Wands and ...Deathly Hallows plotline - Important!

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 174430

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "irenek90" <irenek90 at ...> wrote:
>
> > bboyminn:
> > Most who would have chosen the Hallows as their
> > preferred path, would have thought that physically
> > bringing the three objects into their possession and
> > control would have given them immense power; and it
> > would have. Harry however, became Master of the 
> > objects and therefore Master of Death by 
> > understanding that only by using them in an 
> > unselfish way could you truly master them.
> 
> Irene:
> Fair enough and I agree...but I still think this only 
> reinforces something we already know about Harry (and 
> something I think he already knows about himself) rather
> than being of such importance that it's given the title 
> and such a big part of the book.
> 
> As I wrote in a another response, I think I was 
> expecting something else to happen with regards to 
> uniting the three hallows so I thought that issue was 
> a little anitclimactic.
> 

bboyminn:

Let me clarify a point. When I said that the Hallows
were not a /pointless/ diversion, I didn't mean to
imply that they were not a diversion because they
were, but they were a /pointed/ and necessary 
diversion.

In a very metaphorical way, I see the Hallows as 
'The Last Temptation of Christ'. Once Harry has
a basic understanding of the Hallows, he stands
at the crossroads of his life. Does he follow the
Path of Power or the Path of Self-Sacrifice? 

That may seem insignificant to many, but I see it
as supremely important. How many of us could have
resisted that Path of Power? How many of us would
not have rationalized that having immense power
would surely be the path to defeating Voldemort? 

For Harry to reject that temptation is HUGE HUGE 
HUGE. But we know Harry, he is selfless, just as
Jesus was selfless. He was willing to endure pain,
death, and defeat rather than follow that 
overwhelming temptation. 

Now, this plays out very subtly and relatively small
in the books, but none the less, I think the 
existence of the Hallows represents the turning
point for Harry, just as Christ's rejection of 
temptation is the turning point for him and sets 
him on his path of destiny. 

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not flat out saying
the Harry is playing the role of Christ, or even
comparing him to a Christ figure. It's just, in my
limited knowledge, Christ is the only good 
illustration I can think of. I'm sure those steeped
in mythology or /classic/ literature can come up with
other similar illustrations, but I can't. 

I think that is what Dumbledore intended. He intended
Harry to face a crisis of conscience when he learn the
nature of the Hallows. He trusted Harry to stay on the
straight and narrow to reject temptation and follow
the course Dumbledore had laid out for him. But he
really couldn't be sure. He simply had to trust that
Harry was the noble hero he thought he was, and trust
he would make the right choice.

The Hallows play out small in the book because Harry
DOES make the right choice, and in doing so, makes 
their significants much less in our eyes. They
certainly do have significants, and while large, it is
an anti-climatic significants, which is exactly what
is was suppose to be.

Oddly, in choosing to reject the Hallows as the path
to follow, it is actually that rejection that allows
Harry to embrace the Hallows, and allows the Hallows
to work for him. I think that might be called 'irony'.

So, while in one way the role of the Hallows was small,
from another perspective, the Hallows were immensely
important to the story.

But then...that's just my opinion.

Steve/bboyminn