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Aerlinn
Lorien
Jul 10 2007, 10:36pm
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Harry Potter Book VII spoilerish poll!
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Place yer bets, ladies, gentlemen, and others! J.K. Rowling has said that two characters die in The Deathly Hallows - who do you bet they'll be and why? Pick two of the above - or remind me of someone I forgot!
(This post was edited by Aerlinn on Jul 10 2007, 10:38pm)
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Aerlinn
Lorien
Jul 10 2007, 10:43pm
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Death of Harry Potter Makes Mythological Sense
Jul 5, 4:42 PM EST
The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Brace yourselves, Harry Potter fans. No matter how desperate you
are for Harry to live, some experts in classic literature and mythology say
that finishing off the young wizard would make sense - in a literary kind of
way.
J.K. Rowling has never shied from darkness in her phenomenally successful
series - it started with the murder of Harry's parents, continued through
his discovery that an evil wizard was trying to destroy him, and has
included pain and torture and the deaths of major characters.
She's already promised two deaths in the seventh and final book, "Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows," coming out July 21, and has refused to
commit to Harry surviving. But she couldn't kill Harry off, could she? She
wouldn't do that, would she?
"If you look at the tradition of the epic hero ... there is this sort of
pattern that the hero delivers people to the promised land but does not see
it himself," said Lana Whited, professor of English at Ferrum College in
Ferrum , Va., pointing out examples from King Arthur to Moses to Frodo.
Greek mythology has plenty of examples, like Hercules, who was killed at the
height of his strength, said Mary Lefkowitz, a retired classics professor
who taught at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
"There's no long promise of happiness," she said. "You may have brief
moments of glory and then the darkness comes."
And don't be fooled into thinking a happy ending is automatic just because
the main characters are young, said Anne Collins Smith, assistant professor
of philosophy and classical studies at Stephen F. Austin State University in
Nacogdoches, Texas.
"Just because it's children's literature doesn't mean it can't have very
dark events in it," she said.
Others aren't convinced, saying that Rowling's story about Harry and his
adventures is less influenced by classical mythology than it is by other
storytelling traditions.
Philip Ray, an associate professor of English at Connecticut College, said
Rowling was part of a tradition of British writers like Edith Nesbit,
writing stories where children are the focus and have grand adventures.
Since Harry is about to finish his years at Hogwarts, Ray said, "I think it
would be very unusual for a book like this to kill off the main character at
a time when he's about to graduate from school."
The books are about Harry's development into a young man, Ray said.
"For Rowling to have put Harry Potter through all seven volumes just to kill
him off, the point of all development would be wasted," Ray said.
"Death strikes me as being the strangest ending of all."
And even though the series has a dark aspect to it, Rowling hasn't set it up
in such a way that Harry paying the ultimate price would make sense, said
Tim Morris, who teaches English at the University of Texas at Arlington.
"I don't get the sense that J.K. Rowling has set us up for that kind of
sacrifice," he said. "The first six books haven't given a sense of that
tragedy to me. It's generally hopeful."
Whited acknowledges that reader outrage would be high if Harry died, and
that it might seem cruel to younger readers, who aren't familiar with
classic literary story arcs.
"I'm sure J.K. Rowling would get some howlers if Harry Potter did not
survive," she said.
But even if he lives, don't be surprised if it's a hard-fought victory, she
said. Another aspect of the classic hero myth is that even if he wins, it's
not without some loss.
"There are always sacrifices, compromises along the way," she said. "If
Harry doesn't die, one of his friends will."
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RosieLass
Valinor
Jul 10 2007, 11:10pm
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I hope she wrote to suit herself and not to placate the fans. It's her original creation, and she can do what she likes with it.
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RosieLass
Valinor
Jul 10 2007, 11:16pm
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Voldemort, right? I can't think of any literary tradition where the villain survives, unless it's one of the darker forms of horror fiction.
As for the other death, I'm waffling between Harry and Snape. Snape, possibly, because she's been so ambivalent about whether he's good or evil, and having him die in a sacrificial blaze of glory would settle the question once for all, and would be in line with a great many heroic epic literary traditions.
Part of me hopes it's Harry, though, mostly so there won't be a temptation to write any sequels. (NOT a slam on Rowling particularly. I just detest endless sequels.)
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jul 11 2007, 5:06am
Post #5 of 24
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commentators on popular cultures would get the details right.
Since Harry is about to finish his years at Hogwarts, Ray said, "I think it
would be very unusual for a book like this to kill off the main character at
a time when he's about to graduate from school."
He's already left Hogwarts and isn't going to complete the final year - at least, that's what I took from the book's ending.
And my votes were for Voldemort (surely) and one of the Weasely twins. I think the other death has to be someone close to Harry for it to have any meaning, and killing off one twin would be poignant while still keeping the spirit of the irrepressible twins alive through the survivor.
Although it's still just an outright guess.
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Aerlinn
Lorien
Jul 11 2007, 12:45pm
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about one of the twins. And I have an odd feeling about Voldemort. She doesn't do the expected - that's one of her strong points. She's said she was sobbing uncontrollably while writing the second to last chapter - part of that was catharsis and the end of it all, I'm sure, but I don't know if I would cry over killing off Voldie and a twin, no matter how fond I am of Fred and George. I'm thinking a twin and *flinch* Hagrid. And something unexpected happens to Voldemort.
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Annael
Immortal
Jul 11 2007, 3:30pm
Post #7 of 24
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I am loving the footer 'linners . . .
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nothing to see here, move along.
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Idril Celebrindal
Tol Eressea
Jul 11 2007, 6:39pm
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Voldie, Snape ... and Neville?
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Voldemort is toast -- the whole series is set up for it.
I think Snape is toast, too. Either Voldemort or Harry will do for him.
