Blog Post 3

When I first got the 7^th book the day it was released I felt excited, but at the same time quite depressed. I had grown up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione; it was going to be hard to have to let them go after all these years. After the finishing the 7^th book though, I was not disappointed! I think that Rowling was able to finally wrap up all, well most, of the lose ends I had been wondering about since book 1. I was excited to read that Harry was still alive because I was of the “Harry’s going to die” camp. I thought that the scene right before Harry enters the forest to meet his fate was so moving, I still cry every time I read it. It’s amazing to think that this 17 year old is able to look death in the face after all he has been though and just show no fear. Another particularly poignant moment for me was when Mrs. Malfoy checks to make sure Harry is dead but instead she asks about her son. I believe that this shows how all of Rowling characters are multi-dimensional and have deep feelings just like the rest of us. Rowling has a way of making you believe that these characters could exist in real life, they make normal human errors and have the same faults and strengths that any other non-magical person would have.

I think that because of what I had read so far with this series, I was not particularly surprised to find out about Snape, although I did not see him being in love with Lily coming at all. I figured that he had to be a “good” guy because Snape truly being that evil was just too obvious. Dumbledore on the other hand had always confused me. Even now having read the series more times than I care to admit, I still can’t decide if I am as loyal as Harry is to Dumbledore. Some of his decisions and deception are still hard for me to comprehend. Although I recognize that he truly cared about Harry, it’s still a little alarming to me that he could put such a plan into action and still treat Harry the same or show him so much love. It’s almost cruel considering what Dumbledore had in store for Harry. My feeling about Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn’t really change except that I gained new respect for all of them, especially Harry in sacrificing himself.

In terms of the larger social/cultural context, I feel that this is a fabulous coming of age saga. Not only do we see how children or teenagers grow, but also adults. Personally, I have found it a means of support when going through rough times, as I believe everyone could. Looking at this magical world that seems so innocent and fantastic you would think everything would be all smiles and sunshine, when in fact it is a dark and scary place at times. I think that it allows us as readers a chance to escape our own problematic lives and read how others are dealing with the same issues we deal with everyday, except with magic.