rec: Missing from 'Harry Potter' – a real moral struggle

[dkewpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 173099



I want to recommend this critique piece on Book 7 "Missing from 'Harry
Potter' – a real moral struggle", written by Jenny Sawyer, as it shares
exactly my problem with book 7 and the HP series in general and and put
it better than I could ever do.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20070725/cm_csm/ysawyer



quotes:



"Successful storytelling rests on a few basic principles. One of them
is this: A story is about someone who changes, who grows through a
moral struggle. What is Harry's struggle? Exactly."



"Throughout the series, but especially in book seven, even Harry's
darkest moments – of self-doubt, of disillusionment, of skepticism
about his greatest mentor, Dumbledore – never ring true. Was there any
doubt that Harry would fulfill the task set out for him?
The truth of the matter is that Harry the character had nowhere to
go. And thus, the overarching moral dilemma of the series, the
compelling inner crisis that begged resolution, had nothing to do with
our beloved hero."



"Back to that first principle of storytelling: A story is about
someone who changes. And, puberty aside, Harry doesn't change much. As
envisioned by Rowling, he walks the path of good so unwaveringly that
his final victory over Voldemort feels, not just inevitable, but hollow.







But there is one character who does face a compelling inner crisis:
Snape. With all the debate – and with all of Rowling's clues – about
whether he was good or bad, it's fair to say that the sallow-faced
potions professor has entranced many readers. His character ached for
resolution.







And it is precisely this need for resolution – our desire to know
the real Snape and to understand his choices – that makes him the most
compelling character in the Potter epic. His decisions, not Harry's,
were the linchpin. And his moment with Dumbledore after the death of
Harry's parents, not Harry's last duel with Voldemort, is the authentic
climax of the series





For Harry, there was no choice. The way forward was clear, the
conflict – and journey – external. We cared about Snape because this
was not the nature of his story. Every action was weighted with the
pain and subtext of his choices, or lack thereof. For Snape, there
weren't – there couldn't be – any easy answers. And yet, in the end,
his moral journey was overshadowed by this fact: It was merely one more
plot device to propel Harry toward his pre-destined victory."



you can read more in the link above.




Joan