A Sense of Betrayal

[prep0strus]

No: HPFGUIDX 174432

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Katie" <anigrrrl2 at ...> wrote:

> ***
> Katie:
> I agree. She wrote books *about* children, not necessarily *for* 
> children. And I think that often, criticisms of the books come from a 
> POV of seeing them as kids' books, which I have never believed they 
> are. 

Prep0strus:

For me, I withhold a lot of criticism BECAUSE I accept them as
children's books.  Now, they have a lot of complexdities, and are
certainly enjoyable for adults... but I feel a lot of things in the
books wouldn't be acceptable in adult fiction.

Primarily, it's the level of unfairness in the world she's created.
I feel that kids look at the world a lot of times as me against them.
 The gross, ridiculous inequities between kids and adults.  And in the
ww... it's not just harry's impression that things are preposterously
unfair - they really are.  Yes, people act with mob mentalities in the
real world, but in the ww... harry can't go two seconds w/o having the
entire world praise him or revile him.  The things teachers get away
with, from Snape to Umbridge, are utterly absurd.  The way Dumbledore
is usually shown as almost all knowing and all powerful (until the
last book), but he can't stop obvious miscarriages of justice.  We try
to explain reasons why there was Quirrel, and Lockhart, and Umbridge,
and Snape even allowed near children.  The complete and utter
ridiculousness of underage magic laws, and how Dobby can almost get
Harry expelled.... these are things that belong in a children's novel.
 Kids can more easily relate to the level of inequity.

If I were to look at these books from an adult perspective, I'd be
more frustrated with the lack of explanation for the unfairness and
injustice built into the world.  As it is, I often get frustrated -
like reading a Series of Unfortunate events, where this is taken to
the extreme.  Or any number of other kids books where the rules exist
as foils for children, rather than out of any true logic.

I love these books, and these characters, but whether she meant them
for adults, for children, or for anyone who would be interested... i
believe it is a children's world, w/ the rules of children's
literature applying to it.

~Prep0strus (Adam)