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. ))
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. ))
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