Resolutions/ Draco/Are we being too critical?

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 183496

> Montavilla:
> > But, I don't think JKR was headed there at all.  And, instead of
> > getting better, almost all the characters got considerably worse. 
> > James, Sirius, Lily, and Lupin all became less impressive by the
> > end of the book.  Dumbledore went from being beloved mentor to
> > looking as manipulative and arrogant as Voldemort.
> 
> Jen: JKR sacrifices her adult characters for the children.  Her 
> chosen epigraph announced the trend would continue: "Bless the 
> children, give them triumph now." (Aeschylus)  It's why I expected 
> something different with Draco's story & the younger generation of 
> students, that they would heal the rifts started during Voldemort's 
> first rise to power.  Instead JKR was primarily interested in only 
> three children, how the Trio would save the day, and all the other 
> characters were shuffled off-stage and shuffled back on when the Trio 
> needed help at a critical moment.

Magpie:
Yes, basically. Although since you are pretty much set at 11 there's 
not much difference between adults and children--that was the other 
thing I learned I was wrong about. The children who were especially 
good were especially good at 11, and in interviews anyway, the solution 
is just to put them in charge and let them run everything. (Though 
that's not covered in the story--to me it seems like the ending is a 
fitting bookend in that Harry is basically now Vernon, but without all 
Vernon's flaws.) Less good people can still sometimes be useful--it's a 
lot like chess where people have their "move" and any move can 
sometimes be good. But good people still have to live in the same world 
as all those people who suck or just kind of suck.

Montavilla:
We could read that epilogue as Harry's generation slowly healing the
rifts--with the rifts still being there. Slytherin is still bad, but not
*so* bad that you would disown your son if he were sorted into it--
although, maybe Ron over there would.

Magpie:
Not that Harry would have to face that particular question. Little AS 
is coming to him because he's already so not Slytherin he's worried 
about being Sorted into Slytherin (and Ron and Hermione's kids are 
probably just as anti-Slytherin). So not only would he not be Sorted 
there anyway, he's got the backup of knowing to be doubly sure by 
saying "Don't put me in Slytherin" to the hat. I think the main reason 
for that exchange is that it gives teh author a chance to clear up that 
even though Harry and Snape never actually resolved their own 
differences, that chapter where we found out he was in love with 
Harry's mother and was a good guy all along means that we should 
respect him as incredibly brave.

-m