The Message of DH (WAS: Unforgivables - from a different angle)

[krista7]

No: HPFGUIDX 174683


> > houyhnhnm:
> > 
> > That is what I wanted, too.  The story *seemed* to be 
> > about good and evil and how to live your life.  Lately 
> > I have been wondering if the theme Rowling was really 
> > persuing was not how to live, but how to die.


Oh, I don't think the two ideas are so far apart at all.
In my reading of the series, JKR has been trying to depict
a coming-of-age story, a struggle for true maturation, 
and at that  summit of maturity is to a.) be able to see, 
and forgive, the flaws and losses of our mentors 
and b.) the ability to embrace death as part of life. 

Despite the heavy motif of death, therefore, I think 
the books are very much a testament to the course of 
life, urging the reader to live gallantly, kindly, 
tolerantly, humorously, lovingly, freely. And, I want to add,
imperfectly: one of the reasons Harry throws the
infamous Crucio is not because he is a perfect
moral hero, but because, even here, close to his peak 
moment as a hero, he is not a perfect character and 
he will, on occasion, do "bad" things, for which he 
should be held responsible. (The minute you believe yourself
or another to be morally perfect--as we see both with 
Voldemort and Dumbledore--you set yourself up for 
the errors of arrogance and the evils of intolerance.) 

Krista