Re: So, What Was The problem WIth Dumbeldore

Joe Curwen wrote:
In article <kgdhg3ljn0cn6pgugbb50p6j6mvgp0jjco@xxxxxxx>, Toon says...
JK said she had problems with Dumbledore (being dead and all) in
writing DH. Any ideas why?



Doing without spoiler space...

I imagine that it was very difficult to square the real Dumbledore we saw at
last in Book 7 with the kindly and benign versions we saw in the previous books.
Dumbledore had a lot more "gray" in him than we could have known previously.
Beginning with book 6, JK understood that her portrait of DD through the first 5
books was so strongly consistent with the "wise old man" archtype that the
revelations to come might be seen as a jarring retcon and not accepted by the
reader. She had a big writing job to do if that was to be avoided.

I don't think the problem really had anything to do with "Spirit!Dumbledore"
that appeared in the chapter titled "King's Cross" at the end of book 7. That
part was easy. To me it seemed that Harry was really alone hovering between life
and death and simply imagined DD and LV at King's Cross. Note that Harry wasn't
told anything by DD in that chapter that he didn't already know or guess.


I think the basic problem is that you doubt the validity (reality) of the 'near death experience'. It is worthy of mention that none of the people who have had these experiences, at least none of those I have talked to about it, have ANY doubt of their validity, or their reality. In some cases, they have significantly changed the outlook, and attitude of the person having the experience. In others, the experience has given a completely different attitude concerning the end of this life.
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