Deathly Hallows: Central Theme or Distraction?

[maidne]

No: HPFGUIDX 172864

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
> 
> bboyminn:
> 
> I've been waiting for some place to jump into this 
> discussion. What purpose do The Deathly Hallows serve
> in this story? Harry never really uses them in any
> significant way.
> 
> I think the Hallows are there because at some point
> Harry has to make a choice. He must choose between
> Power and Weakness. He must choose whether to make
> himself stronger, near undefeatable, or he must 
> choose to concentrate on making Voldemort weak. 
> 
> It is a test of wills and conscience. How many of us
> would have chosen Power? We see hints that both Ron
> and Hermione covet the Wand; they desire it. Its power
> draws them.
> 
> So, at some point, Dumbledore knew Harry would have 
> to make a choice between Hallow or Horcruxes, and that
> choice would determine whether he was more interested
> in himself, or whether he was more interested in 
> Voldemort's defeat.
> 
> This is part of the same choice to go willingly and
> comfortably to his own death at Voldemort's hand. If
> Harry had chosen the path of Power, he could not have
> gone so willingly, he could not have gone without a
> fight, and that would have been his defeat. 
> 
> This story is about Choices; choosing what is difficult
> but necessary over what is easy. Harry made the difficult
> choice, a choice that very few people would have had 
> the courage to make, and ultimately, that choice was his
> victory.
> 
> Just passing it along.
> 
> Steve/bboyminn
>

Interesting -- this is the same test Harry passed with flying colors 
in book 1.  If he had chosen the path of Power then he would never 
have been able to get the Sorcer's Stone out of the mirror (and we 
would never have gotten to book 2).

Susan