Ok, flu or no flu, on the couch with my laptop and tissues at the ready - I need to get this started....
Here is what I wrote in August last year, about my intentions, how I wanted to deal with the seventh book of the series on this blog:
What I needed to do to start appreciating it, though, was to completely abandon the idea that the Harry Potter books are about Good versus Evil. They are not that at all as I see them now. This is a series that investigates Power in its many variations, for good and for bad, with its many pitfalls, temptations and contradictions - and Harry is the hero because he didn't want Power for himself. It is also a series with a very strong Father/ Son theme, in an (almost) religious sense (thanks Therese!)Still - I am not quite ready to appreciate this fully. I will need to discuss the themes above from a within the series positions first. A position where the characters and events are taken as real for as long as the discussion lasts. I am so disappointed with some of them, I need to get that out!Eventually, I will be able to discuss the series from without as well, looking at meaning and underlying themes and how they are developed, etc. Only then may I be able to draw some conclusions about just how good the series is in my opinion.I still want to do this. Start from "within". I said I wanted to start with Dumbledore, but I have decided to first start where my energy lies: Sirius. He is my favorite character, for various reasons (one day, I might even post an investigation of the reasons for that fact... :blush: ) - (I said "might", remember...). But the interesting thing in this context, with the overarching theme:
Use and abuse of Power, is the "Rebel" position in the series.
I do
not wish to romanticise that position, which has its own problems, pitfalls and temptations. But DD's manipulative work, with its mask of benign omniscience, seems to both expect/invite and rely on the unquestioning accept and applause from loyal followers. The rebel position is weak and lacking in the series, there is no real opposition. Strangely, when looking at all the mild satire over the Ministry and the media in the books, the series as a whole ended up with a certain "confirmation of status quo" feeling. I am not sure this was necessarily the writer's intention, though. (Some quick examples: Dobby, the only free elf was the elf that died, Kreacher was "reformed" to become the ideal slave that fought
for his "noble masters", not
against Voldemort... and, outside the series, in interviews, Jo tells us how Harry has Snape's painting put up in the headmaster's office... I intend to come back to these and more later..)
Sirius, described by the writer ex the text as a "lose cannon" (and "immature"...insert eyrolling smiley here, will definitely come back to this one) is the most likely canditate for the Rebel and troublemaker position, challenging the power and wisdom of the "benign" leader. But he is utterly castrated in the series. First he is nicely stored away in Azkaban, then he is kept on the run with little opportunity of any real intervention, then he is shamefully incarcerated and trusted no better than a ten year old, before he is thoroughly exterminated in book five, with not even a body left behind to bury and make a grave for anyone to remember or mourn him by ...
Perhaps this was necessary to make the plot in the books work. Because what would have happened if Dumbledore's dispositions had been challenged by someone powerful and unafraid among his own followers?
Since I am still somewhat reduced by this dratted flu to get all my analytic powers to function properly (;-) I want some cool smileys around here!!), I am going to post an AU (Alternative Universe) confrontation between Dumbledore and Sirius that I wrote when I should have worked on my thesis some time ago. I have amused myself by imagining what would have happened if Sirius had
not been framed by Peter and thrown in Azkaban, but instead had been free to be the godfather for Harry he wanted to be, and Harry sorely needed someone to be.
If Harry had had someone like that to defend him and question Dumbledore's dispositions at every turn where Harry's welfare was concerned, I think the whole plot would have kind of unraveled... So yes, the Rebel position has perhaps been made weak in the series to make the plot work - but that comes at a price, to be discussed later.
For now, here's my stab at a fanfic, investigating the first confrontation between DD and Sirius, over DD's placing of Harry with the Dursleys... It was very fun to write, I hope you will think it is fun to read...
I will have to post it in instalments, or it will be too long. Starting with a fresh post, I think...and sorry to tease you (or perhaps not, wink wink) I will have to post it later this evening or early tomorrow - stay tuned!
