On Harry's Survival

By Melissa Anelli on October 7, 2008 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (44)

I have a lot of Vault entries that don't involve Jo, but this isn't one of them. (I have a funny non-Jo one coming next.) This quote is about Harry's survival - why he survives and why it wouldn't have been easier to kill him. Jo has said something similar either on the documentary or in post-DH interviews, but this is a more expanded statement. You'll hear it discussed on this week's PotterCast; it's not in the book partly because it strayed too far into canon territory, but also because by the time Harry, A History gets to the point where the characters within it have read and digested book seven, there's too little time left to reflect on why Harry survived:

JKR: In many ways it would have been a neater ending to kill him. For sure, I knew that all along. felt that the books' overriding message was that love is the most powerful force in this world. My model with Harry really was war veterans, who have seen horrors and are asked to go home and rebuild, and go back to ordinary life and care for a family, be a father - particularly be a father - [it is] a difficult job, in troubled times. I felt it would be a betrayal of my character if I did anything other than show him doing that. And I think it's an absolutely heroic thing to do, to go home after that, not to become a mercenary, not to live forever frozen in a time of excitement and danger, but to be mentally strong enough, to an extent physically strong enough, to return from war and to raise a new generation with values that you hope will not lead to another war. That's massive.

Of course you can say, yes, to an extent, as ever in life, that's the eternal paradox. What's is most worthwhile may well be seen as slightly dull, but God knows without those people who were prepared to come home and raise the family and rebuild, help rebuild... rebuilding is much more difficult than destroying. So, I felt it was almost a cop-out, morally, to kill him. I wanted to show a man who, yeah, he went back and got his hands dirty and tried to rebuild. I liked that. And again, it made a lot of people were livid, but God knows by that time I was used to that by then!

A cop-out to kill him - interesting. A lot of fans thought the reverse - that it was a cop-out not to kill him. (I was mostly just massively relieved he lived.) This is a fascinating testament to the truth at the center of the books - how the right choices are not the easy ones. The easier choice for Harry, once he's in a place of warmth and goodness and comfort, and has faced the ultimate confrontation, would have been not to return to the world of hurt and pain and fear of loss, yet he does (shoutout to the Buffy fans). Charging into the Ministry after the war, doing what must have been, at times, utter drudgery, to change the way the system worked; being slow, patient, calm, steadfast as the big changes take years; leaving the glory of being a battlefield victor behind and stepping up to the mundane challenges of the average working man; becoming a father and encountering all the new doubt, fear and pain of loss that comes with that - that all bespeaks a character much richer in bravery and fortitude than we even knew of him inside the books. Could Jo have killed Harry off and managed all that? Possibly - I know the moment that Harry and Voldemort started to prowl around each other like tigers, and Harry called him Riddle, and was a total - excuse me - BA, will stick in my mind as the demonstration of the pinnacle of Harry's character and bravery, and I would have still thought so had he died at the end.

But there's another element to this should-he-have-died question: Once he essentially did die, in Chapter 34, what would killing him again have proven? He went there, and came back; he mastered it. He came back a man; full in his confidence, indefatigable in his purpose, brimming with the righteousness needed to defeat Voldemort in spirit. Doubts gone, all traces of fear gone - he's been there, why fear it? - knowing that he acts only for the right choice, and his best hope. We couldn't have gotten there before he "died" the first time; why do it again? What would it have achieved?

What do you think?

Comments (44)

44 Comments

I'm glad on how J.K. Rowling ended the book. By not killing Harry she gave him a very hard job to do - come back from war and rebuild his own life. Personally, I believe that by doing this she made him all the more a hero. Also the moral of the story is Love. It would be no good if she let him die and more or less let darkness defeat him. Sure it would be neater and it would be a thrill or shock for readers but The books all represent something powerful and in not allowing Harry to survive would weaken it somewhat. Not letting him live makes the story moraless and just a story. To me killing Harry is a crime!

By ashleigh on October 25, 2008 4:34 AM

I believe that I understand what Jo refers to. In my own family and beyond, in meeting people who fought in World War II, Korea and Viet Nam - some were decorated heroes, one a concentration camp surviver, and a couple were Gold Star wives. They faced the future with tremendous dignity, and humility. Most of these people never mentioned their past sufferings, trials or victories, and each has their unique and personal reasons for doing so. But in every case, it always added to my esteem of them. This quiet dignity and their devotion to the simple things in life, and their lifelong efforts to make things better in whatever direction their life took them became a model to me. I learned that for me - this is what Heroes do. The people I mentioned became teachers, and union representatives, engineers and accountants with strong sense of volunteerism. Some built businesses and one or two went into government. It reminds me a little of Bilbo Baggins, there and back again...Thank you again Melissa for the insight - I promise to think more on this one...

