Monday, November 8, 2010

Harry Potter Week ala Nathan Bransford

So, the illustrious Nathan Bransford is doing a week of Harry Potter themed posts to lead up to the most anticipated Deathly Hallows release. Normally, we would have our Monday Guest Blogging post, but we wanted to interrupt regularly scheduled programming to talk the importance of Harry Potter!

I've blogged before about how I came late to the Harry Potter mania. It's something I truly, madly and deeply regret! With the series ending, I feel like the person who got to know Dumbledore right before he died compared to others who had studied under him for years and years! I didn't read the series until the summer of 09'. I bought the entire set of books and devoured them during my time off from teaching. I had read the first book many years ago, but I started from scratch. Words cannot describe my love of the Harry Potter series as well as its author, JK Rowling. To me, JK is a class act lady who uses her fame and fortune to do good in the world, just like her character Harry. I wept openly during her Oprah interview when she talked about losing her mother and how loss, grief, and death so much affected who Harry was as well as the entire direction of the series.

But I digress....For me, it's hard to pick just one favorite character. So, I'm going to bend the rules just a wee bit and put my Top 3!!

#1 Harry Potter: Sure the entire series is about Harry, but my adoration and appreciation for Harry is about more than that. The number one reason I love Harry so much is he is such a survivor. By the time he was 18, he'd been through more pain, loss, suffering....and frankly more hell than anyone I know. Harry shows us that you can face obstacles, grief, loss, and you can still come out on top. Harry doesn't end up some sad E True Hollywood version of "the boy who lived". He never turns to drugs or alcohol to lessen the pain of the loss of his parents, Sirius, or Dumbledore. He just keeps on persevering--doing whatever he has to do to see that good, rather than evil triumphs. Harry is a character I identify with in my own life. His strength and loyalty are something to be admired.

#2 Hermoine Granger: Man, do I love this girl! Sure, she's a know-it-all, but there's nothing like a strong female character who isn't a caricature. Hermoine's got brains and a heart. She's fiercely loyal to Harry, Ron, and those she loves, and she's willing to give her life to see that good triumphs over evil. If I'm blessed to have a daughter someday, I would want her to be like Hermoine--to let her heart and head guide her in life.









#3 Sirius Black: Okay, yeah, I'm probably skewed about Sirius b/c of the Harry Potter movies....I find Gary Oldman VERY attractive, lol. Joking aside, I find him endearing as a character. He has had to suffer and be misunderstood to protect the memory of his dear friends, James and Lily. He also loves his godson, and he wants to be a part of his life. I think that's the saddest/most tear jerking parts of the entire series when Sirius dies in of Order of the Phoenix. I wanted Harry to finally have a home and a family to call his own. I could imagine Sirius making a life for them and upholding his part of being godfather to Harry. When he died, you knew that dream for Harry died along with a great champion of the good.

NOW, it's your turn! Who are your favorite characters and why?

9 comments:

Erinn said...

Nevel--- He became the most interesting character over the course of the books. I sort of want a spin off series about him.

Nicole said...

1. Ron Weasley - he's brave in his own right

2. Severus Snape - gotta love those eternally flawed, but oh wait is he really? characters!

3. Harry Potter - actually not my first favorite, but where would we be without him?

Lisa_Gibson said...

I like Sirius as well - so bummed he was killed.
Harry because it's been wonderful to watch him evolve and mature in attitude.
And Doby the house elf. One of my favorite moments is when Doby gets the sock and his freedom. :)
Lisa ~ YA Literature Lover

Vee said...

I love Ron, Sirius, and Tonks best I think. Man, HP. So many good memories.

Leah said...

I can't do it. I can't choose! Ron has always been my favorite because in a book series that starts out relatively light to people getting killed off every which way, Ron remained (mostly) a good source of comic relief as well as loyal. Other than that, I can't pick who else is my favorite because Harry, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Snape, Draco, Dumbledore--they are all so unique and so flawed yet so perfect at the same time that it is just impossible for me to say which I love more.

The Phantom Paragrapher said...

Im a new follower , www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com

Unfortunately I have a thing must be for bad boys as I like Draco Malfroy.

Jamie Blair said...

1. THE SNAPE
2. THE SEVERUS SNAPE
3. SNAPE-E-KINS! :)

Rachael said...

1. Hermione Granger was, is, and always will be my favorite character. She's definitely the character I related to the most. I even dreamed about playing her in the movies when I was younger.

2. Severus Snape. I am still in awe of his character even though it's been two years since I read Deathly Hallows for the first time. At the end of HBP I actually ran into the living and yelled that I wanted to murder him. And then DH somehow managed to turn all of that around.

3. Lupin. I had a soft spot for him since the moment he walked into the story.

(I'd say Draco, but I think I'm more of a fan of Tom Felton than I am Draco.)

E. Arroyo said...

Snape...I won't say more.