I was really happy there was so much stuff from -all- the books, really, but especially OoTP, and at the same time there was a sense of a chord-- like, all these notes being struck at once, that I liked. And that some people thought made it too scattered, but whatcha gonna do, right :>
Y'know, the Erised thing didn't even occur to me. *headdesk* But there were actual Erised references with Dumbledore and Harry thinking that's the only personal thing he'd asked Dumbledore all this time-- and every time Harry thought something like that, I was like, awwwww <3333 because it felt so real. Like, suddenly Dumbledore became really real both to him and to us as readers, when it was too late, and Harry had all these clogged up emotions-- anger, curiosity, frustration, affection, trust, all battling in him at once. He has such intense relationships with... people other than his girlfriend :))
I agree though, that it's just that they want to spend time with their loved ones-- it's just that I thought that since Harry's dealt with that several times before (as you mentioned!) he'd learned by now, but perphaps the repetition merely means it's deeply rooted and inescapeable in him, to some degree. And I love all those parallels!! Even though that's a LOT of parallels, ahahah, but I'd forgotten the one about the Patronus and I wouldn't have thought to link it to the wand apparition-ghosts.... Though the truth is, much as I could tell it was supposed to be A Good Thing when he walked with his family to his death, I thought them encouraging him and telling him he was a brave boy was creepy/sad :( Even though I loved him looking and looking and never wanting to stop; I felt like at that moment Harry was very purely Harry, very much at his rawest and most needy and vulnerable. I thought it was interesting Lupin was there! Harry really had an odd relationship with Remus in this book. That's one of these things I'd like to think about more-- Harry and Remus and what might happen between them (not in a shippy way) if Tonks died but he didn't :> AU, baby.
It's true though, that in the end he does reconcile his understanding of Tom and Snape with his feelings towards them, which are separate, and his identity, which is his own (and how much did I love Dumbledore saying it's more that Harry's like his mum at heart!!-- ties into 'what did Dumbledore understand about me'!) I guess in HBP it was ambiguous and even slashy-seeming-- like, why is he -so- into the Half-blood Prince's diary considering it's Snape's and he hates everything about Snape? But the thing is that he identifies with and understands their feelings and mtoivations without really sharing their conclusions or big chunks of their formative experiences. And in the end, it's Harry's mum in him, the instinctive balancing influence, that makes Harry... softer. Not just because of the choices, but because of his overall different approach to relationships and emotional commitments and instinctive choices in that regard. Like, I don't think Harry chose to be who he is, really, within JKR's context? Snape chose, but at the same time, I think he was always like that-- desperate for affection, unable to grab it or to explain himself or show himself in the right light. Harry is just... well, likable, and makes friends easily (even though he doesn't consider that many people part of his inner circle, his outer circle does expand dramatically in this book).
I dunno man, I think people think blank slate = free to invent crazy fanon, omg. It's like the fascination with Blaise and Regulus and such. Ahhh fandom. I wish I could quit you. :>
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2007-07-27 11:21 am (UTC)Y'know, the Erised thing didn't even occur to me. *headdesk* But there were actual Erised references with Dumbledore and Harry thinking that's the only personal thing he'd asked Dumbledore all this time-- and every time Harry thought something like that, I was like, awwwww <3333 because it felt so real. Like, suddenly Dumbledore became really real both to him and to us as readers, when it was too late, and Harry had all these clogged up emotions-- anger, curiosity, frustration, affection, trust, all battling in him at once. He has such intense relationships with... people other than his girlfriend :))
I agree though, that it's just that they want to spend time with their loved ones-- it's just that I thought that since Harry's dealt with that several times before (as you mentioned!) he'd learned by now, but perphaps the repetition merely means it's deeply rooted and inescapeable in him, to some degree. And I love all those parallels!! Even though that's a LOT of parallels, ahahah, but I'd forgotten the one about the Patronus and I wouldn't have thought to link it to the wand apparition-ghosts.... Though the truth is, much as I could tell it was supposed to be A Good Thing when he walked with his family to his death, I thought them encouraging him and telling him he was a brave boy was creepy/sad :( Even though I loved him looking and looking and never wanting to stop; I felt like at that moment Harry was very purely Harry, very much at his rawest and most needy and vulnerable. I thought it was interesting Lupin was there! Harry really had an odd relationship with Remus in this book. That's one of these things I'd like to think about more-- Harry and Remus and what might happen between them (not in a shippy way) if Tonks died but he didn't :> AU, baby.
It's true though, that in the end he does reconcile his understanding of Tom and Snape with his feelings towards them, which are separate, and his identity, which is his own (and how much did I love Dumbledore saying it's more that Harry's like his mum at heart!!-- ties into 'what did Dumbledore understand about me'!) I guess in HBP it was ambiguous and even slashy-seeming-- like, why is he -so- into the Half-blood Prince's diary considering it's Snape's and he hates everything about Snape? But the thing is that he identifies with and understands their feelings and mtoivations without really sharing their conclusions or big chunks of their formative experiences. And in the end, it's Harry's mum in him, the instinctive balancing influence, that makes Harry... softer. Not just because of the choices, but because of his overall different approach to relationships and emotional commitments and instinctive choices in that regard. Like, I don't think Harry chose to be who he is, really, within JKR's context? Snape chose, but at the same time, I think he was always like that-- desperate for affection, unable to grab it or to explain himself or show himself in the right light. Harry is just... well, likable, and makes friends easily (even though he doesn't consider that many people part of his inner circle, his outer circle does expand dramatically in this book).
I dunno man, I think people think blank slate = free to invent crazy fanon, omg. It's like the fascination with Blaise and Regulus and such. Ahhh fandom. I wish I could quit you. :>