By John Nutter on October 20, 2008 4:34 PM

By devyanibod on October 20, 2008 12:50 PM

By ayushcecil on October 20, 2008 12:37 PM

ok where can i find this book?

By Nicole on October 18, 2008 7:30 PM

I always get irritated when people complain about the Epilogue. It's kinda like all the people who complained about Sirius being "out of character" in OotP...you ain't writing it, you didn't create him, so who are you to say it's wrong? However, Jo's reasons for letting Harry and the gang live are perfectly sound. It's harder LIVING than it is DYING. Especially living after such a travesty as war, as a combatant or victim.

I grew up around Vietnam vets. They were good men, willing to take advantage of a weekend with friends even (or maybe especially *laughs*) on a drunk. Not because they couldn't handle peace or their family life, but because they couldn't handle pretending they were never there, were never missing friends or brothers-in-arms or a limb/other body part. They bore their scars proudly, but still with a tiny element of shame. Most had Native American blood or upbringing, which made them proud of serving and fighting, due the culture they were raised in, but the environment of anti-war they returned to brought the confused shame of what they had done. That confusion, along with all the other mental and emotional stresses of being a soldier, created a powerful image for a young girl between the age of 9-16. Sometimes they would forget I was there, if I was quiet enough, and I'd hear them talk about all the hardships, trials, triumphs, and moments to remember in war and in peace. Returning may have been harder than not returning, but they returned, they survived and they attempted to appreciate it. And always remember those that did not and tried to make the world that lost those men and women a bit better in their own way.

I think that's what Harry and the others did. They lived. There's no happily ever after. There's just after. I hesitate to quote Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday, but it's a great, and true, line. "There is no normal life, there's just life." Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Draco, and all of those around them realized early on that there was no normal life, just life and the need to live it. If you don't make it, try to get your death to mean that someone else can have the chance (such as Remus did for Teddy).

I babble, and I'm sure I'm saying the same thing as everyone else, bhat's why I like Jo's books. An average boy, forced into an abnormal situation, forced by circumstances to do what he needs to do and, by luck, happenstance, help from friends and comrades, he succeeds to make the world a little better.

Okay, I'm done. LOL! Viva la Potter! LOL!

By Wolfie on October 17, 2008 6:11 PM

A few days late to the party here, but I'm glad I am - I very much agree with aughra's points about Campbell and how they apply.

It's actually a similar reason to why I was so disappointed that she did kill Snape off. I thought that was the easy way out - he's dead, he died "sort of" a hero at the end, but she didn't have to face figuring out what to do with this (admittedly very dark) gray figure after the war was over.

By Tempest on October 15, 2008 10:39 AM

If you've studied Joseph Campbell's monomyth, you'll see that the last step for the hero is to return from the supernormal/natural world to the natural world.

For the quest to have meaning beyond just victory, the hero has to return to the community: bring back the boon/blessing from their adventure, being changed or having grown up, sometimes assuming leadership, but never able to be what they were before (see "Return of the King" for this also).

In stories, this step is often overlooked, as the climax of the quest is the "sexiest." But in life, we can never skip this step. We have to go on. JKR did it exactly right, and without being maudlin or tragic.

By aughra on October 14, 2008 2:13 PM

Wow! What a fantastic commentary- I had never thought of the connection between war heroes and moving on / living a normal life. Many veterans have a hard time making that transition - from the horrors and "excitement" (if that is the right word) of war to the doldrum every day existence. It is going from the mountaintop to live in the valley. And it really is harder to live in the valley in some ways - it is clear what is right / wrong and what you have to do on the mountaintop, but not so much when you're not faced with these great choices. But I think its those every day ones - how do you really live your life - that show how you really make choices. I have that experience as a Christians at retreats or such - where everything is clear (like Aslan's country or mountaintop in Narnia) and it becomes less so in everyday living. I too have feel the "disappointment" and hurt in some ways going back to the everyday from an intense year-long experience. Its hard.

