Pet peeve #293

[davewitley]

SSSusan:
> This one drives me nuts whenever I see it.  I never understand how 
it gets phrased this way -- that the Sorting Hat *wanted* to put 
Harry in Slytherin.  In my reading, the SH offered up the 
information that Harry would do WELL in Slytherin.  It seemed to me 
to be more of an invitation for Harry to consider where he wanted to 
go, what mattered to him the most, perhaps even playing devil's 
advocate.  But I don't see that it *wanted* to put him there.  
> 
> **********************************************************
> "Difficult.  Very difficult.  Plenty of courage, I see.  Not a bad 
mind either.  There's talent, oh my goodness, yes -- and a nice 
thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting....  So where shall 
I put you?"
> 
> Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, 
not Slytherin.
> 
> "Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice.  "Are you sure?  You 
could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin 
will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that -- no?  
Well, if you're sure -- better be GRYFFINDOR!" [US hardback, p. 121]
> *****************************************************************
> 
> If the SH "wanted" to put Harry into Slytherin, it sure gave up 
awfully quickly & easily.

Yes, me too.

This episode reminds me of those incidents in the (Christian) Bible 
where Jesus confronted sick people and asked them "Do you *want* to 
be well?" (Emphasis mine) or "What do you want me to do?" and make 
me wonder about JKR's supposed Christian influences.

Long ago, Porphyria posted an essay on HPFGU about the parallels 
between Snape and 'the satan' of the Book of Job, and in passing 
posed the question as to which figure in the books most parallels 
God.  My own answer to that question is the Hat.

I have never been able to articulate this answer fully, because to 
do so requires getting specific about God, and I saw that getting 
drowned in a welter of "*that's* not Christian, *this* is" claims 
and counter-claims.  (And of course Porphyria's essay was not even 
Christian.)

That said, I see the dialogue between the Hat and Harry as having 
some of the characteristics of dialogue between God and people 
throughout the Bible, and most especially this use of questioning to 
expose an inner decision.

The later dialogue in COS ("you *would* have done well in 
Slytherin") I see as having in common with Jesus' use of gnomic and 
mysterious sayings to make people question harder in their search 
for meaning.

The statement in OOP about the need for unity confirmed my view, 
with the Hat setting ethical guidelines that are essential for 
ultimate victory.

And, to address a point of Kneasy's, the Hat appears in the chamber 
because God's response to faith (Harry's statement about 'he's not 
as gone as you might think' is blatantly signalled as such, IMO) is 
to provide himself as the essence, as well as things (Fawkes, sword) 
as the accidents, of the answer.  IIRC, the sword appears when 
Harry 'prays' for help to the Hat.

(On a bit of a tangent, I see a link between the chamber, with its 
statue, snake, spirit-filled book, special headgear, winged 
creature, and spilt ink, and the Holy of Holies with its cherubim 
(who had wings), snake-on-a-pole, Torah, priestly clothing and blood 
sacrifice.  Ginny, of course, is Israel, for whose sake the 
sacrifice is made.  IMO.)

David