Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

[Guest]

WHAT THE HELL! Since when is Dumbledore gay? I know I don't follow the series and everything about it with religious enthusiasm, but I think I read the books pretty closely, and I did not pick up anywhere that he was gay. I know its not PC to get worked up about this, but it's a children's book, why would one of the main characters be gay? I mean, I wasn't even thinking about that as I read it. Someone please help me on this, because I feel like I missed a HUGE piece of this book. This seems to me the kind of rumor that someone would start to ruin the book. I know I sound like a bigot, but I just get so tired of always finding out that this person or that person is gay. I know that in class, I've been told on at least six different occasions that some historical figure was gay, and always by the kids who copy and paste their reports off the first website they find. Again, I know I sound like a bigot, but come on, do I have to get slapped n the face with this every time I turn around?

[davshere]

WHAT THE HELL! Since when is Dumbledore gay? I know I don't follow the series and everything about it with religious enthusiasm, but I think I read the books pretty closely, and I did not pick up anywhere that he was gay. I know its not PC to get worked up about this, but it's a children's book, why would one of the main characters be gay? I mean, I wasn't even thinking about that as I read it. Someone please help me on this, because I feel like I missed a HUGE piece of this book. This seems to me the kind of rumor that someone would start to ruin the book. I know I sound like a bigot, but I just get so tired of always finding out that this person or that person is gay. I know that in class, I've been told on at least six different occasions that some historical figure was gay, and always by the kids who copy and paste their reports off the first website they find. Again, I know I sound like a bigot, but come on, do I have to get slapped n the face with this every time I turn around?

what you missed out on Albus showing Harry the Eldar Wand? That was a slap in the face. Then again it was a quick part in book 6.

Edited April 10, 2008 by davshere

[Ruan Chun Xian]

Haha. No, JKR said it in an interview. She was asked whether Dumbledore had a love life and answered that she always thought of him as gay. His friendship with Grindelwald was basically because he had a huge 'infatuation' - JKR's word - with Grindelwald and basically was blinded by that love. I said it didn't make it clear in the book, only VERY SUBTLE hints. I think it's a very interesting issue though, not because of his sexuality, but what his love for Grindelwald made him do. The the irony that after 'being made a fool by love' he still trusted love as the most powerful force in the world.

Besides, the fact that he's gay is just a trivia, it's got nothing to do with the books, it's got no relevance in the story as far as Harry goes, it only explains his relationship with Grindelwald. He's not a gay character, he's just a character who happened to be gay. People put up a huge fuss about it but I really don't see what the big deal is. Who cares? And OF COURSE you're not going to even think about it as you read. I mean, who thinks about who Dumbledore was sleeping with even if he was straight? His sexuality doesn't have any role in the book so I don't see why people think it's a huge problem. It's not like JKR is preaching gay rights or anything. Children would probably never pick up on it if they just read the book.

(And come on, the man wore purple sparkly robes. )

[davshere]

(And come on, the man wore purple sparkly robes. )

Um, and you don't? I mean...I thought that was normal...OMG?!?! AM I GAY TOO?!? jk HMS

[Guest syrianstar]

What was the big supposed "secret" about Harry's eyes? JKR did say once that there was something significant about Harry's eyes.

I think what was significant about Harry's eyes was their colour and how they resembled his mother's. Do you remember at the end before Snape dies he asks Harry "look....at ........me" and then JK Rowling says the "the green eyes found the black....". Snape loved Lily and before he dies he wants to look at the only thing that resembles her in Harry's face; her green eyes.

Edited April 26, 2008 by syrianstar

[Taigan]

I finished reading Deathly Hallows in two days and agree that felt slightly rushed. Also, the Dumbledore thing weirded me out, I don't know why, but sexuality does feel like a big deal with characters, and for JK Rowling to just suddenly pop that knowledge out in an interview one day was very unexpected.

[Abu]

I don't see how the revelation of Dumbledore's sexuality had anything to do with the general plot unless one is homophobic. It's not like there were any gay sex scenes in the book after Rowling made Dumbledore come out of the closet.

[Taigan]

Sure, that's true. But then what was the purpose of changing his sexuality and changing his friendship with Grindelwald to an "infatuation", as I think she called it? It all felt like she made it up on the spot, if you ask me, which is contrary to what I thought Rowling usually did: plan all the details of the story beforehand. Also, it couldn't have been a very good business decision, it would totally give reason to any religious critics that hadn't already negatively reviewed the series to do so.

Edited September 16, 2009 by Taigan

[Ruan Chun Xian]

I don't think it's made up on the spot.

Dumbledore was in love with Grindelwald, which made him blindly follow Grindelwald's schemes, leading to the death of his sister, which haunted him for the rest of his life. Because he was in love, Dumbledore was blind to Grindelwald's obvious evil-ness. It just takes the friendship to a different level, and I think it's believable.

