[HPforGrownups] Re: I don't think that Harry will die

[Scarah]

No: HPFGUIDX 160349

Alla:
Why boring? I do not agree at all - normal happy life, something
that Harry craves IMO, something that would be of the sort of the
reward, besides if you do not like reading about his post Voldemort
**life** which I hope will exist, I am sure JKR will deal with it in
a few sentences in epilogue - married Ginny, had twelve kids,
etc :), or at least that is the epilogue I want to see,hehe.

Sarah:
I guess one reader's bore is another reader's gold mine, but I would
think that was the biggest snoozefest ever.

Alla:
She never said AFAIK that she will kill Harry though. She teases all
the time, yes, she asks that questions, she recently flat out
refused to tell anybody what is going to happen to Harry, so I am
not sure at all that we know what she set out to write.

Sarah:
Yes, I never meant to unequivocally prove that he will die, simply
that she never said otherwise.  50/50 chance, as I see it.  I don't
give much credence to the argument that "Oh, she just wouldn't do it,
think of the children," because if that were her modus operandi, she'd
not have killed Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore... she's not writing books
that are designed to build self esteem and warm feelings of safety and
security and bunnies.  She's writing the story she's writing.

Geoff:
Perhaps
my main argument is that, to kill Harry, all the wrong messages would
be sent to the
millions of /young/ readers throughout the world.

Sarah:
My question is, is she writing to give people a role model, or writing
to tell a story?  I believe the latter.  If Harry is meant as a role
model, he's already got some problems.

- He considers himself above the rules and breaks them at every
occasion, often to be rewarded for it

- He's disrespectful to every authority figure that he doesn't like

- Seriously considers using magic to get the girl he wants

- Gets people wasted in order to manipulate them

Does that sound like a good role model already?  That's just the tip
of the iceberg.  Do I like Harry?  Yes.  But not because he's pure and
good, because he's grey like every other character.  That's the reason
I like these books.  And also, the reason why I don't quite get the
"Harry as Awesome Role Model" argument as to why he won't die.

Aussie:
Ugh. For Harry to be an Auror, he would have to go back and complete
his NEWTs at Hogwarts.

Sarah:
And then, three years of training.  Can you honestly see him putting
up with anything so tedious?  I prefer the blaze of glory.

Magpie:
Frodo was an adult with a mature outlook on life and death.

Sarah:
Harry is an adult too.  Or he will be within a couple weeks of the
beginning of the next book.