Posted on 08/28/2007 11:44:43 AM PDT by Antoninus
After another miserable summer fraught with muggle-trouble, Harry heads back to Hogwarts for his third year. As usual, things start to go wrong even before he gets there. A cold-blooded murderer named Sirius Black has escaped from Askaban, the prison for wayward wizards, and he's out to get Harry. Worse, the enforcers charged with recapturing Black--the joy-draining dementors--are almost more malevolent than he is. But Harry's got an ally in Professor Lupin, the chronically disheveled Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and with the help of his friends Ron and Hermione, a special mischief-maker's map, and a hippogriff named Buckbeak, Harry delves deeper into the mystery of his past and finds an unexpected new protector.
If Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was formulaic and a rehash of Sorcerer's Stone with a few different critters and magical doo-hickeys, The Prisoner of Askaban is, by contrast, a refreshing change of pace. The overall writing is better, the dialog is more believable and the characters less cardboard. The twisting plot also keeps you guessing which makes for an enjoyable read throughout. And it's a good thing, too. At over 430 pages and a solid two pounds in hardcover, Prisoner of Askaban is quite the tome.
Rowling introduces the fascinating character of Sirius Black in Prisoner of Askaban and he is the boogey-man throughout 90% of the book. The best friend of Harry's parents, Black was accused of betraying them to the wicked Voldemort. He was thrown into Askaban for murdering 13 people, one of whom was Peter Pettigrew, a bungling wizard who chased Black down to avenge his betrayal of the Potters. That, at least, was the official story. The truth, of course, is considerably more complicated.
From my perspective, what is most intriguing about Black is that he is identified as Harry Potter's godfather. Now, some have used this to demonstrate that the Harry Potter books are indeed steeped in a Christian worldview. Why else would Harry have a godfather if he hadn't been baptized? Unfortunately, one doesn't have to do very much web searching to turn up evidence that wiccans do actually have godparents as part of their rituals. Here's an excerpt from a book that I found that clearly indicates the presence of godparents in wicca ritual. There is also the traditional linkage between witchcraft and the notion of the fairy godmother, though I haven't explored that relationship in any great detail. Given this, the argument that Harry is Christian because he has a godfather seems less credible. At the same time, it doesn't positively confirm any linkage between the books and wicca. The use of the term is simply ambiguous.
The major themes in this book are in general agreement with Christian ethic, even if it is not explicitly stated. Good and evil are clearly defined, though it's not always clear who is on which side. The Weasleys, with their large, rambunctious family, are given a central place and are presented very sympathetically. The notions of courage and self-sacrifice are explored in detail, particularly with regard to the love of a mother and father for their child. Harry also shows compassion and mercy, in very much the Christian sense. In one scene, he forbids the killing of Voldemort's creature when he is about to be done in by Harry's protectors.
There are also some hints in the book about an afterlife, though in a form more closely resembling the Star Wars universe than anything Christian. Toward the end of the book, Dumbledore says, "You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him" (page 427-8). Kind of like Harry's own Obi-Wan Kenobi. But again, I hesitate to make a call on semi-new-agey stuff like this until I've got a better idea of where it's all going.
Over all, though I enjoyed the writing and the story in Prisoner of Askaban, I remain conflicted about the series in general, and its suitability for young Catholic readers in particular. I reckon my opinion is going to come down to the wire at the end of Book VII. But I've got to get there first and these books don't seem to get any slimmer as the series progresses. On to Book IV!
You spelled “Azkaban” wrong. Should have taken my suggestion ...
Sorry, neither my spell checker nor me is particularly good at catching made-up words. I’m not losing any sleep over it.
It’s on the cover of the book in great big letters, and everything.
thanks for the ping! it seems i had missed the second thread, as it was buried amidst sundry pingage!
Interesting. That “she says godfather, so she must be a Christian” thing seemed like a stretch anyway. :)
It also bears notice, IMO, that on the subjects at Hogwarts which actually seem to be represented in our world (Astrology, Fortune Telling, etc.) the teacher is Professor Trelawney and she is a fake. Everyone knows it. Everyone laughs at her. Astrology?? Fortune Telling?? Please!! Who Believes that stuff?? Hermione storms out of her class because it's such a waste of time.
I think Rowling is telling us something.
I’ll also add the the central theme of the books is clearly The Importance of Love. Partnered with that is the concept that fearing death is foolish. Far more important is the care of your soul, and the notion that living in a worthy manner, such that death is not your enemy, is the wisest path. The Bible quotes which Rowling includes in the seventh book make these points quite clear.
Also, according to Rowling, some folks are born Muggles, some are born magical. Magical kids demonstrate magic at a very young age without any knowledge or control. Hey, kids! If you're 11 years old and haven't accidentally levitated yet, I guess you were born a Muggle. Not much you can do about it.
In Rowling's universe, you can go to school and study and learn magic (if you're not a Muggle). But I think part of Trelawney's purpose is to demonstrate that trying to learn fortune-telling is a waste of time -- so don't bother trying this at home! I've said as much before.
But here is more: If you are born Magical, then sometimes Magic happens to you and around you, without your knowledge and control. Now, that's fantasy, and it may upset some people, but it's a basic tenet of Rowling's world. Now, having said that, I will say that while Trelawney is basically a fake, she's not a Muggle.
Count me in as one of the brain-twisted. I think it's important to admit that the fantasy world is a lot more interesting to teens than the real world (and it offers them more power and authority as well...you can be a warrior king even if you never leave your parents basement ;).
And believe me, I would have been as strongly attracted to making Potter real as I was to making D&D real. It's extremely embarrassing to say it now, but I was a sensitive, dreamy kid, and I very vividly wanted to be the elf character I played. Came from a good family and loved science...who knows what would have happened to me if in my irreligious phase I started getting into wicca or something like that. It certainly wasn't out of the realm of possibility...I got temporarily sucked into studying out-of-body travel and things like that.
I haven't read Harry, so I can't comment on that aspect of it. But I definitely understand a predisposition in some kids to take such things to unhealthy levels.
a fun story,
a set of ideas about human nature, and
the mechanics of story-telling.
I've steered conversations in such a way so that there's not much chance that she'll see anything as a secret key to a better, more enchanted world. But she gets a lot out of the series. Especially (I hope) the notion that good story-telling is hard, and that Rowling has put a lot of sweat into crafting the work.
The magical world isn't "there". It's built by an author who really needs to make an effort so that the story looks like it tells itself. I think Rowling is really quite good -- and also quite transparent (in a good way). From the standpoint of learning the art of narrative and exposition, Rowling is good stuff.
Well, sounds like you’re doing everything right! Would that every parent were so vigilant!
Need to go back and read the other threads.
My wife and I have been working very hard in the garden lately, and we talked about this.
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