Deathly Hallows: Central Theme or Distraction?

[chuck.han]

No: HPFGUIDX 172979

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Lee Kaiwen <leekaiwen at ...> wrote:
>
> Steve blessed us with this gem On 26/07/2007 02:57:
>
> > I think the Hallows are there because at some point
> > Harry has to make a choice. He must choose between
> > Power and Weakness.
>
> Perhaps. Unfortunately, the Deathly Hallows storyline is weakly
> written and weakly integrated, to the point where their purposes in
> advancing the story is murky at best. What purpose is served to send
> Harry on a Horcrux quest, only to suddenly distract him with the
> Deathly Hallows?
> Seems unnecessarily cruel of Dumbledore.
>
> In any case, Harry didn't really choose between Horcrux and Hallow
> until after it became clear Voldemort would beat him to the wand. So
> ultimately, Harry didn't volitionally choose weakness over power;
> the choice was thrust upon him, diluting the moral victory of the
> choice.



As the originator of this thread, I'm actually coming around to
thinking that the Deathly Hallows is the central theme BECAUSE it is a
 potential distraction to Harry.  The distraction, as people have
written, give Harry a choice.  He must choose correctly (and, Steve,
I don't think it is actually a choice between Power and Weakness), and
he ultimately does.

I don't agree with Mr. Lee that Harry didn't really choose between
Horcrux and Hallow.  The "Wandmaker" chapter makes it clear that he
chooses to talk to Griphook BEFORE Ollivander thus choosing Horcrux
over Hallow WHILE he still had a choice--remote as his chances of
succeeding were, he could tried to beat Voldemort to Dumbledore's tomb
(uggh!), but he didn't, and NOT because the chances were remote (his
chances are dismally remote for everything in the whole book):

"Harry hesitated.  He knew what hung on his decision.  There was
hardly any time left; now was the moment to decide: Horcruxes or Hallows?"

He agonizes over this choice with doubt creeping into his mind over
the subsequent pages:

"The enormity of his decision not to race Voldemort to the wand still
scared Harry...He was full of doubts, doubts that Ron could not help
voicing...The odd thing was that Hermione's support made him feel just
as confused as Ron's doubts."

As for "Seeming unnecessarily cruel of Dumbledore," again, I have to
disagree with Mr. Lee--ultimately, it is Harry's choices that enable
him to defeat Voldemort, and Dumbledore lays out the choices for Harry
however cruel that may seem to be, but it is, IMHO, not unnecessary.

Chuck Han