Friday, April 4, 2014

D is for Deathly Hallows

 For my last two years at Grand Valley State University, I worked at the Writing Center along with a lot of Harry Potter and book loving people.  One day we got into a discussion about how even the best books can be critiqued.  (I think Katie, from The Fiction Diaries might have been part of this discussion as well and if not, you should still check out her blog anyway, because she's great!)

The critique we discussed of the Harry Potter series was the Deathly Hallows.  Harry is already out hunting for seven horcruxes, and then J.K. Rowling adds in three Deathly Hallows to search for as well.  I definitely enjoyed the Deathly Hallows as a part of the series, but they don't really add much.  From the Elder Wand, we learn more about Dumbledore and Grindelwald and from the Cloak of Invisibility we learn more about Harry's famous lineage...But the objects themselves as super-power magical articles do not add depth.


Xenophilius Lovegood explains, "'the ancient story refers to three objects, or Hallows, which, if united, will make the possessor master of Death'" (410).  It was never clear to me whether or not the Hallows played a role in Harry's encounter with Voldemort at the end of The Deathly Hallows.  It would make sense that they would, as Harry was the master of Death (though he did not ever have all three Hallows at once), but the book doesn't explicitly say that the Hallows had anything to do with his survival.

Much as I like the Deathly Hallows, if I had to critique the Harry Potter series, it would be with the voice of my former colleagues in saying that the Deathly Hallows are superfluous.

What is something in the Harry Potter series that you would critique if you had to come up with something?

Here's a special treat about waiting for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!  Though it was written by Hank Green before the book came out, many of the "what ifs" were actually pretty prophetic! Enjoy!


Tomorrow, the Harry Potter fun continues with E is for Epilogue.


10 comments:

  1. This mini story is one of my favorite parts of Harry Potter!

    Mr.McLovin at Fuel For The Furnace

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    1. I enjoyed it too! I bought The Tales of Beedle the Bard for all of the myths and stories and it was by far my favorite in there as well.

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  2. The focus of the book is the idea of grasping immortality. I think the Hallows do play an important role as a sort of harmonic line that enriches our understanding of both Harry and Voldemort. The series was quite thematically complex from the get-go. Just hunting horcruxes might have been a more typical streamlined approach some authors prefer, but it would have felt flat and anticlimactic. It's the complexity that makes us read and re-read Rowling's series.

    Laurel
    Laurel's Leaves

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    1. Yes I think they widen the gap between Harry and Voldemort too, in that Harry wasn't insterestes in being the master of death while Voldemort saught Hallows and horcruxes

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  3. I've always wanted to read Harry Potter and be part of the whole large fandom, but something always pushed me away from it. After reading this post, I WANT TO BE PART OF THE FANDOM ASAP. <33

    It would mean so much to me if you could visit my blog: www.thatgirlybookworm.blogspot.ca

    The theme focuses on books and the title according to the letter of the day!

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    1. Hi! You should definitely try out the books! The Sorcerer's Stone is a short one so you can figure out if you like it :)

      Nice job on your Eleanor & Park and Book Thief posts - two of my favorites! :)

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  4. I came to Harry Potter's world late in the game but the anticpation of each book reminded me of the stories about readers in America waiting for the latest instalment of Charles Dickens' stories. (Did Little Nell die?) Anything that gets people reading gets my vote, and books that made their mark as these did--are IMPORTANT.

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    1. Absolutely! That's what made me so mad about all the people who bashed the Twilight series...I am also in favor of anything that gets people reading! Because the next step from there is reading another series, then another...and soon they could end up loving reading as much as us! :)

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  5. What I loved about the Deathly Hallows sideplot is the backstory on Dumbledore. I want JK to do a Dumbledore-focused prequel. Albus-the-teenager was really interesting!
    ~ Amanda @ Books Aplenty

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    1. That is a great idea! I would love that as well! I'd also really love a James, Sirius, Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Snape prequel!

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