I LOVE the Buffy connections too. I think Buffy and Harry go through similar things (but Joss can never let Buffy or any character really be happy in a relationship, unlike JKR). Harry could have stayed where he felt it was "done" or made the choice, that Buffy didn't get to make, but eventually did, of staying in the cold, hard, edgy world, now where she was safe and warm and done. Buffy Season 6 is my favorite season because it shows some of the realities of being an adult - bills, divorce, confusion over direction, etc so well - and Buffy just struggling to be there and going self-destructive for awhile. She finally made the right decision, but had to consciously fight every day and remember that "the hardest thing in this world is to live in it". I don't think that Harry had quite as much of a difficult time coming back and living, though he did have to go back into a hard situation. DD was proud of his decision to return and fight for the world, knowing he could have stayed and been done. WOW! What fantastic connections.

Oh and to the person who said they are thinking about watching Buffy - DO IT! Seriously a deep amazing show with the same themes as HP - I thought it was silly before I watched a few eps.

By Renee on October 12, 2008 1:27 PM

First of all, thank you Melissa. I love hearing these in depth little tidbits.
Second, I totally agree with everything Jo says. That yes, it would have been easier to kill Harry, but not right "...a cop out morally...".
She couldn't have said it better. And, sorry if this is a little unclear, but isn't that what Harry has been fighting all throughout these books, what is easy vs. what is right?
About the epilougue, how can anyone say that it's cheesy?!? It's exactly what Harry's hearts desire was! A boring, normal life! He deserves normality for once! So give Jo a break!
Can't wait for the book, love Pottercast!
Esther

By Esther on October 10, 2008 6:47 PM

"I agree that Harry was reborn, except I think he had a third symbolic rebirth: when he was taken from his horrible existence at number 4 Privet Drive and returned to the magical world where he belonged."

Deb - you are absolutely correct, thanks for pointing that out!

By TarsieS on October 10, 2008 1:06 PM

Thanks, Melissa, for sharing all these great canon bites!

I love to look at the "definition" (if you'll let me call it that) of Harry as The Boy Who Lived. Hardly a year into his life, and he's had this label attached to his name. It would have been a shock to me, even though I trust Jo would have handled it beautifully, to think of the series ending in Harry -- or The Boy Who Lived -- dying.

If Harry had died, then every time I re-read the first book, I would cry at the beginning when wizards everywhere raised their glasses to "The Boy Who Lived." Instead, though (and thank God), I get to take that definition through all of Harry's stories, through all the times he escaped death and was defined by his odds-always-stacked-against-him victories (I will have to argue with my own diction here and say that Harry wasn't always so "victorious").

Thank you, Jo, for making my many re-reads bearable!

Keep the good discussions coming, Melissa!

By hallie on October 10, 2008 10:19 AM

Hello!:

There is no point for me trying to express what I think and feel because Bowtruckle did it for me!!!
I agree 100% with all he/she said.
(Thanks a lot Bowtruckle! You couldn't have said it better)

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Quote from Bowtruckle's post:

Thankyou for all this wonderful extra information that didn't necesarily make it into the book!! I really loved Jo's explanations (Actually I love Jo's explanations for everything in her books I think this intense indepth understanding she has of her world is what sets her apart from many other authors and it is why Harry is not just a fad as some people may think but a classic that children and adults will continue to read for many generations to come.)

I totally agree that to kill Harry off would have been the easier and perhaps the 'neater' option but that isn't what Jo is about in her writing which I think is precisely why these books have resonated so well in people's minds, these books make us take an indepth look into the deeper issues at play and what life is actually about.

I agree, I think it would have been incredibly hard for Harry to rebuild his life to something resembling some kind of normality and trying to provide that for his children as well - i think it is a very interesting comparison to war veterans, Harry is essentially that.

Plus, I found it immensely satisfying that Harry got to accomplish what he had always wanted - a family to call his own. I just think that is wonderful :)

Thanks Melissa, can't wait for the book!!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH MELISSA!!!!!
(I already pre-ordered your book at amazon.com)!!

By Sara Andrea Vera on October 10, 2008 8:26 AM

I thought of Harry and Jo when I saw the movie Stranger Than Fiction also.

To me, there is a connection to a soldier was when Harry went hunting in a cave for part of Voldemort. I wondered if Jo might have been inspired by the current events at that time. (I'm referring to hunting for Osama Bin Laden in the caves of Afgahnistan).

