchange for her child's does not. She dies because
she chooses to die, out of pure love, not heroism. Heroes have a
hundred faces in the HP books; martyrs, apparently, have just one.

Carol, trying to explain that James's defense of his family, however
valiant, does not qualify as self-sacrifice, and that it took an act
of martyrdom, not of heroism, to activate the ancient magic 

 
Julie:
I do see your distinction between the two, and it makes sense. I can
also see how Lily's sacrifice as martyrdom invoked the ancient magic
while James's heroic death didn't. Where I guess I disagree with JKR
(and that's if this is even what she was saying) is in believing that 
Lily's death was more courageous or noble than James's death.
 
Let me put it this way. If I was in Harry's situation and knew both of
my parents died putting themselves between me and someone intent
on killing me, that both sacrificed their lives to save me, I would see no
difference in their inherent courage and love for me based on exactly
how they died (heroically or as a martyr). Either could have abandoned
me one way or the other (and Lily standing aside and letting Voldemort
kill her son isn't any less "sheer cowardice" to me than James running 
away). I would consider both of them to be equally noble and courageous,
and I suspect this is what Harry thinks of James and Lily. He doesn't think
"Wel, my dad died for me, but he was going to die anyway, but my mom
could have lived yet died for me, so she is truly loved me best." And that
is because it's not true, IMO.
 
 
Julie


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