The tragedy
Yesterday, rowling said that there will be two more corpses in book 7. What a surprise. But yeh, it is a confirmation from the only reliable source, the author herself. Before writing this, i read this comment by a reader (later i'll explain why i put that in italics) in wich she accused rowling of using the easy method to finish the book, because rowling ran out of ideas and also because she wants to make sure that nobody would ever continue the potter saga (even after she's dead). This girl also said that she read Half blood prince on the net and that she will do the same with the next book because she didn't want to make rowling richer. Well, i'm no psychologist but it seems that if you don't give this reader the development of the plot that she wants, she will dish you like.. soon. And then accuse you of wanting to get rich (well, who wouldn't want to be rich?) A lot of readers do that, it is pretty normal, but for me it is, at least, a bit strange that after you have read 5 books from the same author, you start to dislike her at the 6th book. Specially, since i've read the 6 books and i think that, i'm my humble opinion, rowling style hasn't changed much from one book to another. Yeah, i admit that they have become darker, but with a good reason. Rowling admitted that she had all the books planned from the beginning, in fact, yesterday she said that she had the ending written since.. 1990... (only slight changes have been made). That makes me feel even more sure, that she's not making stuff up because she ran out of ideas or something like that. Characters have to die, why? Well, after talking with some people, i came to the conclusion that some stories just can't have a happy ending. Because it would be unnatural. This is not a fixed rule, it all depends, but let me put this example: a friend of mine considered that the ending of the lord of the rings was good but it wasn't the ending that the saga deserved. She believes that frodo (and maybe sam) should have died. That is her opinion of course, but even if you are against frodo's death, think about it for a second, trying to detach yourself from your opinion for a bit. What makes a good story? The relationships developed in it. Was star wars really that succesful because of the special effects? They had an important role, ok, but if the plot wasn't good, i'm sure that it would be known nowadays as "that movie with amazing special effects... at that time". End of the story. After all the searching, the adventures, everything that frodo experiences... do you think that a happily ever after is the right end? I mean, can you see the protagonists, sitting at their living rooms, telling their story to their grandchildren over and over again? Maybe, but what if frodo had died? Then it would be like the culmination of those strong feelings, the fight. Its the big end, the good won against the evil, but what a victory. Even if the fighter dies, he won! We were getting ready for the final climax, like "woah, this has to be the shit", and then, after the fight with golum,,, frodo.. survives. He can go back happily to his house (in less time that the time employed to get there) and smoke, play cards, whatever he wants to do. Yeah, golum died, so wouldn't the "character death" thing be accomplished with its death? Maybe. My friend thinks that golum had to die but not alone. Anyway, probably i haven't convinced you of the necessity of death in some stories but it wasn't my goal to begin with. I'm happy just knowing that at least you gave it some thought. Anyway, back to potter. I think i mentioned it before, but anyway. After everything that has happened, we are expecting a hell of a final battle. And people dies in battles. Right now, Harry Potter is probably that book that needs a major character death to have a good ending. And everybody that have talked to me knows that i'm a "potter has to remain being the boy who lived" fan but unfortunately, i know a bit about how some stories work. Sirius and Dumbledore died in the 6th book, rowling can't, CAN'T write the final book without more deaths. It just would be "anti climatic". So yeh, it is more than "she just has to kill characters because she ran out of ideas". The question is.. which characters?