Harry Potter News and Commentary
From the category archives:
This is another transition chapter between the important events surrounding the Silver Doe and Xenophilius Lovegood’s explanation of the Deathly Hallows in the next two chapters. Hermione is still not speaking to Ron, and Ron is reciprocating this by watching his conduct around her because of his remorse over his actions. Ron however is excited to come back and has an interesting conversation with Harry. [click to continue…]
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The Silver Doe by Lilyhbp. Click for original link.
In medieval symbolism, in the Arthur stories, and even in Narnia, we get the pursuit of the White Stag as a symbol of the human pursuit of the Christ. In Harry Potter, we’ve seen a white stag, but there’s not much pursuit of it. On the contrary, Harry himself produces the stag, and it’s an internal echo of his father.
But in chapter 19 of Deathly Hallows, in Harry’s darkest moment to date – wand broken, having survived the Bagshot-Snake attack, Dumbledore denounced, and his parents’ graves visited – he pursues not a White Stag, but a “Silver-white Doe” into the forest. The reason for this is simple enough: Harry’s pursuit in this story is not of his father. It’s of his mother. At the end, he tells Voldemort, “I’ve done what my mother did.” In order to defeat Voldemort, he has to go through the way of Lily, which is the way of the Christ. So J.K. Rowling gives us a feminine version of the Christ symbolism. This is Christ, the Sophia of God, as St. Paul says. [click to continue…]
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Melissa Anelli has posted a new “Vault” entry. These are excerpts from her interviews with J.K. Rowling. Two fascinating items come out of this discussion.
Grindelwald as Lucifer
MA: It reminds me of WICKED, did you ever read WICKED?
JKR: No.
MA: Maguire does retellings of old fairytales and he made a very cerebral book about the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, and how they used to be best friends.
JKR: Oh really…
MA: It’s very similar; she went one way to fight injustice and fight the wizard, and Glinda went the other, to be the political figure and play into the system. Really interesting.
JKR: Well, it’s the old fallen angel idea in some ways, isn’t it? It’s God and Lucifer.
MA: I wanted to ask you about that, because Grindelwald resembles – the golden curls, the first person I thought of was Lucifer.
Fascinating. Rowling goes on to call their friendship a “fraternal bond,” and she notes that Dumbledore’s emotional infatuation with Grindelwald makes him “less culpable.” Thoughts?
Then, there’s this bit. Often, when I think Ms. Rowling didn’t think through something well enough, she comes out with something like this to prove me wrong: [click to continue…]
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Chapter 18 of our Deathly Hallows Read-Through is brought to you by Red Rocker.
Like other great novels, Deathly Hallows is about how human beings try to love one another. Chapter 18 shows different kinds of love: the love Harry and Hermione have for each other and which makes itself known in every word they speak to one another. The problematic love of Albus Dumbledore for one Gellert Grindelwald. And more importantly, for one Harry Potter
This is how matters stand at the start of chapter 18.
Harry has lost his parents, his godfather, and his mentor to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Dumbledore has set him on a mission to destroy the remaining horcruxes, but has not given him a clear idea of where they are or how he is to destroy them.. Ron has walked out on him. His last good idea of where the Sword of Gyriffindor might be has backfired in a grotesque ambush. And his wand – his right arm – has been rendered impotent. As in broken and bent, hanging together by a strand of phoenix feather. So useless that he has to borrow a girl’s wand to protect himself. [click to continue…]
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Erin on Alice at King’s Cross
Tom on Chapter 20: Xenophilius LovegoodErin on LOST: “Dr. Linus”
Arabella Figg on LOST: “Dr. Linus”Arabella Figg on LOST: “Dr. Linus”Arabella Figg on LOST: “Dr. Linus”Erin on LOST: “Dr. Linus”
Red Rocker on Chapter 20: Xenophilius Lovegood
Perelandra on LOST: “Dr. Linus”Tom on Chapter 20: Xenophilius Lovegood
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