Jo's OWN Words about Political and Religious Overtones in the Books

[Kathryn Lambert]

No: HPFGUIDX 173755

   
  An excerpt from Jo's interview with meredith viera:
   
  Young voice: Voldemort's killing of Muggle-borns, it sounds a lot like ethnic cleansing.  How much of the series is a political metaphor?
J.K. Rowling: Well, it is a political metaphor.  But 
 I didn't sit down and think, "I want to recreate Nazi Germany," in the-- in the wizarding world.  Because-- although there are-- quite consciously overtones of Nazi Germany, there are also associations with other political situations.  So I can't really single one out.
  Young voice: Harry's also referred to as the chosen one.  So are there religious--
J.K. Rowling: Well, there-- there clearly is a religious-- undertone.  And-- it's always been difficult to talk about that because until we reached Book Seven, views of what happens after death and so on, it would give away a lot of what was coming.  So 
 yes, my belief and my struggling with religious belief and so on I think is quite apparent in this book.
  Meredith Vieira: And what is the struggle?
J.K. Rowling: Well my struggle really is to keep believing.
Meredith Vieira: To keep believing?
J.K. Rowling: Yes.
   
  ******
  SOOOOO.....I can totally live with this. She didn't keep her spiritual stuff secret because Harry was a symbol for Jesus - she kept it quiet because she didn't want to give away that people live on after death, as in Heaven. For me, a story about spiritual struggle and questions of faith is a lot more interesting than a book about how great the Bible story is! I knew Jo wasn't that traditional. I appreciate the struggle to keep believing, and that makes for a complex book. A simplistic allegory to the Biblical story isn't it. 
   
  She also talks about the politics of the books, an element which has always jumped out at me, because I am much more political than I am religious. I think the Slytherins as Jews argument can be put (somewhat) to rest, as she clearly says that Muggles (IF ANYONE) in the books would be the persucuted people. She also says there are other political situations reflected...hmmm, Bush and Blair, anyone? 
   
  Katie, who knows she said she would start lurking and stop posting, but who is obviously physically incapable of keeping her fat trap shut. : )

       
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