Dumbledore, decisions, and guilt

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 163441

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Scarah <scarah at ...> wrote:


> 
> Sarah:

 I also
> think that it's mechanically necessary.  It's a common thread of
> boarding school fiction and most YA fantasy, and even shows like
> Beavis and Butthead, that the adults have to either be stupid,
> irresponsible, unapproachable, just plain mean, or absent.  Or some
> combination thereof.  If all the young protagonists had a reasonable
> number of responsible and nice adults around, providing an adequate
> amount of supervision, it would be difficult for them to be able to
> have wacky adventures.  If Dumbledore had behaved in a way we would
> find beyond any reproach, there wouldn't be a story.
> 

I understand what you are saying, but I think it's a cop out (on 
JKR's part, not yours).  Once again, it's an example of forcing the 
characters to bend to the needs of the plot.  It also speaks to JKR's 
slavish following of the hero's journey tropes, with all their (I 
think frankly silly and boring) ideas about the hero being stripped 
of his support and "going on alone."


Lupinlore