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JULY 18, 2006 at 9:25 AM
Posted by GERI
Source: Newswise via Yahoo! News
A few weeks ago Harry Potter author JK Rowling appeared on the Richard & Judy show and announced to the world that two more characters have died than she originally planned in the last book. Fans have been grappling with who is going to die for weeks, and now James Krasner, professor of English and British Victorian literature at the University of New Hampshire insists
that Harry will not be killed off in the last book.
According to Prof. Krasner:
There's no way Harry will die. Harry won't die largely because these are comic stories, like Dickens' novels, in which good has to win.
Whenever an author's books become very popular in his or her lifetime, as is the case with Rowling, a tug of war starts between the author and the fans about who the characters really belong to. Rowling, like Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes), is trying to assert her control. She’s reminding us that Harry is her character, not ours; she can kill him if she wants to. Doyle actually did kill off Sherlock Holmes, but Rowling won’t go that far because she cares about Harry. Conan Doyle was really sick of Holmes.
Krasner also points out:
Rowling caused a media sensation when she said a "major character" would die in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Rumors targeted Harry’s best friend, Ron Weasley, but in the end, it was it was Sirius Black, who Krasner says "was an important supporting character, but not really a major character like Ron."
Krasner's thoughts on who will die in the last book:
Lord Voldemort has to die. And Snape, who is really fighting for good despite all appearances, will likely die. Neville Longbottom is really the chosen one, so I suspect he'll die.
UPDATE: So far, most of you agree with him. In our ongoing death poll (now with over 20,000 responses), 60% say Harry will survive the series.
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Muggle
Points: 36
Spirit-Hunter says:
Eleanor: Well im sorry before how I have not been reasonable, we all have ideas and we each think ours has a chance of being true, I just would not stop.
Whoooo: This site is not about getting facts straight, it's about discussing what we think is going to happen in the last book and what you suggest might be true but nobody really knows except the author that is why people made these sites so we can discuss.
I'm a writer my self but i dont see it to be my future, but as a writer i make fantasy books which everyone tells me are really interesting to read. so I make up crazy ideas for sequals on things so im sorry if what my suggestions fit your liking
Posted Feb 3, 2007 at 2:35 AM EST
Order of the Phoenix
Points: 4073
Eleanor says:
Spirit-Hunter: Okay, that is no problem. I respect your opinon, and you respect mine. Also, good luck with you writing! What sort of stuff do you write about? I know you said to write Fantacy, but that is a very big Genre. I like writing stuff about Fantacy, but mainly about Sci fi. But I don't really write any more.
whoooo: first of all, calm down! We know that this expert isn't correct, Hpana is just reporting it. Second of all, welcome to Hpana! I hope you have a great time here with us!
Posted Feb 3, 2007 at 2:33 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 36
Spirit-Hunter says:
yes welcome!!
Eleanor: Yes I agree fantasy is a big genre. I dont write about witches and wizards, I write about blackmages, rebals, knights, Queens, and princess' (not in the scense of a fairytale) castles, marshes, plains of grass, and magical creatures. All different for the theme, plot and setting I choose. I dont like to write about people using wands and flying broom sticks. My characters use staffs, white and black magic, and weapons, in the end I pick names for every single one I dont like to copy other peoples ides and names. I'm planning on making a book unlike my stories and shortstories, with all new characters and personalities. I want to make the book at least 100 pages long, and of course its going to be fantasy. As I said before, I do not wish to be an author as my future. I'd rather travel and see the world and follow a fantasy that I have not traveled before and in the end ill settle down somewhere out of the way, somewhere I can be free of the reality, somewhere I can look out my balcony and watch the sunset. Hehe so I guess I can write a book or two before I graduate and full fill this fantasy. ~Cianna~
Posted Feb 3, 2007 at 10:26 PM EST
Points: 2
whoooo says:
people who talked to me on here - I know that nobody knows what is gonna happen and that we all have ideas, however the first step is to get the facts straight, unlike this lit expert did. So yes. Also I think he was also wrong about her not killing HArry because "she loved him too much" she loved siruis nad dumbledore too i bet, and sometimes killing your characters is what one needs to do to amke a story great. Like in that movie...umm...ack i forgot the name. OH Stranger Than Fiction. goo movie btw. but you get my point yea no yea?