But I hadn't made the connection to Harry being a returning vet in the epilogue. I am glad that Harry made a successful transition back to civilian life, that is a very brave and noble act that is not easily accomplished.

Now I understand why she left the scar on his forehead. No one who fights in a war remains unscathed.

By qwill on October 9, 2008 11:38 PM

Plus, I found it immensely satisfying that Harry got to accomplish what he had always wanted - a family to call his own. I just think that is wonderful :)

Thanks Melissa, can't wait for the book!!

Oh is there a hardcover version of the book or just paperback...Melissa?... Anyone?...

By Bowtruckle on October 9, 2008 11:01 PM

Plus, I found it immensely satisfying that Harry got to accomplish what he had always wanted - a family to call his own. I just think that is wonderful :)

Thanks Melissa, can't wait for the book!!

Oh is there a hardcover version of the book or just paperback...Melissa?... Anyone?...

By Bowtruckle on October 9, 2008 11:00 PM

I agree that Harry was reborn, except I think he had a third symbolic rebirth: when he was taken from his horrible existence at number 4 Privet Drive and returned to the magical world where he belonged.

By Deb on October 9, 2008 9:09 PM

While I was listening to PC today, I remembered a revelation I'd had many months ago: the prevailing image of the Phoenix throughout the books, the concept of being reborn from the ashes of devastation.

Harry has gone through that twice, first when Hagrid pulls him from the ruined remains of the house in Godric's Hollow, and then when he dies in the woods and is essentially reborn again minus Voldemort's soul part.

And if we had all been smarter, we would have seen the bit when Fawkes is reborn from his ashes in CoS as the bit of foretelling that it was! 20/20 hindsight, ain't it wonderful!

Thanks, Melissa, for releasing these bits to us - Just as you want to see what was on that card that was auctioned off all those years ago - I want to read the entire contents of your interviews - and we both know neither will ever happen! :-)

By TarsieS on October 9, 2008 7:28 PM

I knew she would do the right thing by Harry. :)

By Leslea Harmon on October 9, 2008 3:49 PM

I totally agree with Jo (As always). I noticed someone mentioned the Matrix films, and that is a very valid point of why death is not the answer for every hero. the way Jo described it, of a hero who has to go back and try to live, reminds me more than a little of Frodo in Lord of the rings who, after suffering so much, has to go back and attempt to live a normal life. I like how, in these books, Jo does show the ultimate power of love and of the family in a world that doesn't always value that. I mean, look how so many responded to the epilogue, calling it trite and weak. I think quite the opposite, that for Harry, he's finally gotten what he's always needed: a family. It's a wonderfully poetic way to close the story. Also valid, I think, on the Harry Death question, are people's claims of it having some religious symbolism and overtones, which I think is a valid claim.

By Ryan on October 9, 2008 3:45 PM

Goury: Amazon UK has the US edition (which they will import possibly with a delay), the UK edition and also, if you look hard enough, the Australian edition is listed, though might not ever become available.
nicole: The book is about the Potter phenomenon, such as how the fans reacted, and presumably how the media saw it and such like.

By roonwit on October 9, 2008 3:00 PM

U guys r sooo obsessed.... I mean come on! Whoever thought harry was going to die is an idiot becuse if he died then who would the story be about? What would happen after?? Everything the author mainly bases it on is what harry is going through... you dont see her writing what happened in the last book about what happened when harry, ron, and hermione were watching snape die, about what was going on and who was dieing in the war!! Really people!! Get a grip on reality!!!!!

By Zaheera on October 9, 2008 2:20 PM

It's a little off topic, sorry!

Excuse me, could somebody tell me why are there two versions of the book available for pre-order (on Amazon.co.uk)? One costs £6.74 and the other £8.15.

By Goury on October 9, 2008 1:36 PM

There are lots of stories where the hero dies because that's 'neater' for the author. It's 'neat' to not have to explain in an entertaining and satisfying way "Oh, and when it was all over, the hero becomes a greengrocer. The end." The Matrix movies smack of that: just because it's challenging to write an ending where 'life goes on'. On the whole, I think the Matrix movies were unsatisfying not because of the fate of the heroes, but because they wound up the plot so tight that there was no way back from it. It wasn't the ending that was the problem: it was how the stakes got raised so high that there was no turning back.

