HPforgrownups - Christianity and Aeschylus

[Angel Lima]

No: HPFGUIDX 173406

MelroseDarjeeling wrote:

Everyone might not agree that *all* of these are intended as Christian allegory, but I suspect most would agree that the central point of the book, and indeed the whole series, is Harry sacrificing his life for others in a dead-on parallel to Christ's crucifixion.
<snip>
Curious to know what others think. If this was her goal, was she successful?
	
Angel Lima:

I couldn't access that link Melrose, could you please send me the writing whatever it is directly?  Pretty please? 

Being Christian though admittedly a lousy one - i.e. I don't believe you need to read the whole bible to be a Christian etc, it was still hard to miss the allegorical elements of Christianity throughout the whole piece and despite the arguments to the contrary, I do believe that was Rowling's goal.

I honestly didn't think Rowling would go down the sacrificial route (Harry giving up his life yet resurrected somehow) but she did. She did it very well, better than I thought she would manage it, but still a tad preposterous, again my opinion.

In DH:

Dumbledore played the Father figure.  Omniscient. 

Harry rescued [souls] from the Dementors in the [MoM] specifically Mary Cattermole.

He saved his friends from the Malfoy Manor.

He [saved] [nemeses] Draco and Goyle from the Fiend[fyre] in the Room of Requirement.

Discovering what he must do, he did it.  He accepted the [goblet] and
proceeded to the place of the [skull] (where the Death Eaters and Voldemort congregated) where he laid his life down for everyone.

He even went to see his fatherfigure Dumbledore in the Wachowski's version of Limbo.

In Jesus' last hours - the snake tempted Him and Jesus crushed it.  In DH Nagini ended Severus' life and it didn't seem likely at all to me that Harry was tempted to save Snape.  It was only after Harry's sacrifice that Neville smote Nagini.

Of course Jesus was nailed to the Cross also but Narcissa only ran her nails across Harry's chest upon reawakening.

Harry kept wanting to sleep, he was tired and fatigued but everyone bustled about him, either to help him - Neville, remind him of what to do - Minerva and even journeyed with him - the duo.  When Jesus was in the garden praying, he returned to find his friends asleep.  Obviously Harry Potter has better friends than Jesus did <g>

When Severus cut off George's ear no one could mend it but Jesus was able to reattach the soldier's ear that Peter had cut off, one thing is for certain though, I would aptly agree that Severus was Harry's right hand man.

Ron, Harry's canon right hand man, denied Harry as Peter denied Jesus thrice before the cock crew.


Harry did what he did because:

1. He knew it was the right thing to do.

2. He was tired of seeing people he loved getting killed because of him.

3. To make Voldemort vulnerable.

Jesus died because:

1. He loved everyone, the poor, the lame, the ugly, the cowardly, the
beautiful, the heroic.  Even Snape, Jesus would have loved Snape. He died to save all those He loved.

2. His death would end the devil's power on those He loved.

3. It was the right thing to do.
 
Jesus forgave "they know not what they do" Harry only forgave Snape after delving into Snape's thoughts after knowing whom had Snape's allegiance.

"The stone rolled away" I'm pretty sure that was the exact phrasing.  Harry dropped the stone and it rolled away...

So basically, all the elements are there that are hard to put down to
anything other than Christian symbolism but the reasons and messages are very different.

There is no change for the Slytherins who are delegated still to their
dungeons with the stigma of grown and dead wizards' sins. 

Once Jesus' time to die was upon Him, no one else died except for Judas who betrayed Him.

Maybe Rowling's message is that Harry can go through all that Jesus went through and still not be Jesus, in which case I didn't need to spend 7 Hogwarts years to find out.


Apologies for posting really long posts (I think altogether now this is my fourth post in over four years <g>)

Was anyone else struck with those two powerful opening passages?

My tongue cleaved to my palate in anticipation of such a powerful
introduction.

Across from it was a statement - J.K Rowling asserts her morals (or sthing)

Was anyone else disturbed she chose [that] passage?  Befitting the noble house of Black and the Chorus could easily interchange with the elves maybe, but a prayer preceding matricide????  

It was powerful, heart-wrenching but utterly frightening after I was finished with the book...where Harry feasted on his mother's features and named his middle child after her stalker.

So in answer to your question Melrose - was she successful?

My goodness no! :)


Angel Lima