[Sandwich]

I have to agree - Rowling said she'd written the whole story with Dumbledore as a gay character and it's entirely believable in my opinion, rather than something "sprung" up at the end. At the end of the day, Dumbledore is a friendly wise old man in a position of responsibility and power, so you'd expect him to act like that whether he was gay or not - I mean, the man isn't going to be a sex maniac! There's no suggestion he's heterosexual any more than one of him being homosexual, in any case, we all just assume he's heterosexual because everybody in the story is (and probably some cultural stuff about assuming everybody we admire is "normal" by our own standards).

I think the only reason I found his being gay something of a surprise was because I hadn't considered Dumbledore's sexuality at all - and being honest I think that's why it works within the story. The guy doesn't have aaaaanything sexual going on at all (that I remember!) so there's nothing to suggest for or against except for his friendship with Grindelwald, as Hien pointed out (and of course that he's very sensitive and flamboyant etc. - not that that necessarily means he's gay, but at the same time it's not exactly biker tattoos and hardcore christianity, so it leaves it open). The only reason it makes people uncomfortable is because they start reading in sexual overtones to everything he ever said or did, but this is plainly an invention of us after we're informed - beforehand we were all entirely comfortable with him! Bearing this prejudice in mind I'd say that Dumbledore is still the same character whether he's of unusual persuasions or not, and no less realistic (within the fantasy of the book, of course) for it. His conduct and manner befit his experience, age and position whether he's homosexual or not

[Ruan Chun Xian]

Ok while we're on controversial topics, what does everyone think of the idea that Ariana Dumbledore was raped?

"When my sister was 6 years old, she was attacked, set upon by three Muggle boys."

"...they got a bit carried away..."

"Hermione's eyes were huge in the firelight: Ron looked slightly sick...Harry felt a horrible mixture of pity and repulsion..."

Everything of course is in double entendre but I think the subtext is there. I think repulsion is a very strong reaction if she was just bullied/hit. I think Rowling couldn't say it outright since it was still a children's book. But this scene just creeped me out the first time I read it.

[Taigan]

I actually didn't notice that, but I definitely see the innuendos. I admit that they are quite disturbing, but I don't think children would pay much attention to it. Although, I wonder if there are more of these spread out in Rowling's writing.

[idIB]

I didn't notice that either, but it makes sense now that I see it. The only thing I didn't like about the ending was how Harry came back to life. I mean, I know she couldn't have killed him off, but coming back to life?

[purple]

I didn't notice that either, but it makes sense now that I see it. The only thing I didn't like about the ending was how Harry came back to life. I mean, I know she couldn't have killed him off, but coming back to life?

Well, then you have to consider: was he actually dead? He never "got on the train," as Dumbledore so aptly describes it.

[DJ CAS]

I can't wait for the last two movies to come out

[Mostly Harmless]

I'm keen to see them too, although I think that the movies on the whole have been a bit of a disappointment. Part of the richness of the books was the large number of subplots, and most have had to be cut from the movies or reduced to a few out-of-context scenes.

On the other hand, I guess splitting the seventh book into two gives the screenwriter/director more space to do a good job. They're going to have to introduce an awful lot of characters at short notice, though.

[Guest saturday]

I liked the book, but I think it did have the whole "heroes never die" thing. (As said somewhere on this thread...)

The whole revelation about Snape was really good, I found it a nice plot twist. The deaths put me off a little though, she could have killed of either Harry, Hermoine or Ron (ONE of the main characters at least...) instead of all the other, but guess not.

I think the epilogue could have been left out or made at least far more open ended. It basically sets things in stone and that sort of bothers me, but I prefer open endings, leaves my imagination something to figure out.

But good points outweight the bad I guess. It's really nice book, despite it's faults.

[Caustica]

Ok while we're on controversial topics, what does everyone think of the idea that Ariana Dumbledore was raped?

"When my sister was 6 years old, she was attacked, set upon by three Muggle boys."

"...they got a bit carried away..."

"Hermione's eyes were huge in the firelight: Ron looked slightly sick...Harry felt a horrible mixture of pity and repulsion..."

Everything of course is in double entendre but I think the subtext is there. I think repulsion is a very strong reaction if she was just bullied/hit. I think Rowling couldn't say it outright since it was still a children's book. But this scene just creeped me out the first time I read it.

That was what I thought exactly! In fact, I don't think I had any doubts... The wording was just stating it so obviously - or at least it seemed so to me. Got a bit carried away? Oh come on!

[R-Lau R-Piz]

I always love JKR's works with the Harry Potter series. There are many scenes, characters and other elements that have symbolic value which imitate the real world and sometimes I found it to be so irony. Look how the Ministry of Magic react when Harry reveals that Voldermort has returned; instead of taking precautions and start to construct strategies to overcome the threat, they decide to ignore the truth and give a lot of pressure to Harry, Dumbledore and Hogwarts. I believe that the same thing happens in our world though. But of course, arts is an imitation of the reality. Despite how abstract the art is, it still tally with the real world.

[Poison Lily]

''Dumbledore's gay. I told that a reader ones and I thought she was going to slap me!'' - JK Rowling

I loved the Snape and Lily plot. It was sooooo brilliant! I never saw that coming honestly... About Snapes infatuation with Lily and other stuff. I wish JK Rowling would write a more about the Marauder Era.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Poison Lily