ChapDisc: DH 18, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore

[nikkalmati]

No: HPFGUIDX 182626

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
>
> ---  "Mike" <mcrudele78@> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------
> > 
> > 
> > CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
> > Chapter 18, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore
> > 
> > ...
> > 
> > QUESTIONS:
> > 
> > ....
> > 
> > 6. With regards to "For the Greater Good", Hermione said 
> > Dumbledore changed. Did he? Though Dumbledore rejected 
> > Grindelwald's interpretation of that phrase, did Dumbledore
> > reject his own interpretation?
> > 
> 
> bboyminn:
> 
> I'm going to just address this one issue. The problem with
> the quoted statement is that there are two more words to
> it, though those two words may only be implied.
> 
> When Dumbledore and Grindelwald were first discussing 'the
> greater good', they were feeling that the wizard world was
> a little put upon and downtrodden. Wizards were forced into
> hiding by the cruelty of muggles and they felt that was unfair.
> So, when, at that time they say 'for the greater good', what 
> they mean is for the greater good /of wizards/. They are 
> willing to oppress and subjugate an entire race of millions of 
> people for the greater good of a few thousand people, meaning
> of course, the wizard world.
> 
> Later in life, Dumbledore still believes in the greater good,
> but he now believed in the greater good /of all/. >
> Steve/bboyminn

>
>Nikkalmati

>This phrase, which occurs several times in the books in different 
>contexts, has me puzzled.  What does the author (JKR of course)  
>intend?  If I were just reaading the books, I would think that she 
>intended us to see the irony in DD's use of the phrase as a guide to 
>right behavior.  The greater good according to whom?  Even if DD is 
>using this maxim as his guide, he ends up doing a number of dodgy 
>things, misusing his power, and mistreating individuals - all for 
>what he sees as the greater good.  Just from the books, I would say 
>JKR intends for the reader to see that the greater good is a very 
>poor guide to behavior.  OTOH when I read the interviews, I get the 
>feeling that JKR very much believes in measuring actions by this 
>standard. What do you think?  Does JKR mean the greater good to be a 
>reliable moral guide or does whe want the reader to see it as a form 
>of self-deception?

Nikkalmati