[HPforGrownups] Eyeglasses: the key to Harry's vulnerability

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 163611

Lilygale:
So I put it to the group - how do Harry's glasses reveal or
symbolize his vulnerability? One thought is that Harry usually
needs outside help to see things clearly. He often is so focused
on "what is right in front of his face" that he doesn't see consider
the bigger picture. His urgency in going to the Ministry to rescue
Sirius comes to mind. For what it is worth, when I first heard the
title "Half-Blood Prince" the first thing that popped into my head
was "Harry Potter: the Half-Blind Seeker." Harry needs outside help
(his friends) to help him see clearly.


Debbie:
Harry is most vulnerable when he tries to overanalyze things; he does much
better, generally, when he allows his instincts to take over.  It's what
makes him good at Quidditch, at DADA, and thwarting Voldemort.  With respect
to the last, he is successful in escaping Voldemort time after time because
of his innate goodness, which allows him to make good choices at crucial
moments.

His glasses help him to see what's going on in the world, but those things
are distractions.  He is much better off, as you point out, when he relies
on his friends for that knowledge, which is useful but is not the core
understanding he needs to defeat Voldemort.  Ultimately the means of
defeating Voldemort will come from within.  What he can see through his
glasses can only distract him from the knowledge he really needs.  They are
a crutch, and to succeed he must rely on himself.

Much is made of the fact that Harry's eyes are Lily's eyes.  In her
sacrifice, Lily exhibited the same talent for doing the right thing.  She
didn't have time to analyze the situation; she acted, instinctively, out of
love.  Their green eyes symbolize their great capacity for love, and Harry's
glasses symbolize how easy it can be to underestimate the power of love.

Or something like that.

Debbie
who will have to wait until tomorrow to address The Flight of the Prince


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