Harry Potter Film Review - is Rowling advoating self defense?

[kcmarine]

No one here has a sound mind

 

[lanternlad1]

Besides being waaaaay OT in my opinion, the book isn't really about self defense. (Haven't seen the movie, but Rowling has stated she didn't like the way they edited her writing for it) It's more about a government cover-up. Which we all know the British Government never does...

 

[patentmike]

Give the woman some credit. Her education in classic literature runs deep, and she can write. When the theme runs through the whole story, it seems like a good bet she said what she meant to say.

Some characters in the novel are trying to use the threat of Voldemort as a reason to grab power, which can be seen as a mild allusion to power grabs in the name of protecting us from terrorism.

Odd, the version I read was the exact opposite. The ordinary folk, or at least the non-sheep among them, were interested in self-defense and were falsely accused of using the threat to grab power.

 

[mblat]

Point is that this is a GOOD book with the GOOD story. As with majority of good books it has many angles and everyone can find in this books what he hold dear. That is why so many adults have read it. Want to find case for CCW - can find one. Want to find criticism of Bush. No problem. Want to find government conspiracy - here it is served hot.
It is a fantasy - by it' nature it requires heroes and nothing allows to show heroism than a warfare.

Artist true position can be opposite from what he seem to advocate in his work. Stallone of all people is Brady Bunch boy. So who knows what Rollings believe in. It just a nice literature - enjoy yourself and let your kids read it.

 

[roguetek]

Boats:

"I guess I'd make a bad writer of magic. Wouldn't it be the ultimate surprise attack on an evil magician to pull out both a wand and a wundernine?

Then would come the hackneyed dialogue, "Block this!" "

Actually it's been done. The ending scene in thwe animated movie 'wizards' by vaughn bode.

The good wizard and the bad wizard are deadlocked. The good wizard pulls out a 9mm luger and shoots the bad one...

 

[Kaeto]

"I'd like to show you a magic trick mother taught me when you weren't around. Oh and another thing, I'm glad you changed your name You Son of a B***h!"
As the good wizard says this he whips out the Luger from up his sleeves and fires.

 

[Milkmaster]

To the point of the original posting...

I came out of the movie, went to the car, and said to my wife, "that's the best story about the second amendment I have seen in a while!"

 

[ky_man]

I came out of the movie, went to the car, and said to my wife, "that's the best story about the second amendment I have seen in a while!"

MIlkmaster, your quote pretty much sums up my original intent in posting this thread. For my first THR post, I think I could have done worse.

 

[ctdonath]

From the book:

Cornelius Fudge: "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to wait trial!"
"Ah" said Dumbledore gently, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."
"Snag?" said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. "I see no snag Dumbledore!"
"Well," said Dumbledore apologetically, "I'm afraid I do."
"Oh really?"
"Well – it's just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to – what is the phrase – 'Come quietly.' I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course – but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."

 

[wmeSha]

I've read all of the books at least twice. I've read carefully enough to know Prince Yamato's arrogance is misplaced. I hang out with PhDs regularly, and I can tell you that people who know literature don't dis' Harry Potter so lightly. The only people I've known in real life so condescending have never picked up a book.

I've never picked up a strong RKBA message in the books, but I will say that when I saw the movie today and Harry went for his wand on the bedside table I was thinking in my mind, "In real life that would be a .357 revolver." I definitely believe Rowling to be clever enough to work in such messages as she wishes though.

I can see why Rowling didn't like the edits. It is hard to have people change your stories, but I thought the screen writers did a beautiful job of capturing the essence of the book efficiently. It was wonderfully done, although it is a shame that Hagrid's substory threads get cut down so aggressively (there's only so much time in which to tell a story).

 

[damien]

Why would advocating self defense be a surprise? Almost everyone is OK with self defense. The problem is that a lot of people who are OK with self defense are against people providing themselves with any effective means to achieve it. Of course, this doesn't make any sense. But at the Refreshments have famously said, The World Is Full Of Stupid People.

 

[cbsbyte]

Hate to say it...

but there is no way for sure, without Rowling telling us where she lies on the right to self defense. Though she has stated in the past that she is left wing. (link to article below) JK Rowling's favorite writer is Jessica Mitford,(she also named her daughter after Mitford) a socialist agitator who fought for worker rights, and civil rights in USA in the 1950-60s. This would make me believe Ms. Rowling's would be very anti gun, though not necessary anti-self defense. Personally I see her messages to be more in the the collective ideology of pure socialism, and not that of rugged individualism as seen by others. The message is that a like thinking group works together to stop the evil,and civil rights abuse of the fascists( Voldermort and the corrupt Government). The Magic government seems to be a stand in for the Thatcher Government. Think of Che and the guerrilla revolutionaries in Cuba and else where in the 1950-60s or even Jessica Mitford. The current movie seems to reinforce this message where the friends of Harry join forces to fight against the evil and corrupt Magic Government. None the less it there seems to be a lot of self projection by people to see hidden messages in movies that are not the intention of the writer.