To some degree, stories where the hero 'has to die' is a failure of the author, and the author pandering to the perceived weak-mindedness of the reader / audience: in order for the ending to be 'satisfying', after they have themselves (the author) wound up the story so tight, they have nowhere to go but "spectacular heroic sacrifice" in the end.

But we Harry Potter readers WEREN'T pandered to, and the author ISN'T a hack. We can imagine how Harry can have a normal life after all that, because in the Potter books, we know that months and months of normal day-to-day life goes by where you don't even know what was going on: harry gets out of bed, eats breakfast, goes to classes, pals around with Ron and Hermione, quidditch practice, etc. yawn. Even in the DH, they're camping for months: or convalescing at Shell Cottage for months: then from the point of Gringott's onward, as Melissa noted, it's flat out action for a full 24 hour period: ONE DAY. So, yeah, after one action-packed day, I think you could go back to normal living... and Harry, having made peace with death, would be bound to have a more serene life.

Thanks to Jo for not pandering to the audience, and crafting a compelling story in such a way that she didn't paint her hero into a corner, where, in the end, it COULD have gone either way, and frankly, either way would have been satisfying (but Harry living was MUCH more so :-) )

By Caracticus on October 9, 2008 1:03 PM

I did think Harry was going to die in Book 7. I thought the Hallows were a set of spells that would grant the protection for other people, but at the sacrifice of one person (much like what Lily did for Harry. I thought this was going to be explanation of how Harry ended up surviving the original attack that killed his parents) and that Harry would realize he had to sacrifice himself in order to protect the ones he cared about. In a way, that did happen but Harry came back to us.

In the end I am much more satisfied with the ending that Jo provided us. I loved seeing Harry living a normal life after everything he went through. I loved seeing that he finally had a real family. And I loved finally seeing him happy.

By hpbruin on October 9, 2008 12:52 PM

I didn't think he would die. Especially after I read The Tale of Three Brothers in DH, because, to me, anyway, Harry is the third brother. The epilogue just showed that to me-he took off the cloak after he defeated Voldemort, and lives happily until the time he meets Death again =)

By Hazel on October 9, 2008 12:23 PM

You guys are making me curious to see Buffy now. I obviously know the ending now (Buffy dies and comes back from heaven, right? Talk about spoiler warning, hmmm? ;)

By Professor Potter on October 9, 2008 11:57 AM

Do you think Harry had as hard a time as Buffy returning to a normal life? (I'm thinking Buffy a la season 6 and the breakdown(s) that followed her return from heaven...).

Love the Buffy connections :)

By Megan on October 9, 2008 11:38 AM

I was relieved Harry did not die in the book 7. I don't need another story ending horribly. I get too much of that now with the evening news. It was nice to see him come out on top!

By Anthony on October 9, 2008 11:19 AM

I was fascinated to hear Jo's motivation for keeping Harry alive because it is what I always felt. It's so much harder to live than to die, particularly when you've been through horrors and have hard hard work to face.

I think for many authors, too, it's much easier to write a death for your hero than try and make him sound fun and appealing at almost 40! So Jo was as brave as Harry in coming back to write an epilogue - and taking the inevitable flak for it.

Always and ultimately, Harry's story is a hero's journey. Harry NEVER takes the easy, comfortable, safer choice which would benefit self. He ALWAYS, throughout the series, takes the courageous, difficult route which benefits others. So for him to have said, "D'ya know what, Dumblie, I reckon I've earned a good rest and a chinwag with my folks and dead friends. Never mind the mess I've left behind - I'm sure Hermione and Ron and Ginny can finish off Voldy and rebuild the world," would have been awful! And completely untrue to character!

Go Harry - we love you!

By Pottershrink on October 9, 2008 7:33 AM

I knew that he was not going to die, and was relief that he just did to know and understand his mission. After all the pain and suffering, why he couldn't get his reward? I agree with what Jo said, and what you discussed in the Pottercast. What he finally achieved was what he saw in the Mirror of Erised, and after all he did, nearly been killed all his first youth, achieving a normal life was his reward and complete success. Got to remember, though, he was still a marked man, but his friends were still there to protect his finally achieved privacy, like when Ron comment, after one of the kids wonder why people were looking, that they were looking because he was famous. They all understood the big responsibility they had after killing Voldemort, and to raise a family was the biggest of all.

