The Role of Religion in the Potterverse

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 186219

Shelley:
<SNIP>
That doesn't stop the assertion in this book that "patterns repeat", and
that the author is using that pattern to set up a story of a conflict that
needs to be resolved. That is all Rowling is trying to do with Harry Potter-
repeat a pattern so that she has a framework to write a story from. <SNIP>


Alla:

Right, I agree that Christian themes serve as a framework, not as a promoting of anything. Ok, maybe this example will be easier to agree upon since it has nothing to do with religion.

In one of the interviews (not sure which one and do not have time to go look it up now) JKR said that "wise old man" or "wise old mentor" always dies, that it is just the genre she is working in.

I mean, does one have to be a faithful follower of "Hero's journey" to know what she is talking about? I really do not believe so. It is an archetype that we all know and it usually enough for us to hear this phrase to build the associations and to figure out in which direction this character will go.

Was anybody in any doubt that Dumbledore will die? Okay, I know I certainly **hoped** that he will not at some point, but I did not doubt that much. Did it help to predict the fact that he will die because he is an old man with the white beard? I know it did help me to predict that, I am thinking it helped many others as well.

And same with Christian themes, as it was said many people predicted the ending (general idea) correctly based upon seeing the framework.  I certainly would not want to read a book that promotes it. Lewis' books are really not among my favorite books, quite the contrary. Recently I read the book by W. Nicholson, whose character name is `Seeker of truth' and who wants to become the member of the Noble warriors, who serve the One who is Child, Mother, Father, in the GARDEN. Right, this is the kind of book I have very little patience for and as you could guess I will not be reading second and third book of this trilogy. I had a feeling that author was beating me over the head with the baseball bat.

But the book that **draws** upon Christian themes? Why not? To me the appeal of the book whose main character has traits of willing to die for the good of others is just increasing tenfold. It just, you know, hits me harder emotionally and if this character comes back from some sort of death, it is all the more satisfying. It really does not have to have anything to do with author wanting to promote religion, really. Maybe author just wanted to pull reader's heartstrings harder. I do not know what JKR's intentions were of course; just saying that she did not need to want to promote anything.

Shelley:
<SNIP>
Indeed, Alla asked you before to explain this, and yet you haven't. Here was
his line
 <SNIP>

Alla:

Her line, not his :)