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

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 174012

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.
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Oh, yes.  Draco continued to suffer in DH, in exactly the same way 
> he suffered in HBP.  I was referring more to the lack of change, 
> that Draco wasn't allowed to change even a little...  Eh, but 
> that's more personal preference and wouldn't have bothered me too 
> much (except to wonder why the heck JKR even *created* Draco in 
> the first place).
> 
> Really, it all comes down to the lack of Slytherin flag in the 
> RoR, and the lack of any Slytherins on the side of good at the 
> final battle.  Not a single one of Harry's generation.  So the 
> only so- called "good Slytherins" were those who'd fallen under 
> the sway of Dumbledore's cult of personality.
> 
> So the logical conclusion is: Slytherins are lesser than, impure, 
> unworthy.  As Pippin said, they'd represent the selfish side of 
> human nature (though frankly I think JKR meant for Slytherin to 
> mean all of the negatives of human nature).  But then she wanted 
> to eat her cake too.  So she made Draco almost three dimensional.  
> So much so you feel some sympathy for him.  But that doesn't work 
> with the Slytherins = anything and everything bad.

SSSusan:
You know, I find, then, that we are not really very far apart, in 
the sense of what it is which was the disappointment.  It is 
precisely this, yes, that NONE of the children were written to stand 
up and be counted... or hell, to slither off to the side and feebly 
raise their hands. ;-)  I read what Dan said yesterday; I understand 
some justifications for the way JKR wrote the Slyth kids.  Still, I 
share your frustration that we didn't at least get a couple!

We got the beginnings with Draco. And like you said, she did build 
things up in HBP so that many of us did feel some sympathy -- HARRY 
even felt some sympathy.  And I thought we might get more than just 
Draco being scared senseless of Voldemort and wishing he weren't 
trapped.  

Alas, the RoR scene during the Battle of Hogwarts erased any 
possibility of that (unless I'm misreading Draco there?).  I mean, 
he, Crabbe & Goyle there, trying to foil Harry, trying to capture 
him to take him to Voldemort?  This does seem like Draco willingly 
going along with the Dark Lord's plans. :(

So I can see why this is a frustration, if you were expecting Draco 
to have taken his own reservations & hesitations to heart, DD's 
words on the tower to heart... because it didn't come to fruition.


Betsy:
> It confused the issue.  And I do wonder if future readers, who'll 
> be able to zip through the books in a few weeks or so might not 
> get as caught up in it we did.  They might boggle a little in a 
> sort of "wait, didn't he have what should have been a sea-change 
> moment back in... Ah, well, moving on" way.  But there won't be as 
> much invested, I guess. 
<snip>
> Yeah, I made the mistake of thinking House Unity was going to be a 
> big deal in the last book.  And Draco symbolized the other side.  

SSSusan:
I wonder if you're right about those who will come to the books 
later, and read them quickly in sequence.  I think that might well 
be the case -- more of an "Eh, wait a sec... what's up with that?" 
instead of a humongous disappointment.  Maybe not.  But I could see 
it.

I would not use the word 'mistake,' though, Betsy.  Like you said, 
you had time between books to reflect a lot on this over the past 
few years, and you had a lot invested in a particular vision and 
outcome.  I expected more in this area, too, even though I'd readily 
confess that I was never as invested in it as you & several others 
were.

I admit that I came to these books and was entranced by the magical 
world JKR presented -- the fun, the fantasy, the escape -- just like 
a kid, yeah, I know >;-).  And I was enthralled by Harry's story 
itself.  This kid, this really rather wondrous kid (to me), who in 
spite of having a pretty damn crappy upbringing, still somehow 
managed to care a lot about doing the right thing, still seemed 
incredibly willing to reach out and care for those in need -- the 
more dire, the more willing.  

No, he didn't reach out in a friendly way to everyone, not at all; 
but when someone was in immediate danger, he stopped thinking about 
friend or stranger, loved one or enemy, really.  Sirius, yes.  But 
Gabrielle.  Dudley when the Dementors attacked.  Even Draco in the 
RoR when it was burning up.  Here's Ron shouting, "IF WE DIE FOR 
THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" but Harry acting just like he had in 
the past, just like Ron (& I) expected.

Goodness knows his moral compass wasn't perfect, and he could engage 
in nastiness with Draco just as Draco did with him, but when 
something life-threatening was in front of him, he tried to protect 
people.  And I admired that about Harry.  

::takes off D'oH badge and shines it up::

Um.  I think I went on a little digression there.  Heh.

ANYWAY, my point was that all of us came to these books for 
different reasons, were drawn to them in varying degrees, and 
latched on to particular characters or mysteries or storylines.  
Most of us invested a lot of time, thought & energy into thinking 
about it all, developing theories (or riding along with others), 
building up expectations or hopes within ourselves.  

It wasn't a mistake for anyone to expect house unity, given what was 
laid before us.  It wasn't a mistake for anyone to wish for a big 
change in Draco at the end.  My big issues, as one can guess from 
what I wrote above, happened to be more about Harry's story, the 
mission to vanquish Voldy... just "the story" itself, I think I'd 
say.  So I end up with a few shocks and some "Gee, whiz, why'd she 
do that?" moments, but I don't have to experience a total letdown.  
Others, invested in different things, did. :-|

Man, that's a long way of saying thanks, Betsy, for writing more on 
this.  I feel like I understand better where you were coming from.

Siriusly Snapey Susan