A clarifcation

[static_pixie]

To clarify my point (if I can, this inability to articulate is driving me bonkers) about Lily and Narcissa. JKR has supposedly set this series up so that all the Houses will turn out to be equal, if different; thus, at least in the HP-verse, all people are equal, if different. Great real-world message. But the problem is, she's juxtaposed that

Comments

[sistermagpie]

I think JKR can't help but be clear about her moral hierarchies--so much that it seems like her bad guys kind of feel the same way she does underneath. It's not like in fanfic where different ethical ideas are much batted around. And of course the fact that she chose to put almost all her good guys in Gryffindor I think sets it up right there--she doesn't have Harry make friends with Hufflepuff!Ron and Ravenclaw!Hermione to show different houses coming together. They're all Gryffindor, as are almost all of our heroes. They all believe flinging yourself to certain death is the proper way to show love. I think she's had no problem also saying that her moral system is based on courage, with courage as the most important value, so naturally the house that embodies it has a leg up on the other houses, even when they might be flawed

[static_pixie]

If she had her wand. If not, she'd do something all righteous Gryffindors would probably spit on: bargain like hell. She seems to be good at that. ^^ I guess,in some ways, she'd never step aside, not even in the way that Lily did, and I suppose that's the point.

Maybe there's something about Lily's sacrifice that we don't know yet. JKR has this way of wanting to have her cake and eat it, too. It's like someone was saying in that poll; she blamed Harry before Draco because she has higher expectations of him, as the hero. Same with Hermione and Umbridge. But JKR doesn't seem to think the fact that her heroes often do lower themselves to the level of her villains is any reason to stop giving them the benefit of the doubt every time; or, conversely, enough to actually give the villains that same benefit. It's not a level playing field, which sucks because she's writing as thought it is.

[delicatetruth]

I know what you're saying. For me though, I think I tend to see her as spholding motivations and not actons. It's not Lily's sacrifice but her love that was so great. Just as Narcissa may be doing something that is perhaps not as good, but perhaps out of love for Draco.

And I think, that no matter how objective and equal someone tries to make things there is always someone or something that comes out on top. Most people have too strong of a natural inclination about their morals. I'm not saying any one person's are better, but rather that each person can't help but hold stronger to what they believe to be "Right".

[randomneses]

I agree.

[static_pixie]

But I think that, if she felt that way, she shouldn't have tried to write a series in which, technically, no one's overall right should be more Right than anyone else's. You know? If that made sense. :)

And with Lily, I think it was that she died because it was in dying for Harry that she showed that love. If she hadn't died, it wouldn't have mattered, at least in JKR's world. Which is why, yes, Narcissa does end up looking less good, even though I think that many would argue that what she does is motivated by that same desire and is also much more practical. I mean, I thnk it was.

[kirabana]

i've given up on trying to understand what she's trying to say and just have been concentrating on the story. it's much less aggravating this way :)

[static_pixie]

You know, you may just be onto something there...^^