Further Notes on Literary Uses of Magic and Anti-Globalization in Harry Pott

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 168196


> tbernhard2000:
> > You've removed the only thing that matters here - the DA is 
working
> > for good, not evil. This is not an aside, this is essential.  
> <snip>
>  She gave
> > information to collaborators that endangered the very essential
> > mission the DA was on - to show the world the truth. 
> 
> Magpie:
> I thought part of Betsy's point was that working "for good" was 
> important, but that it wasn't all there was to it. People can think 
> they are working for good or be working for good and still do 
things 
> wrong--and of course, deciding who's working for good and who's 
> working for evil, in the real world, sometimes depends on what side 
> you're on. It's probably not a good idea to just decide that 
> whatever X says is the right thing is right, especially if you 
don't 
> really know X, and yet there is an element of that here. From 
> Marietta's pov she's probably not doing what you're saying she's 
> doing.
<SNIP>

Alla:

Well, yes, I agree with what you are saying RL wise. I do not 
necessarily agree about that in Potterverse. I always believed that 
JKR draws quite strong barriers between those working for good side 
and those working for bad side and that **she** gets to decide which 
side is good and which side is bad, you know?

I am not talking about us as readers not being able to decide that 
for ourselves, I am just saying that IMO in JKR's world once she 
decided that one side is good, it is so done and the measure of what 
they do are different IMO.

And while I may not share such view in RL, I can totally see it in 
Potterverse and be happy with it, you know?

Have you read Martin's "Songs of Ice and Fire"?

Several people highly recommended those series to me and I only 
recently decided to start rereading. I threw away the second book 
long time ago, since I could not find the characters to root for.

If you did read them, you will know what I am talking about. I think 
Martin does portray very well how our views of the characters can 
change depending on their POV, and who is on what side gets very very 
murky.

I believe that it is SO not the case in Potterverse, despite JKR 
greying some issues in OOP and HBP.

I honestly believe that no matter how many mistakes good guys make, 
JKR does not intend to portray them as deserving same contempt as 
Voldemort and Co, even if they make pretty big mistakes, you know?

I can obviously be wrong and if she does the big rug pulling in book 
7 and tells us that Slytherins were prejudiced again and badly 
misunderstood all that time, I will eat a crow, truly I will. I will 
laugh and eat it :)

And as I said, I think she does it quite convincingly, even if I find 
Martin's portrayal to be much more realistic.

I mean, why would I ever feel something for Lucius Malfoy, even if he 
loves his son?

I **know** that he stood by and watched a boy to be tortured and I am 
pretty sure that he participated in the torture of Muggles himself, 
so he is a **bad** very bad man to me, and nothing can redeem him in 
my eyes, even if JKR showed to me that yes, he is not a caricature 
evil.

So what I am trying to say is even if Lucius Malfoy will be shown 
feeding homeless kittens ( exaggerating, but I hope you get my 
drift :)), I do not believe that JKR will intend for us to feel a 
great deal of sympathy for him. Not saying we cannot or should not, 
just that it is not an author's intent IMO.

Same thing for example with mmmmmmm let's say Lupin :) 

While I am not buying that he betrayed anybody anywhere, of course he 
made some pretty bad mistakes - not in dismissing those mistakes 
because he is human, but truly bad mistakes.

Do I think that JKR intends to forgive Lupin for those mistakes 
because he is on the **right** side?

Yes, I totally do.

So, I guess what I am trying to say in such long winded way that JKR 
does employ a double standard IMO and I see nothing bad with it "in 
Potterverse"

Or let's take Hermione, hehehe. As you know, I also agree that 
Marietta getting what she got was richly deserved, but I also can see 
where the arguments that it was morally wrong coming from.

But do I think that JKR does not intend to judge Hermione as harshly 
as some other characters? Yes, I do, because I absolutely think that 
even if what she did was morally wrong ( and I do not, I just 
understand the argument), I think it is **nothing** in comparison to, 
let's say, planning assasination attempts.

JMHO,

Alla