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

[Katie]

No: HPFGUIDX 178417

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> 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:
> 
<<<<SNIP>>>> 
 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). 

<<<SNIP>>>
> 
> 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)


***Katie(already begging forgiveness from the Elves for posting so 
much today):


I certainly agree with you that the books are in no way focused on 
homosexuality (I actually don't see it in the books *at all*), but I 
still disagree with you that tolerance is not the main theme. I see 
tolerance/anti-bigotry as the *only* theme that carries through all 
7 books. I see a theme as different than a plot. Dumbledore's 
seeking of power is part of the plot. Ariana's death is part of the 
plot.  These things may bear on the themes and sub-themes, but they 
are not themes in and of themselves.


I also have to say that I believe the sub-themes you mentioned: 
love, forgiveness, the power of love, and redemption; are all 
intertwined with the theme of tolerance. Where does bigotry come 
from? Fear, hatred, inability to accept and forgive...I believe JKR 
combined all these ideas into a virtual treatise on bigotry.


Whether she was successful in that...that's highly debatable. I 
would, with the exception of the DH, say yes. However, her 
conclusions to these threads were highly ineffectual, IMO. As I have 
posted previously, I think her conclusion of the House Elf storyline 
was incredibly contradictory to the previous 6 books, and I find 
Harry's final remark about Kreacher entirely out of character and 
very distasteful. 


Getting back to the topic at hand, I think that we all see what we 
would like to see in the books, which is what makes them so 
enjoyable. Being a very political and very liberal person, I saw the 
bigotry angle as the most pervasive theme in the books. Someone who 
is more focused on relationships might see love as *the* theme of 
the books, excluding others. 


I think what is unfortunate about JKR's seemingly constant 
interviews is that we all are left without our own interpretations 
of the books. However, I find it equally unfortunate that so many of 
my fellow HP fans are so unwilling to accept their beloved 
Dumbledore as a gay man (I am NOT accusing you of this, Carol, or 
any other specific person on-list. Just saying this disappoints me 
in general.) That is very disheartening to me. 

I guess what I am saying is, to each, his own. I will continue to 
see HP as political and philosophical books about bigotry and 
fighting the establishment, and other people will see them 
differently. I just hope we can all start being a bit more polite in 
our disagreements. (Again, Carol, totally NOT directed at you, who 
is always very polite and respectful.) KATIE