Subverting the genre?

[tbernhard2000]

Barry
> If she really intends to subvert the fantasy genre she'll do the 
exact opposite. Harry loses, Voldemort wins, evil triumphs. A bit 
like the end of '1984'. That really would break the mould of the 
fantasy ethic.

dan:
Honestly, I think Rowling is not interested in subverting the genre 
at all, but rather, in subverting readers, especially the younger 
ones. The genre is all twisted and weird anyway. Rowling is composing 
a story that encourages readers to question all recieved ideas, the 
nation state and its twisted and weird political system, schools that 
continue more by self-limiting that amounts almost to intentional 
naivete (not unlike the "work ethic" itself, that means of displacing 
responsibility and freedom for the sake of some predictable grid that 
surrounds all existing), and yes the abusive way in which youth in 
much of the world are seen only as potential 
converts/soldiers/fodder/possesions, and so forth. I think Rowling 
hates mendacity. But much of the civic world is mendacity covering 
greed, corruption, and incompetance.

Yes, Rowling intends to subvert the readers understanding of the 
world. Like any artist. The genre is nothing at all.

dan