Here’s a thought from one fan’s personal blog about the whole deFredding thing. I’ll be re-posting a couple of those posts here in Whee-Land (yup, that’s what I’m calling this blog from now on). But for now, this is what I thought on August 2, 2007…
Props to Olafpriol, my hero who doesn’t know me, for this stunning image. See it full-sized here.
In the middle of transcribing an interview, I found myself idling around in the internet. Then I remembered that I haven’t blogged in a while, and well, my three loyal readers deserved to hear my thoughts on something. So, I have decided to write about an issue near and dear to my heart and that is the untimely demise of Fred Weasley according to J.K. Rowling in the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
When I first heard that Fred was one of the characters who died in the blood bath, I actually cried. Then I realized how stupid it was to cry, but upon remembering the second anniversary of the death of my grandmother was a mere ten days away, I gave myself a reprieve. Hoping he died a valiant and amazing death, when I came to page 637 of Deathly Hallows, I was grieved to discover that Fred did indeed die…after a wall fell on him. What the heck?!
While I understand J.K. Rowling’s reasoning and consideration about the death of her characters, I think killing Fred off was silly. All deaths that happen in a war aren’t glamorous, I understand, but for a figure as clever as Fred…he just deserved better. Therefore, he can’t be dead. I mean, how can a story have a happy ending if Fred and George aren’t together making masterful creations in Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes?
There has been a good deal of buzz surrounding Fred’s death, and most of it is boarding on hilarious outrage. Some fans have made rather amusing tributes to Fred’s life and death, and some have denied his death altogether. It’s definitely funny, and I can’t help but think, Fred would have liked it this way.
If a joke about Fred’s death is clever enough, I admit defeat. However, in the long run, I have simply chosen to alter my reality and pretend that Fred did not indeed die, especially by having a wall fall on him. In my mind, Fred and George go on to live happy and full lives making the world laugh with their joke shop. You may say I’m a redactor, but I’m not the only one–there are throngs of Fred Weasley fans who are with me, ‘ear?
Here are a few links to some clever fan art surround this heavily contested incident:
How to Deal with Fred’s Death: Denial
Not my Brother! (Warning: Swearing in Cartoon!)
Fred & J.K. Rowling (A closer look at the one posted above)
Fred’s Nap
Fred’s Flight from Death
For those who aren’t true believers that Fred isn’t dead:
I also saw a touching picture of George crying while lifting his hand to a mirror. I can’t seem to find a link, but it was pretty good.
A nice fan-fic about George carrying on with his life
This doesn’t have to do with just Fred, but it’s funny: Awkward Moments in Wizard Heaven
Tags: deathly hallows, fan art, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, harry potter, olafpriol
July 25, 2008 at 4:35 pm |
Oof, you should hear The Starhorse & I rant about this topic. Fred’s death ruined the last book for me not only because he’s my favourite character, but because his death was really the last in a long series of Shock Factor deaths that I could take. After the angst-ridden demise of Remus/Tonks (a couple fated to tragedy from the get-go), Snape and his unrequited love/gruesome death, Dobby, Hedwig etc., I thought, surely JKR won’t pull another predictable stunt like that, because if there’s one thing an author should never do, it’s bump off a main character with no real plot purpose (and shock factor is not purpose XD). But she did and sadly, for me at least, it ruined the end of the series. Rather than bringing the reality of war home, like so many people argue, Fred’s death made the story less realistic, because it was so tacked on.
I also think for a series that, at it’s heart, is meant to be all about the strength/bond of family & love (a theme personified by the Weasleys), I thought Fred’s death was another terrible blow, because he and George ARE the heart of the Weasleys, representing everything that’s good in life, so in killing Fred off (and, in a way, George and certainly a part of Molly), to me Voldemort will always have won the war.
Considering I’ve loved these books since I was 11, I refuse to accept an ending as cack as that. So I’m with you, huzzah for Re-Fredding!! =D
July 26, 2008 at 6:44 pm |
Hey Starkiller! (BTW, I’m also a big fan of stars–shapes, pictures, the sky–all of it! I can see I’m in especially good company!)
You know, I forgot about the death of Hedwig, but that was horrible as well. I mean, so many of the deaths didn’t even make sense. It was like…let’s just kill people and see what happens. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
I don’t remember if it was in this post, but I said that my friends started reading the book before me (my roomie got her wisdom teach out and then I went to the beach when the book came out!) and they all told me about Fred because they know I have such a love for the twins. I’d often remarked that we should just kick Harry Potter out and just write about the twins, to which my friend remarked that they were called the Harry Potter books for a reason.
Killing Fred off, especially in such a ridiculous way, was dumb. I mean, his dead didn’t even make that much sense to me, honestly. It’s like JKR wanted to show how horrible war was and how anyone can be victims and how obviously the Weasleys would HAVE to have someone die cuz their family is so big. I get all that. But I think we know about death more than any other generation….with terrorism and the war and all that stuff…we know. Give us our happy ending, goshdarnit.
Actually, one of the deaths that really bugged me was Colin Creevy. At least that made more sense though.
And the Epilogue, that was just great.
OMIGOSH…I can’t believe you know The Starhorse. I’ve wanted to talk to her for months. You StarWomen rock and we must all become good pals and continue to let people know about what’s going on.
Plus, you know, F&G have lives, inventions, and other things going on. Now I don’t frequent Diagon Alley, but I help with some of their Muggle press, because as you can imagine they’ve become very popular since the release of the factually inaccurate HP books. Muggles trying to interpret the events of the wizarding world have never gone all that well, as you know.
I love your work (both of you!) Thanks for posting!