Danger in designating an "Other" / Slytherins / DH as Christian Allegory

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 173973

Betsy Hp:
> Which, if this were a Roald Dahl book (who wrote inhuman human 
> characters very well indeed) would work for me. But you don't show 
> me a suffering child and then expect me to believe their suffering 
> is less meaningful than another child's because they're evil 
> because the author says so.  I've heard that sort of rhetoric 
> before.  It never leads to a good place, IMO.  (I'm thinking of 
> Draco's agony in HBP that didn't go anywhere in DH.)


SSSusan:
You don't think readers could *sense* Draco's continued agony in DH?  
Wow, I felt Draco's agony!  He seemed scared to DEATH, for his life 
and for his family, in those scenes at Malfoy Manor.  He wasn't 
gleefully rubbing his hands together, saying, "My Lord! What's my 
next assignment?"  No, he was trapped and didn't know how to get 
out.  And I think readers understood that.

At least that was my take.  I didn't feel a lessening of Draco's 
agony in DH.  No, it didn't come to a glorious resolution for him, 
but he and his family were together at the end, and free of 
Voldemort's evil and control over them.  

Maybe by 'going anywhere,' though, you mean him taking a some 
specific moves towards the White Hats?  Or...?


Betsy: 
> I've finally concluded that JKR didn't actually *mean* for all of 
> that to come out in her books.  (I was quite honestly worried there 
> for a few days.)  But she made the mistake of humanizing her 
> Slytherins.  When she tried to force them back into the "every evil 
> stereotype under the sun" box, it didn't work quite right.  At 
> least, not for me.

SSSusan:
I definitely understand this last statement.  She could have done 
much more, there is no doubt about it, to have avoided giving the 
impression that Slytherins (*students,* at least) were all of a 
piece -- and that a lesser piece.  

Siriusly Snapey Susan