[HPforGrownups] Am I unique?

[Kim]

No: HPFGUIDX 171223

2007/7/3, eggplant107 <eggplant107 at hotmail.com>:
>>
>> I can't find anyone in this group (or any other Potter group for that
>> matter) who agrees with me that Harry will die in the last book. But
> >can that really be true? Nobody agrees with me? Nobody?!
>

>Cassy:

>Well, I think that Harry SHOULD die in the last book and it would be a
>very proper epic ending, but I fear that he will not, due to marketing
>reasons. Surely, JRK doesn't want to loose all that future readers in
>years to come?  ::snipped::

Kas:

(My first post - please be gentle :)  I've been thinking about this a while, 
and I fall squarely on the "Harry will live" team - for several reasons. 
While it's true that a Harry sacrifice might illustrate the power of love 
for others, and would make sense to those looking for overt Christian 
symbolism in the fanale, I believe it will do more harm than good.

JKR set out of make a children's story.  However rich, layered, and detailed 
they are, at their core the books detail the battle of good and evil. 
Harry, as human as he is, is JKR's symbol for good.  And I can't believe 
that she would have evil triumph over good - not in a children's story.

I realize that the Lion sacrifices himself to save the children in the 
Chronicles of Narnia.  But I see his role as different from Harry's.  And I 
admit I never read the books - knowing they were a Christian allegory, I 
wasn't interested...  Others may see him differently...

I've considered how good can still triumph over evil even with the sacrifice 
of the hero.  How it might be determined that Harry could die for the 
Greater Good.  Yep - one could argue that.  But I keep coming back to the 
fact that these books were created for kids.  Maybe I'm being too 
simplistic, but I just can't see JKR killing her hero.  I know there will be 
sacrifices - but not Harry.