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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Dumbledore is gay?

This is a question that is stirring up the large nothing-to-think-about-American community. It is not very interesting to me. Why?

Dumbledore. Does. Not. Exist. So he can be anything you want him to be. A gay American? Fine. Likewise, a gay Brit. Unlike a historical character like Julius Caesar, he does not, and has never, existed. So, if I prefer to picture him as a Middle East Studies Professor at Columbia University, I am free to do so.

Got that? Dumbledore, fictional. Julius Caesar, historical.

If, after writing seven bricklike books, JK Rowling has not adequately conveyed the essence of one of her main characters, she is pretty inept.

I believe that what is revealed about a character during the course of a work by the author's artistry is what is important. It does not enhance my enjoyment to learn a lot of humble background stuff. A few bold strokes are what is needed, and more just cheapens the work.

Each reader brings his own interpretation of a character to the book. That's how fiction works. We are free to think what we want, or nothing at all, about the characters.

6 comments:

Dick Stanley said...

The only reason it matters to me is that the stupid woman has sullied a good book for children with this little innuendo about a beloved character. They shouldn't have to confront the issue of sexual preference at age nine or ten, when most of them read the series. Fortunately, most of them won't ever know about it until years later, if then. But she already laid a little trap for them, dropping a gratuitous F-word into the final book. I expect she had a good editor in the beginning. Then when the money was rolling in, she got carte blanche. Which was a bad idea. The good editor's absence was soon obvious.

That Broad said...

I thought it was just silly. After the series is supposedly finished to hear, oh and btw so and so is GAY! It doesn't seem relevant or important in all.

xbcoldfingers said...
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miriam sawyer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
prairie biker said...

Did she happen to mention anything about Dumbledore and Giuliani?

miriam sawyer said...

No, Matt, but now that you mention it, Dumbledore and Giuliani have been very close.