Seeking the truth (Re: Disappointment )

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 177550

Carol:
> Obviously, JKR herself has a different view of what constitutes "the
> good stuff," or should we say, the important elements. Clearly, the
> center for her is Harry's story, his suffering and struggle and
> ultimate victory. Harry's search for "the truth," a phrase he or the
> narrator uses multiple times in the book, seems to me an important
> motif that has barely been touched on in our HPfGU discussions.
> Ironically, the Seeker asks if he's meant "to know but not to seek"
> (quoted from memory). That idea seems to me to be worth exploring
> (but not in this post).


Jen: I'm particularly interested in the topic of 'the truth' in DH if 
anyone is up for a discussion.  

Harry learning the truth about himself and Dumbledore, how their 
lives were woven together and what that meant for Harry's final 
confrontation with Voldemort, was the central mystery in DH as I 
understood the story.  The slow unraveling of their intertwined 
experiences reminded me particularly of Harry learning the truth 
about Sirius, James and the Marauders in POA.  It turns out Harry and 
Dumbledore were connected by much more than the prophecy: they were 
also connected by their shared pasts in Godric's Hollow, the Hallows, 
and how each one dealt with power when presented with the option to 
pursue powerful magical objects in their respective lives.  

As I said in another post, I read the Hallows fitting into this part 
of the story, that the Hallows were important for Harry's past as the 
last descendent of Ignotus Peverell and owner of one of the Hallows 
(as well as how the Hallows connected to Dumbledore's story).  Plus, 
Dumbledore expected Voldemort to seek out the Elder Wand. Since Harry 
never learned Occlumency, he'd be able to see this happening and 
might leave the Horcruxes to find out what Voldemort was after.  
Learning the truth about the Hallows and himself in the process is 
what stopped Harry from seeking the wand instead of the 
Horcruxes: "And I am meant to know, but not to seek?  Did you know 
how hard I'd find that? Is that why you made it this difficult? So 
I'd have time to work that out?" (DH, chap. 24, p.483, Am. ed.)

There's so much more, I can't do the topic justice at the moment! I 
hope others will add how they saw this particular topic evolve in the 
story and why it was important (if it seemed important to others). 

Jen