HP as escapist children's literature (was Harry's DADA skill)

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 182708

>
> montavilla47 wrote:
> >  
> > > But, even if Lupin can't be trusted, there's still Bill Weasley,
> the CURSE-BREAKER!  Why the hell is he puttering around Shell 
Cottage
> when he could be saving the world?  
> > 
> > Potioncat:
> > That reminds me of DH days. We did have high hopes for Bill and 
> Charley. Perfectly placed Weasleys who would be important to Harry 
> later on. And when one DH cover was leaked...a roomful of treasure 
and
>  a dragon...surely Charley and Bill would come into their own. 
<snip>
> 
> Carol responds:
> And isn't it ironic that HRH are in Bill's house, plotting with a
> Goblin they know is not trustworthy, when Bill actually worked for
> Gringotts? Wouldn't it be logical to ask for his help in breaking 
into
> the Lestranges' vault? I'm quite sure that he wouldn't have 
suggested
> Poly-juicing Hermione as Bellatrix, for starters. That particular
> Horcrux capture (theft) was nearly disastrous since it alerted
> Voldemort that his Horcruxes were being taken. If they could have
> taken the cup without alerting the Goblins and Bella and LV and
> without losing the Sword of Gryffindor, a lot fewer lives would have
> been lost.
> 
> But, of course, that wasn't the story JKR wanted to tell, so she 
made
> Harry promise DD not to tell anyone except his two friends about the
> Horcruxes.
> 
> Carol, wishing that a lot of things had worked out differently in DH
>

Julie:
I think you hit the nail on the head, Carol. The story JKR wanted
to tell was the story of Harry the boy hero and his two friends
who save the world pretty much all by themselves. It's certainly
a legitimate choice (it's JKR's story after all) but that choice
is what left me somewhat disappointed in DH, and which still leaves
me feeling DH was a decent enough end to the saga, but far from
the truly amazing wrap-up for which I was so hoping. 

I think it was our expectations that betrayed us, in part probably
because most of us are mature adults (er, chronologically-speaking
at least ;-) and we found many of the secondary characters as 
interesting (myself) or in some cases *more* interesting than the
main protagonist and his two young friends. Through the first 
six books (and especially in OotP) I saw an ensemble cast of 
characters developing, if not equally, at least each heading 
toward reaching individual potential within the story. But in
reality most of those characters were there only to move 
along the plot, or else provide a temporary distraction to
Harry and the readers. They were intended to be there mostly
for Harry's convenience, not for their own merits (and not all
fall into this category of course, but many do).

I think also that JKR really WAS writing a children's story.
Certainly, Harry and his friends matured (again chronologically,
though also in some ways psychologically). And the themes
got darker and more complicated, geared beyond just younger
children. But on a more emotional level I think the story did
remain within the realm of adventurous/escapist children's
literature, where the child protagonist pulls off daring if
unlikely feats while the surrounding adults remain essentially
obtuse and ineffective (not in every instance clearly in the
HP books, but in a overall sense). As with the Order never 
seeming fully proactive against Voldemort (e.g., Bill Weasley
inexplicably remaining at Shell Cottage, and Charlie Weasley
absent--equally inexplicably--from any action). And in the
end nothing too much has changed (again, some things have
of course changed, but generally speaking world views have 
not drastically shifted).

I don't call the Harry Potter series "escapist children's
literature" as an insult (and I'm not debating its merits
in comparison to other escapist children's literature). I
just think that is what it turned out to be, despite some
impressions midstream that led me to see more potential
pyschological and emotional depth than was actually delivered.
And I would rather view the series as what it is than keep
trying to invest all manner of deep meaning (and/or intent) 
where it doesn't (IMO) exist. 

Julie, stating only opinion, and like Carol wishing JKR had
been telling a different story (i.e. concluding a different
series) in DH, but aware this is/was my personal wish which
JKR was in no way required to fulfill. (And I suppose there
is always fanfic for some of those wishes ;-)