For the Greater Good, Revisited, a reading group look back at DH and its Dumbledore revelations |
 Jul 20 2008, 08:49 AM
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Mischievous Manager  Posts: 5,375 Joined: 9:14am February 16, 2006 Location: Behind the sofa, watching Doctor Who   |
For the Greater Good, Revisited:
Dumbledore through the Ages Dumbledore takes us on quite the roller-coaster ride through Deathly Hallows -- and he's not even alive! But it's obvious from the earliest chapters when we see his obituaries that while Dumbledore is gone, he's certainly not forgotten. Here are some things we learn about Dumbledore in this book:
With all that said, here are a few points to ponder to get us started: How did you feel about Dumbledore, once you'd learned about his past? Did it change your perception of him? Did Dumbledore see Harry as a chess pawn, to be discarded in order to win the match? To what extent was he pulling the strings all along? Did he continue to work "for the greater good" even after his own death? Do you think Dumbledore's own ambitions and aims changed over time? If so, how? Most importantly... now that you've had time to chew on what you thought you knew and what you learned about Dumbledore - has your opinion changed in the year since you first got the book in your hands? *with appreciation to The Rooftop Garden's DH read for this thread* This post has been edited by twiddlethosedials: Jul 20 2008, 08:58 AM -------------------- |
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Jul 26 2008, 03:18 PM
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Buying a Half-Kneazle  Posts: 544 Joined: 11:12am October 24, 2007 Location: Who knows? One thing's for certain...I've got a book with me! |
How did you feel about Dumbledore, once you'd learned about his past? Did it change your perception of him?
I actually liked Dumbledore more once I'd learned about his past. Before, Harry saw him as so perfect and untouchable that he seemed almost too good to be true. Once I'd learned, along with Harry, what his past had been, it made him seem more human and made the good things he'd done even more admirable because he'd come from that dark point in his life to the wonderful, wise character he was as headmaster. Did Dumbledore see Harry as a chess pawn, to be discarded in order to win the match? I don't think so. Dumbledore knew that Harry had to sacrifice himself to defeat Voldemort, but he certainly wasn't flippant about it. Dumbledore himself once said that his mistake was to care too much. He cared about Harry and didn't want him to have to die...but he knew what had to happen. To what extent was he pulling the strings all along? I think Dumbledore was somewhat pulling the strings and orchestrating the whole plan, but if Harry had ever said that he didn't want anything to do with defeating Voldemort, I don't think Dumbledore would have forced him into it. That's just my opinion, though. Do you think Dumbledore's own ambitions and aims changed over time? If so, how? Yes. When he was younger, Dumbledore was 'tied down' by his family responsibilities and by his younger sister, whom he loved but didn't want to take care of. So, when Grindelwald came along, Dumbledore saw an opportunity to control his own life and bring thinly disguised revenge onto the Muggles who had hurt his sister and caused his father to be sent to Azkaban. Later, he realized that he had been wrong and went on to champion Muggle rights, which was the complete opposite of his plan with Grindelwald Most importantly... now that you've had time to chew on what you thought you knew and what you learned about Dumbledore - has your opinion changed in the year since you first got the book in your hands? I suppose I've come to see Dumbledore in a different light knowing what he's done in the past, but overall, I still respect him as much--if not more--than I did the first time I read Harry Potter. -------------------- |
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Jul 26 2008, 04:24 PM
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Kibble Boy/Girl at the Magical Menagerie Posts: 286 Joined: 10:58pm August 9, 2006 Location: Gryffindor Common Room, scheming on how to beat Slytherin |
I have greater respect for Dumbledore knowing his flaws. I love flawed characters. In the end, he was able to rise above and do what he needed to. He rejected power because he knew from experience that he could not handle it. He had the elder wand and used it wisely. He helped Harry make the right decision at the critical climax. He lived his whole life in guilt for what he may have done to his sister and still managed to be an extrordinary man. He defeated his best friend, a much more difficult feat than defeating an enemy. Let's drink to Dumbledore.
-------------------- Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
Proud member of S.P.E.W. |
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Jul 26 2008, 04:58 PM
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Hiding in the Iron Maiden at Borgin and Burkes Posts: 314 Joined: 7:06pm December 15, 2007 Location: Texas (Britain at heart though) |
I'm a big Dumbledore fan, even after DH. After his flaws were made clear, it just proved what everybody thought all the time. That he was only human.
-------------------- RIP Remus; Sirius
 RIP Tonks, Colin, Dobby, Albus. "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"Albus Dumbledore. |
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Jul 26 2008, 11:00 PM
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Stocking Snitches at Quality Quidditch Supplies Posts: 661 Joined: 6:46am January 1, 2008 Location: At A Desk! x |
How did you feel about Dumbledore, once you'd learned about his past? Did it change your perception of him?
Well, I have to admit that I never saw him as a perfect character as I knew Jo would never be that monotonous with one of her characters. But I did notice something which I never had, he was irresponsible with his genious. He knew how clever he was and he decided that he wanted to use it, but not for the right reasons. Actually, Aberforth is my favourite out of the two of them now, he has such a great strength that, for all Albus's brilliance, he had never got. Did Dumbledore see Harry as a chess pawn, to be discarded in order to win the match? I really don't think he ever thought Harry would actually die. I think, if everything worked out according to plan for him, that the Elder Wand would refuse to kill Harry which is ultimatley what happened. He just had to seem so convinced over it while telling Severus so that he could pass the message on to Harry and give Harry no doubt that this would be his end and yet he would have to still go willingly. To what extent was he pulling the strings all along? I think he could manipulate people, such as Sev, to get them to do what he needed but I don't think he "Pulled Strings" in the case of Harry's death, he just knew what was going to happen. Did he continue to work "for the greater good" even after his own death? I'm not to sure, even now, what the greater good means! I know that's terrible but I just can never understand any concepts of the Greater Good so to all purposes, I'm not sure I can answer this question properly. However, he still did use his portrait to communicate to Severus after his death so I suppose that counts. Do you think Dumbledore's own ambitions and aims changed over time? If so, how? Yes. I think he was blinded as a teenager by his own brilliance and his love for a less noble man. When he learned to become wise not clever then his aims turned for his true goals of thwarting Voldemort and creating a better world for people to live in. As for his ambitions, we can see that these changed because he was permanently turning down positions of power like the Minister of Magic and stuck to his ultimate new aim of teaching and nurtuing the pupils of Hogwarts. Most importantly... now that you've had time to chew on what you thought you knew and what you learned about Dumbledore - has your opinion changed in the year since you first got the book in your hands? I think he has become a much deeper character, with more than just pure "good" inside him. But yet, I think I admire him more because unlike many he decided to get away from his most alluring vice, Power. Which makes him much, much more of a better man because he had these problems and yet he went all out to rid himself of them. I also pity him after finding out about his love for Grindelwald, because his love for that man made him blind to what he truley was. This is Dumbledore's tragedy. --------------------   "Harry Potter isn't everything ... but it's right up there with Oxygen! |
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