In this link she explains her political beliefs. She is far left.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,85523,00.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2058733/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Mitford

 

[c_yeager]

I don't see an RKBA message in the books. I havent seen the latest movie but have read the book and watched the previous movies, so maybe there is a change. What I have seen is a fairly typical belief that well trained and officially approved people should be given every means possible to take care of the rest of the flock. Pretty well in line with the standard British thinking on the subject. You won't see wands in the hands of ANYONE but people with official approval, in the rare cases that an unsanctioned person ends up with one bad things result. This is NOT a guns are for the masses message.

 

[brighamr]

I agree with the origional post

I saw the movie yesterday, and I definitely sensed a "it's better to be able to protect yourself than to rely on the ministry of defense" message. For those who haven't seen it, you should.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Self Defense

Why would advocating self defense be a surprise? Almost everyone is OK with self defense.

On this continent, anyway.

And probably where Rowling's from, too.

Not that you get to see much of that displayed in public, what with people being convicted and sentenced for defending themselves.

I weep for England.

 

[Prince Yamato]

I hang out with PhDs regularly, and I can tell you that people who know literature don't dis' Harry Potter so lightly.

So do I (in fact, I'm working on mine right now). Of ALL the literature available, we go for Harry Freakin' Potter... come on folks.

The problem with this is that it's too entrenched in fantasy. I understand allegory and all that jazz, but it's still a story about a little boy who's a wizard. I would not use this to defend my pro-2a beliefs nor do I believe this movie would influence younger people to go for ccw. If anything they'll just make kids by more of the books and all the knick knacks sold to go with it. I'm not saying you can't LIKE Harry Potter, hell you can sleep with a Harry Potter doll and pray to a Harry Potter idol for all I care.

I think your spirit is in the right place, but I think in practice, your argument will just make you look like someone who likes Harry Potter a little too much.

 

[Wedge]

I think it does promote self defense, self reliance and distrust of a big brother watching over you. I really liked reading the book.

 

[Tiger beetle]

I absolutely loved the scene with Umbridge telling the students they would no longer be practicing defense against the dark arts but just doing book learning. When challenged, she asks why do you need to practice? Who could possibly want to harm the students?

GREAT example of denial of reality. GREAT.

 

[auschip]

The problem with this is that it's too entrenched in fantasy. I understand allegory and all that jazz, but it's still a story about a little boy who's a wizard.

Beowulf is simply a story about Monsters, and Moby Dick is a story about fishing. If you reduce any story to it's base parts you lose most of the meaning.

 

[Thumper]

PhD.?

So do I (in fact, I'm working on mine right now).

If anything they'll just make kids by more of the books and all the knick knacks sold to go with it.

*EVERYBODY* will have read Harry Potter.

Not this guy. No Harry Potter, no Lord of the Rings. If I want fantasy, I'll read Ulysses, if I want a ring and mysticism, it's Richard Wagner, not this crap.

Ok there, "Dr." Yamato...you haven't read it. On what basis do you apply your criticism? You using the force?

 

[longeyes]

Beowulf is simply a story about Monsters, and Moby Dick is a story about fishing. If you reduce any story to it's base parts you lose most of the meaning.

Children's literature is children's literature no matter what nuggets are hidden in the steaming entrails.

If you think Harry Potter is the great myth of our times, so be it. Enjoy.

(And by the way it's "its" not "it's".)

~"M. Longeyes"

 

[LightningJoe]

too entrenched in fantasy

Yeah, unlike Homer. Doh!


Harry Potter's pretty good, especially the first four books. Rowling is juxtaposing the mundane and the fantastic, the sort of thing Heinlein did so well in Magic, Inc.


But when the mundane goes away (as it does as Rowling veers away from a little boy's boarding school experiences and toward Wizard War III), then some of the appeal goes away also.

 

[Correia]

Children's literature is children's literature no matter what nuggets are hidden in the steaming entrails.

Yeah, crap like Starship Troopers.

Literature snobs always entertain me. Nothing like departments filled with academics who've never published a damn thing in their lives telling us meager peasants what is and is not literature.

I think I decided that after I had some know it all try to explain to me how the Scarlet Letter is great literature. Gag, hack, vomit, spit... What a horrid piece of crap.

But it is old, therefore, it must be awesome.

too entrenched in fantasy

Yes, because Achilles really was dipped in the river Styx, and the gods fought alongside the Trojans.

 

[Correia]

And a superb knowledge of grammar doesn't mean you know how to write. Writing is about telling a story. Some story tellers need more editing than others. So get off your grammatical high horses.

There are other "writers" who can string together huge stories where nothing happens except for angst, and a whole lot of big words that you have to look up in the dictionary. These writers are usually featured in book clubs by rich house wives. They feel smart because of all the big words and the great review in the New Yorker. Nobody actually reads these piles of literary poop, but they do manage to give each other a lot of awards.

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

PY- don't criticize books you haven't read.