Dobby's Sacrifice

Now this blog post is going to be a little different. The following isnt a review of Harry Potter (there are many more qualified individuals to do that; "that" has already been done many times over). It's not going to be a recap or even a summary of hp7. This post is about Dobby as a sacrificial figure in the world of Harry Potter (ie the wizarding world).

Let me pause here and expound a few themes: sacrifice, death, and dignity.

What does sacrifice as a word mean to us Americans? To us cosmopolitans? We hear it thrown around all the time: marriage is sacrifice, the bunter sacrificed his at-bat to advance the first-base runner, etc. Now there's nothing wrong with those examples of sacrifice.

Relationships as sacrifice. Truer words were never spoken. Now I'm fairly inexperienced in this area, but even my n00bness can admit that there is no such thing as an "equal" relationship. Somewhere or another one person is going to have to sacrifice at some point in the relationship. There's no getting around that fact. You can try to live out a relationship without sacrificing, but the pair of you will have to be two of the most self-involved and solipsistic individuals on this planet. Just watch TV for examples typifying this sort of relationship. 

But you! The reader! Of course you understand the previous paragraph. Just think about your parents. If your parents immigrated to this country, they undoubtedly sacrificed for you. Just in general: your parents sacrifice for you every single day either working to pay your tuition, fixing your meals (if you're at home for Thanksgiving right now), or just plain being there for you. Or maybe you have more reticent parents: they still at some point in their lives sacrificed for you. It's hard to hear, but it's true: parenting is a story of sacrifice.  

Sports. The theme of sacrifice is built into sports. I mean, just watching the Patriots vs. Lions game this morning(stopped watching after a while, dunno who won), it's obvious: a good defense enables a good offense. 

Thesis of this blog post: Sacrificing (read: dying) for others is one of the most dignifying things one can do in life. 

Now, I don't think we as the audience are supposed to pity Dobby. Dobby deserves something more than pity. If you came out of that movie theater pitying Dobby, then I'm sorry, not for you, but for those who directed the film. 

If you know even a little about Harry Potter, you know that Dobby functions as a foil to Harry Potter in Chamber of Secrets. Now, Dobby's pathetic, tempting the reader/viewer to pity him. But if the end of Deathly Hallows (part 1) made any sort of statement, it was about death. Throughout the film wizards/witches do something that does not make sense: they put their lives on the line for Harry Potter. Mad-eye Moody dies defending Potter. And so it is with Dobby: he dies apparating Potter, Weasley, and Granger. He DIES. DOBBY f***ing DIES. WHAT THE F***. 

The above was my initial reaction to Dobby's death. Then came acceptance, then sadness, then a few tears. I thought, "Why? Why J.K. Rowling? Why kill Dobby here? Why, when all that Dobby did was to stand up for Harry Potter? How does that make sense?"

You know, it doesn't make sense. Giving up your life for others doesn't make sense. That's why it's so beautiful. That's the beauty of sacrifice.