Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (vol. II)

The characters in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series were particularly interesting to me in the ways in which each character departed from the classical molds. The seventh installment of the series reveals that in Rowling’s work there are no purely good or purely evil characters. The wizard Dumbledore and the storyline he was involved in throughout the work continually fascinated me in the way in which it departed from the classical motif. In works of most classical Western literature, mentor to the hero is usually a person of endless wisdom and virtue. One can easily picture the blind ancient Greek prophet Tiresias always having the gift of fortune telling or Tolkien’s Gandalf being born a wise man. These characters are presented as having little to no faults, beyond sexuality, and always pure. However, the seventh book of the series reveals the dark past of Dumbledore, extra-literature words of Rowling describe his sexuality, and discussions with Snape demonstrate Dumbledore’s uncertainty. While the departure from classical models at times frustrated me, the change also made the character more life like to me. I am extremely close to my grandparents, who have all divorced and remarried. The stories of pre-divorce times when my grandparents engaged in heated arguments and were quite unpleasant to be around seem almost like fables to me. The grandparents I know now are incredibly loving individuals who are a wealthy of patience and wisdom. Harry’s revelation of his mentor’s troubled past deeply resonated with me as it reminded me of my own realizations about my grandparents.