Thursday, September 23, 2004

Note: Stops in middle because I have to catch train. To be finished tomorrow.

What Lies Behind the Eyes?

One of the most frequent questions people ask about the Harry Potter books is "What is up with Harry having Lily's eyes?" or some variation there of. The likeness between the two pairs of eyes is mentioned so often it's not surprising everyone wants to know the answer. I think, after re-watching the third Harry Potter film, that I now have a clear idea of what Rowling means. At least what I believe she means.

Perhaps some of you have read interviews where Rowling has mentioned that Cuaron (the movie's director) understood a lot of what she was trying to say in the books and a lot of what was to come in future books. Many prognosticators have immediately keyed in to Lupin's speech on the bridge where he talks to Harry about Lily. Most people, including myself originaly, believed that Cuaron might be talking about feelings Lupin may have had for Lily. After all, the speech almost makes it sound like he was in love with her. Today, I backtrack from this original idea. At the very least I say that that is not the true meat that was behind Lupin's story. Instead, I believe Cuaron was revealing the mystery behind Lily and Harry's eyes.

Maybe other have figured this out as well, though I have to say I have yet to read an article that will go into the depth on this subject that I am about to go to. Maybe Cuaron did not mean this speech the way I am about to present it, but I now believe there is importance in it. Either way, *deep breath*, here I go...

On preliminary conjectures of the Lily's eye mystery, I used to believe, and I still believe, that it has something to do with the self-sacrifice Lily presented. We know that this sacrifice was out of love, and this love protected Harry from Voldemort's fateful curse. We know that this love touched Harry and stayed with him and has always played a big part in who Harry has become. To be touched by love so great shound create great love in return. And thus the connection is born.

But I always believed, and I still believe, that there is something much deeper to this connection that involved the eyes. What else do these eyes hold? To explain this I have to delve not only into Lupin's speech on the bridge, but into a beauty found throughout our own world.

(Please bear through my theology, it is the best way I know to explain this) Throughout my life I have always believed that eyes are a doorway to the soul. It's a popular theme not only in my own stories but in novels written throughout the centuries. In each person's eyes I can see a reflection of the love of God, even when that person does not realize that they bear it. A reflection of love can be found in nearly every pair of eyes that I pass, a reflection of a beautiful and true soul. But only in a rare person, someone that may only be found once or twice in a life time, does this love resound so strong in someone's eyes that just to look into them one knows that they are safe and in the peace and love of God. These people exude an overwhelming feeling of Joy, Love, Hope, and Peace that one feels hugged by only looking into their eyes. In such rare people, also is found the gift of sight where they can see just as much good in everyone else as one can see in them.

I always assumed that Harry's eyes mirrored his sould in one way or another, that we could see Harry's mom and her sacrifice in his good eyes. I still believe this, but I believe that these eyes are even more telling. Lupin tells us in his speech how to make the further leap that is needed. I don't have direct quotes infront of me, but he talks about her overwhelming goodness. How she could see the good in someone else who could not see the good in themselves. How she always believed in people. Perhaps she was one of those rare people I was talking about, the kind you look at and can feel nothing but love and peace.

And this love and peace she passed on to Harry through her sacrifice. This ability to see the worth in others was passed on through a single incident of love. Harry looked like his father, an exceptional man, but from his mother he gained the great love onto his soul that made so many cling to her and perhaps admire her. (Compare with Snape and Lily in Book Five and Lupins speech about Lily in movie Three and other stories we have heard about her.) When someone looks into Harry's eyes they see a beauty in sould that reflects his mothers and brings a joy that one can hardly explain.

But wait, you may ask, why is this so important? We could have guessed this? Can't there be more to it? Oh yes. Oh yes. Lupin's speech emphasizes Lily's ability to see the good in others even when they can't see it in themselves. What if Harry also inherited this ability? Keeping this in mind, let's review Book Three and Harry's history. We may just find that this inheritance will complete the circle of self-sacrifice and love that will allow Harry to save the world and they joy and love that it so cherishes/ A joy and love that Voldemort would do anything to destroy.

((eeeek.. gotta catch a train. will finish tomorrow for sure. ))


Monday, September 20, 2004

New About.com Article.

This one is on the Chamber of Secrets. I wrote it a while ago but I think I forgot to link you.


