Cruel, Mean, and Nasty/Follow the Owls: Hedwig/JKR's comments

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 158851

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Magpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:
>
>  Ken:
> >
> > I don't see DD as completely good and no matter what she said I doubt
> > that JKR meant that she sees him that way either. I do side with a
> > Lincon biographer who said that while it is possible to study Lincoln
> > by concentrating on his failings, to do so is to miss the real
> > Lincoln. I see the concentration on DD's failings here as doing
> > exactly that.
> 
> Magpie:
> But why?  This thread isn't about judging Dumbledore as a whole, it's people 
> looking at a couple of very specific moments in canon and thinking about the 
> implications of what happened, and considering the options.  I don't see how 
> that is studying Dumbledore just by looking at his failings since it's not a 
> study of Dumbledore as a whole.
> 

Ken:

It may not be true of you but there clearly are people here who judge 
Dumbledore by these failings. I'm only responding to you because 
you responded to me. I'm giving you my reaction to the totality of 
the discussions here, not to your personal contribution.

> 
> Magpie:
> I guess we've left off talking about Lincoln because he only dealt with real 
> people.:-)  But I agree the Dursleys are often exaggerated.  

Ken:

Actually, I think some of the real people Lincoln had to deal with were almost
as cartoonish as the Dursleys ;-). General McClellan was virtually a self
caricature. The author's name escapes me but if you get a chance to read
the recent book _A Team Of Rivals_ you will find it a fascinating peak into
political life in the 1800's. Lincoln's cabinet gave up nothing to a modern
soap opera yet he made it work. It was part of Lincoln's genius that he 
could make it work. There is reason to believe that Dumbledore will be
seen in a similar light when we've finished the story.

 
> Ken:
> > If you want to judge DD on his interactions with Muggles I think a
> > better scene to examine is the one in the orphanage with the
> > headmistress. DD does not come off as perfect there either but that is
> > at least a normal interaction with a believable, if minor, character.
> 
> Magpie:
> So don't look at his decision to place Harry with the Dursleys and his 
> disinterest afterwards, but judge him on the orphanage lady he mind zaps and 
> gets drunk because she's got half a clue. I'm seeing some more possible 
> flaws here.  I think we should look at both and let peoples' chips fall 
> where they may on how they react to him.
> 

Ken:

My reaction was primarily to the Monstrous Mead Mauling Moment. There
were some pretty damning comments made about Dumbledore because of
that scene. Certainly the decision to place Harry with the Dursleys is much
more significant and I have no objection to judging Dumbledore on the 
basis of decisions of this importance. However, I expect some major 
revelations that relate to this decision in book 7 so I have neither read 
nor responded to any posts that were directly related to that matter. I 
don't mind if the rest of you want to go ahead and discuss it anyway,
I just think that there is a large risk of book 7 canon sinking any 
conclusions we might draw at this point. So, I am not commenting on
the who should have raised Harry question in any of my posts.

Ken