JKR messed up........ no.

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 178415

Carol <justcarol67@> wrote:
> > Carol, who thinks that JKR has sidetracked us from the real themes
of the book with her imagined view of Dumbledore
> >
***Katie <anigrrrl2@> responded:
> >   I disagree. The real theme of the book - the *main* theme of the
book - is that bigotry is wrong and tolorance and acceptance are right.
> > (snip)
> >   I see Dumbledore's sexuality as simply a continuation of what
she (and I) saw as the theme of the books.(snip) Dumbledore's
sexuality is only a distracting issue if it's made into one.
> 
***Laurel Lei*** added:
> 
> I agree, Katie... please refer to Canon below.
> 
> "Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims
are identical and our hearts are open." -Albus Dumbledore, pg. 723,
GoF -J.K. Rowling
> 
> My two knuts...

Carol responds:

One quotation does not make a particular theme, however important it
may be, "the main theme" of the books. Death and the eternal life of
the soul are also major themes (really motifs) in DH, as are many
other ideas and concepts. I'm merely stating that, IMO, DD's
temptation by power is more important within the context of DH than
his sexuality, which is, at best, only hinted at, and his actions are
explained in the books in other ways (e.g., two brilliant and arrogant
boys intrigued by the concept of the Deathly Hallows and their
potential uses or his guilt and remorse regarding his role in Ariana's
death). 

I was not talking about "tolerance" at all; I was talking about
sexuality (specifically, DD's, in which Harry, the protagonist, shows
no interest or even awareness). Certainly, JKR thinks that the books
are, at least in part, about tolerance. However, they're also "about"
growing up, making choices, the power of love (especially
self-sacrificial love), forgiveness, redemption, and a number of other
ideas and concepts which this discussion seems to have distracted us
from. I think I can safely say that the books are not about "tolerance
of homosexuality" per se, considering that the issue has not been
raised in the books, only in an interview. Equal rights for
werewolves, yes. The right to humane treatment for House-elves, yes.
The equality of Muggle-borns and other witches and wizards, yes. And
those motifs within the books do seem to relate to what listees (and
JKR herself) are calling "tolerance." But whether JKR has succeeded in
her message of "tolerance" is a matter of debate, as previous threads
indicate. 

Moreover, and this is my main point in this post, "tolerance" is not
the only important theme or motif, particularly in relation to
Dumbledore (whose chief temptation is power and who is also tempted
for all the wrong reasons to bring back, first, his parents, and
later, Ariana, from the dead). 

However, I do wonder how DD became what Draco calls an "old Muggle
lover," given the effects of the incident with the three Muggle boys
and Ariana on his entire family's lives, and I think we can connect
that incident to his attitude toward Muggles during his brief
relationship with Gellert Grindelwald. He ends up reading Muggle
newspapers, enjoying Muggle sweets, liking chamber music and ten-pin
bowling (Muggle pastimes, surely?)--all indications of a wider
interest in Muggles, IMO, and certainly a far cry from wanting to rule
Muggles and Muggle-borns for "the greater good." Does anyone else see
a gap or disconnect between the young Dumbledore, both before and
after the two-month friendship/infatuation with GG and his ideas, and
the older Dumbledore, whom we see at his youngest with Tom Riddle in
HBP? Certainly, he felt guilt and remorse for Arizna's death, but how
would that lead to tolerance for Muggles? Maybe having a Muggle-born
mother had something to do with it, but Kendra was not an ideal
mother, and she's the one who hid Ariana in the first place after the
incident with the Muggle boys. Am I missing something?

Carol, just wanting us to look at the complete picture as it's
presented in the books without being distracted by new information
from an interview (or what JKR wants us to think)