There are two new articles below this one. One deals with the Fountain of Magical Brethren and one is a list of articles to read regarding educating yourself about what is really going on with politics right now.


The Fountain of Magical Brethren is a lie. It is easy for us, having experienced all of Harry's memories to recognize this and all. But what if we were not blessed with Harry's point of view? How would we see this fountain?

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Fountain of Magical Brethren represents one of the greatest lies in the Magical World. All of the creatures look up admiringly at the Wizard statue as if in awe of his magnificence and in awe of his protection. Yet, when we meet these creatures in real life, only those that seem almost brainwashed and put under spells really do look up to wizards like that. The house-elfs may see wizards as their protectors or what not, but yet house-elfs are enslaved by wizards. We have also seen hints that there reverence is brought about by some kind of enchantment. (Read my other article: Born a House-Elf; Born a Slave). On the other extreme are the Centaurs that truly abhor what Wizards stand for. Perhaps they represent a Native race that's lands were comandeered (stolen) by those with magical powers (wizards version of technology). The idea of centaur looking at a wizard in such reverence is dispicable! It just would not happen.

But do other wizards believe it will happen? Think about it. With Ron and Hagrid we see what being raised in a culture of slavery can do. You may buy into the bottom line of "They like slavery" because they were not there for the original enchantments. Raised into a certain way of thinking has a large bearing on how one sees the world. If one never saw a centaur, never talked with one that lives out in the dark forest (a reservation?), then one would not know that they do not like wizards. Especially if said person were to be told that they are admired by all the magical creatures. The Fountain of Magical Brethren tells us much of the politics happening in Harry Potter's world, and perhaps there is something that we could learn from it as well.

Here in America, there is a large population that seems to think that countries around us look up to us in the same way that people look up to the wizards in the fountain. Although 9/11 was a horrible tragedy that should be prevented and treated with respect, these people choose to ignore the causes of such attacks. The fact is that pushing our way around the world, especially on unilateral actions that are wrong in the first place, does not keep America safer. If anything, it makes us more vulnerable. For all the attacks we did in Iraq, we gave terrorist groups a heck of a lot of recruits. Why? Because people join those groups when they see nothing left to lose and they have been broked by too much violence and totalitarianism. Forget your passion on this issue for a moment and actually hear what I am saying. More and more people are stepping forward to say that Iraq never had anything to do with the terrorist group that attacked us, but yet we went there as a form of whatever guised in vengence and safety. Our president is as popular as he is because people look past the facts to the single headlines that says vengence is done and you are safe. (true he has lately admited we are not safe but has exploited this to get more votes despite the fact him in office makes us less safe in general because of fear). But I say that the circle of violence says only that vengence is not done till both are dead and we are a farther cry from safe than we were back before 9/11.

I think Harry Potter does an excellent show of how this plays out in the media. All of the headlines in Harry's world ignored the real issues to play on issues that would sell more papers. Only a paper designed to show propaganda managed to bring the truth to the people. The truth is that there is a lot of truth in the papers out there, but so much of it is being covered up by the politics of an election year. Bush leaps in the polls as people believe that he is saving our country, but I keep wishing someone would save us from him. The NY Times published many articles about what Bush has really done, and more and more books have come out. An interesting book from the right wing people called "Where the Right Went Wrong" even outlines this problem. I haven't read it yet. Only saw it on the Daily Show, but I know that the author supports Bush but not the war. I still don't understand how anyone supports Bush for he is bringing us away from a Democratic Republic into an Aristocracy where only the rich shall have enough to eat and an education to boot. Are we trapped in the fountain looking up at Bush as our savior, as a house-elf would, without realizing the realities of what is happening? Do we fail to notice what is being stolen behind out backs as we gaze so admiringly?

Quick Interruption:

Don't take my word for it! Check Out the Post below for places to do your own research! I will update it now and then.




Now back to the article:

I realize that Bush is one man and this goes far beyond one man. What I can't handle is the administration that comes with him and the lies that lay in their path. It is true that all presidents lie, but none has decieved as terribly as this one. And yet we buy it because we are filled with passion on subjects that he manipulates and exploits. Make no mistake, this coming election is not about Kerry vs. Bush. It is about the Democratic Republic vs. The Aristocracy. You may say privatiziation is good and limited government is good, but does limited government mean that it is okay to make only the wealthy well fed and educated while the peasants slave away? Because we are getting hella closer to that.