Posted Feb 4, 2007 at 12:15 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 36
Spirit-Hunter says:
Yes I get your point, jk killed her favorite characters dumbledore and sirus why wouldnt she kill more? kinda thing. jk must know that it would be very very cruel if she killed hermionie and a lot of fans will be angry and sad, that is why I dont believe she would do that. Stranger then Fiction> That whole movie is about a writer who wants to kill her character...Harry Potter is not about that it is about magic, hogwarts, voldamort wanting to take over the world, and Harry and his last fight with voldamort (well that is a bad way to put it but that is what I think) So killing a character in Stranger then Fiction and killing a Character in Harry Potter, is not the same-Cianna
Posted Feb 4, 2007 at 12:27 AM EST
Order of the Phoenix
Points: 4073
Eleanor says:
whoooo: Yeah, I do understand you point. You are right in saying that we don't have any idea what J K Rowling will write, and we don't know who will live and who will die.
Also, if I haven't already, welcome to Hpana! I hope you have a great time here with us!
Spirit-Hunter: You have a point there, however, J K Rowling will decide which charater to kill off, not base on what we, the fans, think, but on how relevent the charater is to the storyline. If for example, she decdies to kill off Hermione (I'm using her as an example, as you have already said something about her already), J K Rowling will have to think about if Hermione dies to sacrfice herself, or if she dies in a duel between herself and the Death Eaters, or she is caught up in friendly fire. We don't know what path J K Rowling will choose for her charaters.
Yes we would be upset, but if its relevent to the story, then it would have to occure, and we would get over it.
Posted Feb 9, 2007 at 6:03 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1763
hufflepuff_babe says:
Eleanor
I'm really excited because now the trip is for sure!! We will be staying at the Belmont hotel near Hyde Park in London. We will be there for nine days and eight nights.
As for places we will visit we're still thinking. I definatly want to go to the London Eye. My brother said he wanted to go to the Science Museam. I love to go shopping so that will be great to do. Seeing a play was also another one of my ideas I have been thinking about.
I havn't heard of the Covnet Gardens but I will check that out.
I have also been thinking about going to an art museam as well as a football game. Those are two of my favorite things.
Posted Feb 25, 2007 at 1:29 PM EST
Order of the Phoenix
Points: 4073
Eleanor says:
hufflepuff_babe: That sounds great! You will defintly love the London Eye, and most defintly the Science Museaum! Going to see a show will be great as well! There is alot of choice. The best place to go to get tickets in to a ticket booth in Lesciter Square, where you can get last minuet tickets, and sometimes, but not always they are also half price. What sort of show would you like to see?
With the Art Museaum, there are loads to choose form. It depends on what type or Art you like. Going to see a football game, that would be a little diffuclt, because you have to book in advance, and you might not get the seats you want. Which team would you like to see?
Totally changing the subject, I don't know if you have seen it on one of the Forumns, but I have started a Poll. Here is the address. http://www.hpana.com/forums/topic_view.cfm?tid=72687&p=18#p6125489 You can vote once a day, everyday, and for as many charaters as you'd like.
Posted Feb 25, 2007 at 3:56 PM EST
Witch
Points: 885
Rachyracho says:
I also agree with his view that Snape is good and Neville is the chosen one. Wouldn't it be just like JK to pull this switch on us at the very end when all along we've been led to believe that it was Harry who was the chosen one and what a conflict that would cause within in him to find out that he isn't and for that so many things he went through to have not been really nessesary.
Posted May 25, 2007 at 5:15 PM EST
Squib
Points: 170
MisterPalindrome says:
I think part of the fun of reading the HP books is speculating about what's going to happen. It doesn't change the ultimate outcome of the final book, but it keeps things entertaining. I actually hope the last book leaves some ambiguity and loose ends to keep on debating for years to come.
And by the way, I agree that Harry won't die.
Posted May 26, 2007 at 3:26 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 82
Brennae says:
HAHAHAHAHA. I loved the reason that Neville had to die! Has he read the books? Neville is not, and has never been, the real chosen one. And he didn't die. So there. And I really believed before I started the seventh book that Harry might have died. But by the time I got half way through, I knew he wouldn't. Especially with all the Hallows stuff. Snape was definitely going to die though, whatever side he was on. And he did!
Posted Aug 22, 2007 at 3:24 PM EST
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