By Dania on October 8, 2008 10:20 PM

Best moments in the DH, in no particular order:
1) Neville withdraws the sword from the Sorting Hat.
2) Harry taunts Riddle before he finishes him off.
3) Molly transforms into a Tigress takes out Bellatrix.
4) Harry's slow walk to his death.

I'd better stop, I keep thinking of more!

Jo always has such rich, revealing things to say. Yes, give Harry his boring life. We don't get to see the hard work, but we see the end result -- a normal, happy family. (I work with a bunch of Drama Queens and I thank the spirits every day for my boring life.)

Thank you, Melissa. Your comments on Jo's thoughts are quite profound. I can't wait for your book to arrive.

By ginevra on October 8, 2008 10:06 PM

Crikey, every time there are new words printed direct from the voice of Jo, I get a surge of excitement as if the day has become a national holiday. How wonderful to hear Jo model Harry on war veterans, it suddenly makes so much sense. The more I listen to her words, the more I think the way she writes is purely from what she feels right and not just strictly following the rules of storytelling or from what her readers expect. She's writes from the heart with a high level of morality soaked in her storyline.

I dont believe for one second she would have killed Harry off despite what she says about the possibility. It would have gone against the grain. After all that Harry has suffered through childhood and teen years (defiantly, I would add), killing him off would have made for a confusing message. If Harry died, what message is that giving to children? Sometimes you have to die for the love of others? Is that what we want children to learn? Sometimes life is a b**ch? No, HP had to end with more optimism than that and that's what Jo gave us, hope, optimism, and a happy ending! After plummeting the depths of darkness in DH, we needed that happy ending, dammit! What Jo eventually did to Harry (ie half kill him/resurrect him) was absolutely ingenious (if a little too obvious in its Christian allegory). But it was ultimately a message of good prevailing over evil or more accurately, love conquering evil. What better moral is there? My only gripe was I kept wondering if Kreature ever did bring Harry a sandwhich...

By Professor Potter on October 8, 2008 9:35 PM

I think that killing him again would have been too much. It would have made his sacrifice seem kinda fake. I am so relived he lived and i think it would have been a cop-out if he died. There would have been no personal growth for Harry to go through if he had died.

By Lorrie H on October 8, 2008 9:00 PM

I think it is genious! I never thought Harry would die that was the reason I couldn't swallow the theory that Harry was Horcrux when it was suggested before Deathly Hallows... In my simple mind I gave for granted that he would have to die, and he did, both.
Just like most people here said.... I too whish there was more information on the epilogue. (Yeah... blah blah)
I got really upset, I thought it was almost disrespectful the way she finished the last chapter and jumped to the epilogue.
I felt cheated on a very important part of the story, we had been "on Harry's head" through seven books, in this rollercoster, making the same mistakes, and feeling sad, REALLY sad at times, happy, proud, angry, frustrated , terrified, sometimes all at the same time. At the peak of it when we were ready to digest everything that had just happened... it was BOOM!!!! She closed the door on our faces!
She was telling us: "That is it. And after 19 years he will be ok, and he will have everything he dreamed of, big family, kids he will be surrounded with friends but that is pretty much all." I felt like I was spitted out of Harry's head to be a mere observer on the platform 9 3/4 and at that moment i wanted to kick misses Jo's ass with all due respect. I wanted her to rewrite the thing!
Ok... I got over it, almost. hehehe I wish I could read her first version of it thought that would be fun.
Don't get me wrong everybody, I absolutely love Jo and can't get enough of her, I just wanted to share how I felt when i read the epilogue since it was brought up.

By Carolina Carvalho on October 8, 2008 4:37 PM

I love that answer so much. I can't help thinking of the film Stranger Than Fiction, and the fictional author (Emma Thompson) saying basically that if a man knows he's going to die and does it willingly, even though he knows he's got a choice, that's the kind of man you want to keep alive.

By Pam on October 8, 2008 2:24 PM

Well, let me say what I think about...

I believe in Harry didn't die because those moral rules in Rowling's minds or something like that. She never saw Harry dead as a good final for her books, but just as another way to imagine why some fans could be furious because they wouldn't like the final one that she had been choosen.

I loved her explanation about Harry's survival in comparison a war veterans, it's something like the romantics books and its 'happy end'. It sounds awful for ones, but interesting for others like me =)

*sorry about any English mistakes xD*

By Ricardo Olissil on October 8, 2008 2:17 PM

As this *is* essentially a children's book, it would have been morally irresponsible to kill Harry. What kind of message would that send?