The Fountain of Magical Brethren teaches us that it is in one's point of view that a story is formed. To the reader, this fountain means a great lie that people are foolish enough to buy into. But to a character that has lived in this world, perhaps it means the passion of a false patriotism that leaves one above the others and the others lost in the wake to slavery, hunger, or the "dark forest" ( a place where civilized man would not enter).

A quick addition to what I was saying. I am not saying Patriotism is bad. Infact, I am a patriotic. I just don't like what the Religious Right (I'm of the Religious/Tolerant Left) has made patriotism over the last few years. Slowly they are making it a statement of intolerance and solidarity against an unforseen evil. But what evil is being done right now through this intolerance and this blind patriotism that has led us to do horrible things to too many people? I am patriotic but of the old school. I believe America is a place of Religious Freedom and growing tolerance. I am patriotic of a system that believes in free education for all and that everyone deserves to be fed. Maybe America never lived up to this ideal but now it is the farthest cry from it. And I am helpless to stop it. The Fountain lives on.

In other news, a world poll indicates that 30 out of 34 of the polled countries would vote for Kerry over Bush. Maybe they see something from a different point of view?

(my spell checker isn't working. No time to read this through. Sorry.)

For those who didn't believe me on the blocking voters based on race thing, well I found some evidence for you as well as articles that are just as bad. Here are a few highlights: "What Really Happened in Florida" (this is from BBC news and they tend to give a fresh, non-american perspective. Keeps out the whole partisan thing, doesn't it?); FloridaGate (pays too much attention to ballots, but makes good points. Especially scroll to the last part about Ashcroft; "Use of the State Police to stop black drivers on their way to the polls Partisan-organized “citizen” riots" was apparently the explanation in this paper: What Happened in Flordia 2000. Again, more info is available in the New York Times archive, but you have to pay to get to it.

Other articles: How the GOP Gamed the System in Florida

Stealing the Election: Florida's Ugly Secret


Article at New York Times has a great quote: "Rand Beers, issued a scathing denunciation. 'Faced with the dire consequences of his wrong choices in Iraq, George W. Bush continues to mislead the American people and pose false choices rather than face the reality of his failed policies,' Mr. Beers said."

In general, read "The Economist" and its recent articles. It outlines things pretty well. Look through NY Times Archives and see what you get. Especially near last election. Those are about as unbiased sources as you can get to see the facts.

A more biased article, but well backed, is in Harper's called "Tentacles of Rage".

"For all the ambitious rhetoric, Mr Bush's agenda is self-contradictory. He pledged to restrain government spending, yet proposed a slew of new government programmes. He called for making the tax code simpler and fairer, yet he wants to make permanent the tax cuts which have dramatically complicated America's tax system. (In Mr Bush's first term the tax code has grown by 10,000 pages."
-The Economist "A boundless vision, alas" September 11, 2004 Page 29

Friday, September 17, 2004

Discovering Snape

I was considering the question on why Snape is so mean to others. I mean to people that are not Harry. We know that he has this whole prejudice thing going on, but yet we also believe him to be working against Voldemort. I wonder where he draws the line and if such a line can actually be drawn. Does his own prejudice act as a poison that will forever be a debilitation to him? Just some thoughts.

Friday, September 10, 2004

Hey all. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Kumoricon was this last weekend and I was literaly volunteering for 20 hours a day! The anime convention was an amazing success with 1251 attendees. 1200 was the maximum amount we had ever expected to recieve and we were only expecting around 800.

In other news, the election seems to be taking a turn for the worse with Bush 9 points ahead. I guess people want to move toward an aristocracy and enjoy being treated like peasants? *sigh* If only there were some way to make it clear just what Bush is doing to the lower and middle classes. I for one am not happy about the continuous fall of the middle class and the ever high poverty rate.

As for Bush's so called Christian values, don't they say that you are supposed to take care of your neighbor? That is to take care of them not just when they are working to your satisfaction but whenever the care is needed. (Let's not forget to mention just how hard it is to get a job right now. Or that our economy is specificaly set up to keep a certain number unemployed so as to have the workforce ready for low wage work when needed. Or the children that are at the mercy of their parents misfortunes or mistakes.)

I know some of you don't like me bashing Bush on this site, but the fact is that this is a blog so it really is meant to be used in this manner.

As for my next post... uhm... I'm sure one will be up... eventually.