CHAPDISC: DH35, KING'S CROSS

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 185142

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>
> Chapter Discussion: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35,
> KING CROSS

> 9.	Why do you think chapter was named "King's cross"?
 
Carol:
> First, because that's where the chapter seemed to take place. 

Geoff:
True. My feeling is that, if he had to imagine a railway station 
situation, this is the station he  knows best and perhaps you are 
correct in that it did remind him of a new direction in his life, 
although that was probably also true of his first visit to the Leaky 
Cauldron and Diagon Alley with Hagrid when he travelled home 
from the railway station at Paddington.

Carol:
> Harry's idea of a journey into the afterlife resembles his journey to 
> his new life at Hogwarts, so King's Cross in the dream is like a 
> Platform 9 3/4 with no passengers but himself. 

<snip>

> But I think that Christian readers will see Christ symbolism--Christ 
> the King died on the Cross to redeem mankind; Harry "died" to save 
> the WW. Hardly the same thing and Harry's near-death experience is 
> only a symbolic resurrection, not a real one. 

Geoff:
Yes, but he didn't "die" - Dumbledore confirms this twice. He went to a 
place, unspecified as to location (clever!) for this meeting.

Carol:
> Nevertheless, the Christ figure symbolism is there for those
> who wish to find it. Those who reject the idea are free to ignore it.
> (Again, a Christ figure is not the same as Christ himself. No one who
> sees Harry as a Christ figure sees him as part of the Trinity or the
> literal son of God. 

Geoff:
This is possibly a question of semantic differences but I have argued
strongly in the past against Dumbledore or Harry being "Christ figures". 
"Christlike" - yes - but I see these as different. Those of us who are 
Christians are on a journey to God, hoping to become more Christlike 
as we continue, although stlll a long way from being perfected but 
never Christ ourselves.

> > 10.	Please add your own question here.

Carol:
> Why do you think that Harry isn't wearing his glasses and doesn't need
> them in this chapter? What do the glasses symbolize?

Geoff:
Following on from my last comment, I saw Christian symbolism when I 
thought of Paul's famous comment  in  the first letter to the Corinthians: 
"Now we see but a poor reflection in a mirror; then we shall see face to 
face." In King's Cross, whatever place it is, Harry can see clearly without 
artificial aids. Continuing the theme, Paul goes on: "Now I know in part; 
then I shall know fully."He can see and realise everything he needs correctly.