From: Andrea Johnson <ajohnson>
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 11:10:47 -0600

Maia,

        I'm curious as to whether you've read all three of the books or just the first one. Harry's struggle with Good vs. Evil (or Us vs. Them, if those are your preferred terms) gets a lot more complex by the third book. It's clear by the end of the third book that some of the adult characters' distinctions between the good guys and the bad guys are more complex than is immediately apparent, too.

        I don't want to get into it too much, since I can't recall whether this discussion is supposed to encompass all the books or just the first one, but I think that this, like some of the other aspects people have mentioned, get more complex and adult as the characters and readers do.

        With respect to the rival houses, I think that's a device Rowling used to set up a pseudo- good vs. evil battle within the smaller sphere of the school. Remember that the main competition with Griffindor is Slytherin, which was the house of Voldemort (who has, I think, been sufficiently filled out as an evil character -- not only did he kill HP's parents, but he wanted to use magic for his own personal gain and power and turn the world of wizardry to his whim); and is also the house of Malfoy, who is a cheat, a bully, and a liar; as well as Malfoy's father, who's a corrupt politician not above buying influence to squash his enemies; and Snape, a teacher who dislikes Harry intensely for no apparent reason. Though the entire house is not really evil per se, there's definitely the potential for selfishness and dishonesty in that group. The other houses are there for balance, I think, but really there's not much rivalry going on there.

        Keep in mind also that there's a struggle going on within Harry for the same sorts of ideals -- it's kind of similar to the story of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga -- he is nearly put into Slytherin himself by the sorting hat, but he's already afraid of the comparisons people have made between him and Voldemort (such as the magic wand shopkeeper, for example). His kind of potential as a wizard can go either way, and Harry has a definite fear of going the wrong way. In fact, it's very similar to the Star Wars concept. Harry/Luke is confronted by Voldemort/Vader, who he's been told was a promising young wizard/Jedi who used his power for personal gain, then killed Harry/Luke's parents/father. Interesting thought...

        Anyway, I personally think the biggest struggle between good and evil, or altruistic/selfish uses of magic, is within Harry himself. His confrontations with Voldemort represent his confrontation of his fears, both of harm to himself and those he loves, and of what he could become if he's not careful, and learning to control his anger and desire for revenge.

        I think you may be right in some ways about us vs. them being a more prevalent concept than good vs. evil -- but Harry's an 11-year-old boy, who's likely to lose track of the fine distinction between the two. I think learning the difference is likely to be part of the character development of Harry over the course of the series. After all, he's already been faced with the realization that Snape, who dislikes him, is not necessarily the
"villain" that Harry's assumptions (and his interpretation of Snape's motives) have made him out to be.

        Maybe? Maybe not.

Andrea Johnson ajohnson at cooklib.org Children's Librarian * Cook Memorial Library * Libertyville, IL
Received on Wed 10 Nov 1999 11:10:47 AM CST