Harry's Characterization

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 163438

---  "Ken Hutchinson" <klhutch at ...> wrote:
> > 
> 
> Mike I share your feeling on a gut level that Harry 
> isn't ready, that he simply hasn't even begun to learn
>  enough. I...
> 
> There seem to be strong similarities between Harry 
> Potter and LukeSkywalker and Frodo Baggins. All three 
> seem woefully unprepared forthe task before them. ...
> 
> Sending two Hobbits into Mordor was the height of folly.
> ... At the climactic point in their mission they could 
> not accomplish the task. Frodo could not take the 
> simple step of opening his two fingers and letting a 
> ring drop ...
> 
> Harry cannot oppose Voldemort strength to strength. ...
> I am sure he is going to walk the path of Luke and 
> Frodo to success. Perhaps, I hope, that means like them
> he will survive. ...
> 
> This is not the story of a young gunslinger advancing 
> to the top of his craft. This is the story of a young 
> man learning to embody the goodness and love that the 
> author says is epitomized by Dumbledore, however hard 
> it is for some here to see that. ... He will stagger 
> through the halls of a floundering battle station 
> carrying the dying body of his now beloved potions 
> teacher to an escape pod on the hanger deck, ... he may
> even die in the moment of his triumph like Beowulf. He
> will triumph, he will be a hero, he will not be the
> mightiest wizard who ever lived.
> 
> Ken
>

bboyminn:

Excellent essay Ken, it broke my heart to cut a single
word, though those wise word are not lost, they remain
up thread for all to read.

I think you are absolutely right, Harry is an underdog,
just as all mythological heros are not prepare when
adventure comes calling, neither is Harry prepared. Yet,
heros aways follow adventure. They always take the dark
and dangerous path, though more often washed away on a
tide of destiny then by conscious choice. An this is
Harry's fate, to be washed along by the tide of destiny.

But, I think we need to view Harry's fate ALWAYS from two
perspective. From the external perspective of the Lit-Crit,
the viewer or reader, you are absolutely right, if I may
paraphrase, 'love will conquer all'. 

But from an internal perspective, we have a very different
view. We must ask ourselves 'what should Harry reasonably
do under the circumstance', not how will the story resolve
itself. From Harry's internal perspective, he is the 
hopeless underdog, and THAT is truly something he must do
something about. From his perspective he needs to gain 
many skills and do so very quickly. In my opinion, to do
otherwize is irrational.

Now in the latest book (HBP) I can excuse Harry lack of
enthusiasm for learning the specific things he will
certainly, from his perspective, need to know. First,
he has Dumbledore; as has been oft repeated, as long as
we have Dumbledore, everything is under control. Second,
Dumbledore has promised to teach Harry what he needs to
know to defeat Voldemort. Harry, Ron, and Hermione 
speculate that it will be spectacular spells and curses.

But it turns out to be a history lesson in Voldemort/Tom
Riddle. Well, certainly, Harry must trust that this 
information will be important, but I suspect Harry is
continually expecting the /next/ phase of his training
to start. From an internal perspective, I assume that
at some point Dumbledore did intent to start arming 
Harry with certain necessary skills like curse breaking,
identifying magic, and combat dueling. He has given him
a working sample of all those skill. But that chance 
never came.

My point is that, from Harry's perspective, as long as
Dumbledore is in charge and in control, then everything
is...well...under control. So, Harry continues to 
increase his skills in school along with the other 
students; probably no better or worse than any. 

But he is also obssessed with Draco and rightly so. I
think Dumbledore just wanted Harry to leave the situation
alone, but instead of talking to him, he just told him
'not to worry his pretty little head about it'. No kid,
especially Harry, is going to stand for being condescended
to in such a way. If Dumbledore had said, 'thank for the 
info, but I'm aware of what Draco is doing and I'm on top
of it'. That would have gone farther toward comforting 
Harry, then being told to forget about it.

Additionally, Harry's year is pretty full. He's worried
about Draco, and even more so when two of his friends are
nearly killed and he is convinced Draco is behind it. He
is worried about Voldemort and what he is up to. He is
furious because the very year he desperately needs to 
learn DADA, Snape, of all people, is teaching it. His
love life is having it's ups and downs. Ron is behaving
badly, and Hermione is behaving even worse. Who can 
blame him for being distracted.

Still through it all, Dumbledore is there guiding him.
Dumbledore is in control of the only effective resistance.
Dumbledore has the Grand Plan. As long as everyone follows
Dumbledore's /Grand Plan/ everything will turn out all
right in the end. So, Harry is being a good soldier. He
is following orders. He does what Dumbledore tells him.

But now Dumbledore is gone, and with him, the bulk of the
/Grand Plan/. Yes, we have a bit of it; the Horcruxes, 
but Dumbledore must have had bigger plans than that. He
must have had ideas as to the location. He had knowledge
as to the disposal. As long as they have Dumbledore they
are 'aces', unfortunately, now they don't have him.

Consequently, from Harry's internal to the story 
perspective, he is out of excusses. Now everything falls
on him. He has lost the last of his great protectors and
now HE NEEDS TO LEARN TO PROTECT HIMSELF. Up to this 
point, I can explain away Harry's action, but if he is
not going full force towards arming himself, then all
faith in the story will be lost for me. 

Yes, WE know that love is the answer, and to a limited
extent, Harry knows it, but how do you arm yourself for
battle with 'love'? The answer is, you don't. You work
long and hard to learn how to kick ass. 

Still Ken, despite my endless ramblings, that was one
first class essay you wrote. 

Steve/bboyminn