Is Dumbledore dead?
A Fuse #8 Production started this discussion yesterday, and I’m bringing it over here.
Apparently there are some people out there–including J.K. Rowling herself, if you believe what she said in her talk the other night–who believe that Dumbledore really is dead. Come on, now. Stop kidding around.
I like the link Fuse #8 provided to the website Dumbledore Is Not Dead. Check it out and see if you agree.
I mean, if Dumbledore could really die, what about the rest of us?
Technorati Tags: A Fuse #8 Production, Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, J.K. Rowling, Reading, Books
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:52 am
Dumbledore is dead—it’s just that Snape is not the villain. Dumbledore will rise again through the Phoenix (she didn’t give him that pet for nothing!). Dumbledore needed to be cleared out so that Harry can be the only hero for the ending.
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:04 am
Dumbledore is not dead. He left his body and is sharing Snape’s body. If Lord Voldemort could do it, why not Dumbledore. As to why, we’ll just have to wait to the next and sadly final book. Maybe his last act before dying is to guide Harry to become the greatest wizard.
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:11 am
Wow, Herb, I like that. Carolyn may be right, but I prefer to believe Dumbledore is like Gandalf (even though apparently JK herself said at that talk in NY this week that Dumbledore specifically will NOT pull a Gandalf–but what does she know?) and will come back stronger, wiser, a better whistler.
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:17 am
Whistler?? Gandalf came back as a better whistler? Did I miss something?
August 3rd, 2006 at 11:41 am
Herb–Gandalf comes back from the dead and whistles that weird whistle for Shadowfax. Remember?
Everyone–this just in from J.K. Rowling’s NY talk:
But the toughest questioning (and harshest answer) came from Salman Rushdie, theoretically speaking on behalf of his nine-year-old son standing next to him, who theorized that Dumbledore’s death in book six was “a ruse.” The essential question, he (and others) asked: “Is Snape good or bad? In our opinion, everything else follows from it.”
Rowling replied, “I see I have to be more clear about this…. Dumbledore is definitely dead…. All of you need to move through the five stages of grief.” (Earlier she did hint that he might still be heard from somehow in book seven, though.)
She confirmed that she’s got a “shorter, mericfully, book for younger children that’s half-written” that she may return to after Harry is finished. Of book seven’s progress, Rowling said that “this afternoon I believe I changed my mind about the title.”
August 3rd, 2006 at 11:47 am
Having not read Harry Potter at all, I can’t speak to whether or not I would want Dumbledore to return, BUT…
As a writer, this is certainly an interesting conundrum. If you kill off a character WITH the intention of bringing that character back, the death has no impact if you telegraph your intentions. So when people ask, you are FORCED to “stick to your guns” and insist that dead is dead.
But then if you bring the character back, you look like you’ve backpedalled and capitulated to the demands of your readers. Which isn’t good.
Then again, if you second-guess yourself and keep the character dead, you avoid looking like you’re pandering, but at the same time you actually ARE allowing your readers to manipulate you because you’ve compromised your original vision.
One more reason for authors to take the Salinger approach and avoid the public at all costs!
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:30 pm
I do remember his whistling for Shadowfax.
I can not believe she would be so definitive about Dumbledore death. As Barry wrote it seems to paint her in a corner. I would have prefered to have read her new book to discover if my deduction was correct.
Sigh.
Wizards are mortal. I’m mortal. Can I please be a wizard.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:17 pm
Barry, the trick is to kill off many characters and imply some are coming back and others aren’t. Then bring back a few that aren’t and don’t bring back some that are.
The best response to “Is so-and-so coming back” is “I don’t know. What have you heard?”
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:37 pm
He can be dead, but that doesn’t mean he’s gone! There’s all this talk of horcruxes (sp?) and phoenixes and whatnot throughout the whole book (and series for that matter) so it doesn’t matter if his physical body is dead if his spirit lives on elsewhere. They’re wizards for #*%& sake!!!
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:58 pm
this posting is EXACTLY the kind of thing that would drive someone to obsess about david bowie’s area–and that’s the last i have to say on that subject. on this subject–I’m glad he’s dead.
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:37 pm
89.4% pure. Watch the movie.
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Needless to say, Annette, you are banned from the blog until you recant.
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:07 pm
First of all, Barry– I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU HAVEN’T READ ANY HARRY POTTER! What a deprived child you are! (I might mention that my son bought me my first Harry Potter book and ordered me to read it.)
Second– Annette, that’s pretty low, saying you’re glad Dumbledore is dead. *sniff*
Third– Just as low, Robin, banning Annette from RB just because she expressed an opinion (awful as it is.) I can’t believe you’ve become a . . . CENSOR!
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:00 pm
It was a crime of passion. How can she say something so mean???
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:21 pm
i was raised by wolves (french wolves), not WIZARDS for god’s sake. not that i expect this explanation to be posted since i am BANNED. thank you bj for sticking up for me or more accurately my “rights”–remember, hate the conduct not the person (unless it’s bill o’rielly, then hate both).
in the interest of blog harmony–i retract my opinion–or more accurately revise it: “i don’t care if he’s dead.” happy? now if you’ll excuse me i have some very, very good friends over at the “area” who are waiting to chat.
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Thank you. Sorry I had to be so harsh.
August 4th, 2006 at 8:47 am
Are any of the previous headmasters really dead? I mean, they all hang out there on the wall in their portraits offering advice and eavesdropping. So in that respect, I guess Dumbledore can still offer help and support. But I’m a fan of the dumbledore isn’t dead website. I don’t care what JK says, I don’t believe he’s dead.
August 5th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
i want to thank all the bloggies who supported me during my banishment and to everyone for welcoming me back. that was a dark and lonely time–again thank you.