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July 27, 2007
Harry Potter - No Spoilers Here
I don't consider myself a Harry Potter fanatic, I don't own the glasses or the hat, and I didn't stand in line at midnight for my copy. I did however, order an advance copy, which was delivered to my door last Saturday morning. My husband read it first, and by Tuesday night, we had both finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
The obvious theme of the whole Harry Potter series is 'good vs. evil.' But, the thing that struck me most about this last novel in the series is it's overpowering thematic parallel to the Holocaust. There was hatred, racism, power, and even a prison where they contained all those who were not considered 'pureblood.' Consider this quote: "I’d say that it’s one short step from ‘Wizards first’ to ‘Purebloods first,’ and then to ‘Death Eaters. We’re all human, aren’t we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving." And, wasn't that the lesson learned from that awful historic event? It doesn't matter whether you're talking about Jews, Gypsies. Purebloods or Aryans, the moral is the same. It moves me that so many children and adults have followed this series to this awesome conclusion -- for so many reasons, not least of which is this important lesson.
I've watched Meredith Veira's interview with J.K. Rowling for the past two mornings and it was very good. She seems a little overwhelmed with the unbelievable success of the Harry Potter series, and is looking forward to taking a well-deserved break! And, I love the quote from Dumbledore, "It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it." I'm sure that Rowling could never have envisioned the immense popularity (and in our culture, popularity often means power) that she is enjoying now. I'm not sure what it says about our political system, but I understand and appreciate the sentiment.
Posted by Michele at July 27, 2007 9:20 AM
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