Will Harry Potter Survive?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the long-awaited conclusion to the Potter saga, will be published a week from Saturday. One of the questions the final book will answer is whether J.K. Rowling’s fantasy will be remembered as an epic with serious Christian content.
Christian themes abound in the the Potter books, and there’s little doubt that Rowling herself is an active, believing Christian. Writing in Books & Culture, literary critic Alan Jacobs lists the mysteries that the final Potter book must answer. The most important is whether Harry will survive. Writes Jacobs:
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I do not think he will. I believe that, in one way or another, he will choose death: his life will not be taken from him against his will, as though Voldemort is right in believing that death is the worst thing that could happen to someone; instead, he will give it up, trusting that what Dumbledore told him about “the next great adventure” is true.
Filed under: Interesting Books by Jim Manney |
From reader Robert Trexler who was shut out of comments for some reason:
Thanks for the link to that article. The first “Catholic” Harry Potter commentary has just been released from OSV by Nancy Brown: “The Mystery of Harry Potter, A Catholic Family Guide.” Her book includes two superb interviews with Dale Alquist (president of the American Chesterton Society) and Regina Dorman (Catholic Young Adult novelist). Recommended especially for Catholics confused by the mixed messages being sent by “authorities” on the matter of family friendly literature.
For adult literary fans of Harry Potter books, I suggest the book “Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader.” More info is on the publisher website www.zossima.com
Comment on July 11, 2007 @ 5:52 am
The Potterheads in our Clan put together our book 7 theories and have blogged on them at some length. There are also several petitions abroad from fans to cajole Rowling into writing more HP books, or at least books in her magical world.
I haven’t read the OSV book, so I can’t respond directly—though I see the point about Dumbledore’s teaching on death—but the Clan theory on Harry’s survival is that he will survive, but only after making an offering of himself, as it were.
For us, the biggest question, in Christian terms, is Snape. We’re persuaded he is good, and the real sign of Redemption in the books. The rather unforgiving Sirius claimed that “once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater,” but we think Rowling is using Snape (who WILL make the ultimate sacrifice) as her example of heroic repentance.
Either way, we’re informing friends and family to consider us OOO in every way come July 21—we’ll be sitting out on the porch, snuggled up with our midnight copies and not to be disturbed!
Comment on July 11, 2007 @ 11:08 am
If anyone had any doubt re. the books’ Christian themes, the doubts are erased with Book 7. Loved it.
Comment on July 25, 2007 @ 8:44 am