I never thought about comparing Harry to war veterans, but that's another important message; after Vietnam, there was an entire generation paralyzed by PTSS, drugged, drunk and crazy.

Witchcraft and magic and all of that is just a running gag for a story about a boy who lives.

By sgt_majorette on October 8, 2008 1:37 PM

What do I think? Well, her response pretty much echoes why I never really thought Harry was going to die. My biggest problem with the epilogue was that I wanted to see how he got there. Every other book in the series had at least one full -- often lengthy -- chapter of assessing what happened, of debriefing, but after THE event of the series, we get a few pages and a 19 year leap to a brief glimpse of the future. How did the ministry fix things? How did the Weasleys cope with loosing Fred? And so on.

By zoltan42 on October 8, 2008 12:35 PM

Thanks for giving us the full text, Melissa. I, too, am so happy that Harry lived. All throughout canon, the thing he repeatedly wished for was a "normal" life. Well, normal can be seen as boring, but it's got plenty of highs and lows going through it. Harry deserved that chance. I think dying would've been the easy choice for him, not the right one. In the end, Harry learned that lesson - I wish some of the fans could do the same.

I still, desperately wished there had been one more chapter giving us some of the aftermath. I would've liked to see how they started to rebuild, some of the fallout, and definitely Harry's reunion with Ginny. I suppose that's forever the fodder of fanfics.

I can't wait to read your book, Melissa. Congratulations.

By Melindaleo on October 8, 2008 12:20 PM

Really, Harry gets to do both. He does the heroic sacrifice of himself when walking through the forest knowing that Voldemort will kill him when he arrives and does the whole dying thing, only to discover that he can still choose to go back and finish things which is of course the first step to rebuilding the wizarding world.
However, I do think from the story point of view that Harry needed to live, because otherwise it would be down to someone else to finish off Voldemort, as I find it difficult to see how Harry could both die and kill off Voldemort.

By roonwit on October 8, 2008 9:07 AM

Ugh, I love this discussion! So much of Harry resembles Buffy that it's a little spooky. I love that Jo points out how unbelievably hard it was for Harry (and the others) to go back to living a relatively normal life. The cleanup, dealing with the fallout and repercussions - it's not something that could have been easy.
"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it."(More Buffy!) Harry proved that - his life was, by no stretch of the word, easy and I love that Jo realised that it would have lessened the impact of his story and his character had he died.
I'm stopping because I don't know if I'm making sense or repeating others' thoughts but I LOVE this whole subject!!!
Thanks Melissa!!

By Joel on October 8, 2008 8:09 AM

I, too, love her answer. Before DH came out, I kept thinking how bad it would suck if the series ended with him dying. But then I read the book and thought about how it would be completely plausible that he was meant to die by the hands of Voldemort.

Thankfully, she didn't do it! But, I agree with Olivia when she says that after all the crap that he has been through, he deserves a boring life. He went through so much as a teenager, that after being killed once, and coming back, he deserves to have a normal life.

It would have been pointless to kill him the second time. Like you said, we saw Harry conquer death. He came back. It wasn't meant to be.

I also like what she said about her model being war veterans. I can totally see that. They have to pick up the pieces and move on. That is exactly what Harry had to do. There was no turning back once it was all said and done.

I don't know.

By Bonnie on October 8, 2008 2:23 AM

Thank you SO much for posting this!

I really love her answer, and I agree with the logic on why killing him would have been easier. And I loved your assessment. Buffy! (Joss Whedon making a Harry Potter miniseries would make all my dreams come true.)

But what happened next, how did they go on? Are always the questions good books or movies or whatever leave us with. How was the character hardened or embittered or changed because of what they suffered? What are the consequences? After the battle do things go back to normal and everyone pretend things are hunky-dory? Or are people too steeled by what they've been through that they're worse than before?
So in that sense, I can see why killing him would have been a cop-out. Harry dying avoids answering any of the tough character questions in the aftermath of the war. Which is why I liked the epilogue, after all he's been through, Harry deserves a boring life.

Sorry if this is incoherent and redundant. I'm very tired and probably shouldn't be typing. I'll come back if I have better formed thoughts tomorrow.
Can't wait for the book!

By Olivia on October 8, 2008 1:42 AM

Harry, A History

The true story of a boy wizard, his fans, and life inside the Harry Potter phenomenon.

On Harry's Survival

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