I know. >:D< Although...I have to say that the numerous characters who could have died (and were placed into mortal peril) earlier on in the book (not to mention that scene) would have saddened me more. I think that JKR actually set up the death quite well by making us less sympathetic towards the character because of the Pensieve events.
Yeah -- I was wondering why she did that. It didn't really fit together, if you ask me. Why bring down the character she's going to kill? The pensieve incident never tied back back in at the end and the book ended with it unresolved. Why'd she include it at all?
That does make sense. I'm just used to the amazing way JKR has of making every little comment, made in passing, come back into a huge bang surprise ending.
I miss that. I always thought it was the thing that made her such an amazing writer -- more so than the imagery, the imaginative storyline, the humor, or anything else. The fact that she could plant tiny clues like that and then have them come back for some off-the-wall ending that fits perfectly.
Sadly, I think we're going to have to wait for book 7 for that ending. *pouts*
Well, my thoughts on this are as yet completely formed. However, far be it for me to resist an invitation to pontificate.
I think that many of us (myself included) expected Dumbledore to die. It fitted the genre -- the mentor dies so the fledgling hero has to strike out on his own and begin his own journey, not the journey chosen by others.
With the death of Sirius and the de-deification of Dumbledore as no longer omnipotent or omniscient in Harry's eyes, JKR has fulfilled those expectations -- Harry will no longer blindly listen to others. Of course, he has the added complication that he allowed himself to be tricked into "rescuing" Sirius; however, I (and possibly he will) rationalise this by pointing out how frustrated Harry was with Dumbledore, how frightened/wary he was of Snape, and how he is only fifteen and cannot be expected to be perfect, much as we'd all like.
The Pensieve incident, I think, was basically character development, a way to further encourage Harry to think for himself (and not attempt to emulate his parents), and a reason why Harry wouldn't have gone to Snape after McGonagall left the Hospital Wing. I suspect, also, that it will impact future books.
Well, for one thing, she included the incident to show Harry that he really had a lot in common with Snape, which I'm sure was a surprise to him. She also did it to show that his father (and Sirius) were not demi-gods, but were once thoughtless 15 year olds, too. Just as Harry has been.
And being imperfect doesn't mean that you "deserve" death. We try to forget it, but being human means that you are inevitably going to die some day, ready or not. Whether you are angelic or cruel. You will die. And, like Sirius, you may die before your time.
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*tiptoes around naming person to avoid spoilers*
Date: 2003-06-21 10:50 am (UTC)Re: *tiptoes around naming person to avoid spoilers*
Date: 2003-06-22 07:07 am (UTC)Re: WARNING: SPOILERS
Date: 2003-06-22 07:25 am (UTC)I miss that. I always thought it was the thing that made her such an amazing writer -- more so than the imagery, the imaginative storyline, the humor, or anything else. The fact that she could plant tiny clues like that and then have them come back for some off-the-wall ending that fits perfectly.
Sadly, I think we're going to have to wait for book 7 for that ending. *pouts*
WARNING: SPOILERS (reposted because I am an HTML-cretin)
Date: 2003-06-22 07:29 am (UTC)Well, my thoughts on this are as yet completely formed. However, far be it for me to resist an invitation to pontificate.
I think that many of us (myself included) expected Dumbledore to die. It fitted the genre -- the mentor dies so the fledgling hero has to strike out on his own and begin his own journey, not the journey chosen by others.
With the death of Sirius and the de-deification of Dumbledore as no longer omnipotent or omniscient in Harry's eyes, JKR has fulfilled those expectations -- Harry will no longer blindly listen to others. Of course, he has the added complication that he allowed himself to be tricked into "rescuing" Sirius; however, I (and possibly he will) rationalise this by pointing out how frustrated Harry was with Dumbledore, how frightened/wary he was of Snape, and how he is only fifteen and cannot be expected to be perfect, much as we'd all like.
The Pensieve incident, I think, was basically character development, a way to further encourage Harry to think for himself (and not attempt to emulate his parents), and a reason why Harry wouldn't have gone to Snape after McGonagall left the Hospital Wing. I suspect, also, that it will impact future books.
*sigh* I want more! More books!
Re: *tiptoes around naming person to avoid spoilers*
Date: 2003-06-22 04:22 pm (UTC)And being imperfect doesn't mean that you "deserve" death. We try to forget it, but being human means that you are inevitably going to die some day, ready or not. Whether you are angelic or cruel. You will die. And, like Sirius, you may die before your time.