Then again, I can't see Rowling bawling over Snape's death, either. I have a feeling that Neville is going to bite the dust, too. And at least one of the Weasleys.
(This post was edited by Idril Celebrindal on Jul 11 2007, 6:40pm)
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
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Jul 11 2007, 9:59pm
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because it's the end of the series, rather than crying over the demise of a particular character.
When does this book come out again??? **drums fingers**
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Donry
Tol Eressea
Jul 11 2007, 10:48pm
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Voldemort. Voldemort cannot live on past the 7th, there would be no point ending the series at seven if Voldemort survived. As for the other 'major' death. I'm guessing Neville, as he was the 'almost' boy in the prophecy.
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Radhruin
Rohan
Jul 11 2007, 11:25pm
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Voldemort and Neville. V has got to go I would think. But I wouldn't be surprised if Rowling has something up her sleeve. As far as Neville goes, it just seems natural. But then again, I have a feeling Rowling will do something unexpected. I don't really see Harry going to the Halls of Mandos. If he does, kudos to Rowling for shaking things up, and possibly making the series more adult in nature? As in making the story even darker. Hmmmm, looking forward to the new book.
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Silverlode
Forum Admin
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Jul 12 2007, 2:10am
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In fact, I'm not much of a fan at all, despite having read the books.
But my theory is that Harry will turn out to be the last of the horcruxes, and that both he and Voldemort will die. Possibly by Harry being killed at his own request by Snape (shades of Dumbledore) or Draco, perhaps, leaving Voldemort vulnerable and able to be finished off by Neville.
But I think it's possible someone else might die along the way. Or maybe Harry will die and somehow be brought back, without the scar (the sign of the horcrux)...maybe even without any powers left at all.
Or, of course, it might all turn out quite differently.
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diedye
Grey Havens
Jul 12 2007, 2:34am
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... it's Voldemort and Snape. Second to Dumbledore, Snape is the closest to a rival that Voldemort has (outside of Harry) in power, so I think he will be pivotal in bringing about Voldemort's demise and sacrifice himself in doing so, leading to a poignant moment between the two when Harry realizes how wrong he was about him and Snape dies a hero's death.
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Either that or Hagrid sits on them.
*shrug*
(This post was edited by diedye on Jul 12 2007, 2:34am)
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GOOMBA
The Shire
Jul 12 2007, 3:20pm
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entmaiden
Forum Admin
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Jul 12 2007, 7:03pm
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Clarification: two ADDITIONAL characters
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JKR has clarifed her remarks: She said that two characters die that she didn't originally intend. More than two characters will die in the final book, however we don't know how many of the "good" guys will die.
(This post was edited by entmaiden on Jul 12 2007, 7:04pm)
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Alassea Elensar
Rivendell
Jul 12 2007, 8:45pm
Post #17 of 24
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I'm pretty sure that Voldemort will be one of the characters to die. But my other guess is Hermione. Rowling has said that she was very much like Hermione while growing up, and so probably has a bit of a soft spot for that character. If, as Aerlinn said, Rowling was "sobbing uncontrollably while writing the second to last chapter", that could certainly explain it.
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Tyler
Lorien
Jul 13 2007, 2:25am
Post #18 of 24
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In greek legends or something a hero goes through challenges.Harry has gone through all but one i have seen it.And am still looking this up now i will post it if i can find it agean.
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Aerlinn
Lorien
Jul 13 2007, 8:57pm
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The main reasons that I said that
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were: first, that there's one major person missing from my list, and I had visions of someone saying "What about Dumbledore??" And someone else saying "He's already dead." The other reason was that if you're really trying to remain a spoiler virgin you might not even want to know that Rowling's said she's killed off two characters. *shrug* Better safe than reamed out.
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the artist formerly known as sparki
Bree
Jul 15 2007, 7:25pm
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AT LEAST two characters die.
She was on Jonathan Ross last week over here and joked that it was a "bloodbath"- apparently several characters die.
I'm NOT impressed.
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Curious
Half-elven
Jul 16 2007, 7:23pm
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This is the book that must tie up all loose ends.
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Voldemort surely must die, as Sauron must fall in LotR. After reading the previous books I am starting to think of Snape as a character like Boromir or Denethor or Gollum, who, whether he proves in the end to be good or evil or some mixture of both, still must die. Either he will die to prove that Dumbledore was right to trust him, or he will die to make up for the fact that he tricked Dumbledore and killed him.
I could see plenty of other characters dying too, but I don't think any of them will be major characters. I think Dumbledore's death is quite sufficient to provide the necessary touch of realism in this type of epic, but since Dumbledore was so very old and ready for death he is something like Theoden in LotR. To kill off Hermione, Ron, Harry or any of their close friends and family beyond Dumbledore seems to me unnecessary at this point. Maybe the unlikeable Percy Weasley or Draco Malfoy will bite it, but I think they are more likely to be unlikely heroes, or at least unwilling villains.
On the other hand even if no one close to Harry dies there could be some natural melancholy to the end of the story as the long story draws to an end. In LotR the saddest moments came not because of death but when the characters, and especially the central characters, had to say good-bye. I don't see Harry sailing into the West at the end, but one way or another I do see him saying good-bye to many of the people he came to know at Hogwarts.
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Darkstone
Immortal
Jul 16 2007, 7:49pm
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I don't see Harry sailing into the West at the end, ...
Of course he does. He sails to attend NYU's Graduate School for the Magical Arts.
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Idril Celebrindal
Tol Eressea
Jul 16 2007, 10:49pm
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... Unseen University's Ph Thaum. program in High-Energy Magic?
Perhaps Harry would prefer to take a graduate fellowship researching new true names in Kurremkarmerruk's tower on Roke Island. It would give him a chance to rest and recuperate after his eventful years at Hogwarts.
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