The two-way mirror - a cruel useless plot device

[warrenworthington4]

No: HPFGUIDX 163691

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Maria <maccanena at ...> wrote:
<snip>
> But I wonder... why? Why did Rowling write the mirror into the story?
> It's not needed to make him feel regrets or guilt, he already does
> that. It's not needed for any other reason so far. And, if it appears
> again the Deathly Hallows, she could have introduced the device into
> the story by other means, like part of the things Harry inherited
>from Sirius.
>
> So, why did Rowling need to make things even worse for Harry? It's
> not like she needed filler material to make the book longer, if
> anything it could have used a trim here and there. I think it was a
> bit cruel to make Harry realize the mirror was there despite
> everything else he went through.

I think that although its good that we care about a character such as
Harry, we shouldn't feel like the author has done him some sort of
injustice by instilling some feelings of guilt by using a plot device
such as the mirror.  It made me frustrated to read that too, but
thats the goal of a writer, isn't it?  To make us so invested in the
characters that we feel strongly about things happening in the book.

warrenworthington4