What about James' sacrifice?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 165544

Jenni from Alabama wrote:
> 
> James gave his life trying to protect not just Harry but Lily's life
as well, yet his sacrifice is not shown in the books as 'significant'
by JKR, only Lily's. My husband, who is the one that got me hooked on
Harry Potter to begin with, has always been a little bit offended by 
this. 
> 
> A mother's love is powerful stuff, but what about the love of a 
father and husband? <snip>

Carol responds:
I think the answer is fairly complex and ties in with the themes of
mother love (illustrated by everyone from Mrs. Crouch to Narcissa
Malfoy) and blood magic. But in simplest terms, James was fighting
Voldemort, dying in battle to protect his family, whereas Lily wasn't
fighting at all: she was offering her life in exchange for Harry's. So
James didn't *sacrifice* his life in the sense that Lily did. Nor
would Lily have sacrificed her life if she had fought back as James
did. If she had resisted Voldemort instead of stepping in front of
him, Harry would have died. That she's Harry's mother rather than his
father is unimportant in terms of the ancient magic invoked. What
matters is the difference in their actions.

Carol, who sees the difference between James and Lily at Godric's
Hollow as the difference between a hero and a martyr