Appeal of the story to the reader WAS: Re: Of Sorting and Snape

[rowena_grunnionffitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 176355

 
> Julie:

> My expectation throughout the first six books is that the
> inherent "message" in JKR's books was one of forgiveness
> and love, of tolerance and the need to see and value our
> commonalities rather than our differences...to love our
> enemies, as it were. It's something I believe in and I
> think the world needs to believe in if we are all ever
> going to live together without constant violence and war.

  Rowena:

  I thought it was about good and evil, choosing between them, and 
fighting the latter.

  Julie:
 
> And, like Houyhnhnm, I don't think this is the message
> JKR delivered in the end. Which is completely her right, 
> BTW. There were signs in earlier books, that righteous
> vengeance was a theme too (and I think someone pointed 
> out how DH ended more with an Old Testament vibe of smiting
> evil with righteous vengeance than the forgiving and loving
> your enemies message of Jesus in the New Testament). I
> expected the forgiveness/tolerance/love theme to prevail
> but I do feel that a more divisive righteous vengeance/
> you're with us or you're against us theme took precedence.
> It wasn't what I expected, but it is what it is, so I
> accept it. And I still like the books for what they are,
> even if I wished they'd been a little more.

  Rowena:

  Hmmm...being Jewish I am of course an Old Testament sort of person
so the 'divisive, righteous vengeance' theme didn't bother me in the 
leasst - though I would point out that forgiveness is not unknown to 
us Old Testament Types though it does require both penitence and 
reform, which BTW goes for Christianity too. 

  Voldemort has of course by his own will and actions put himself 
beyond human forgiveness - and maybe Divine. As for Slytherins' in 
general, all we really know is that the competition between 
Gryffindor and Slytherin is still going full bore - which doesn't 
necessarily mean S House is 'bad' IMO anyway.