Saturday, October 20, 2007

Let's talk Harry Potter

I just saw this in the news:

Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall.

After reading briefly from the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she took questions from audience members.

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down."

Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."

Here's what I don't understand. Why do we care? She didn't write about it in the book, so she must not have felt it added to the story. Does it add to the story or the character after the fact? I just don't understand why the gay/straight issue is important in children's literature, in this setting.

3 comments:

Mom said...

I agree with you. If it wasn't part of the book, why even go there? Why would you answer a young fan that way? Is J.K. Rowling gay and trying to promote her lifestyle to children?

Jen said...

Since there is no clear reference to it in the books, I am going to choose to see him the way I always have. Her statements won't alter it for me. However, I'm a little dissapointed. Does she really need more attention now that the series is done?

John Hattan said...

The expanded version of "Prisoner of Azkaban" includes a scene where Dumbledore attends group-therapy at the Hogwarts ex-gay ministry presided over by his cousin, Ted Haggardus.

So we can all rest easy that Dumbledore was cured of the sin of homosexuality at the time of his death. He's currently spending eternity in heaven with his lord and savior Jesus Christ. . .as well as all the witchcraft-practicing necromancers who had gone before him.