April 29, 2009
A Misunderstood Visionary
At Dumbledore’s funeral, many, Harry included were looking back on what we feel about Dumbledore. Others, mostly Ministry officials were pretending they knew him to save face – but it was apparent that they didn’t really know him at all.
It seems that from the moment that we met Dumbledore, we realized that not only were we meeting an extraordinary man, we were meeting a man who was just as misunderstood and unappreciated as he was mysterious.
“Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man’s name was Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore didn’t seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome” (SS 9).
RESPONSE
How do you think Dumbledore was misunderstood by both the world of the Dursleys and the Ministry of Magic? Is there a common thread between the thinking of the Dursleys and the thinking of Cornelius Fudge?
In your life, have you ever felt that you or someone you loved was a misunderstood visionary?
In our world past and present, can you think of people who have been misunderstood for being creative visionaries?
One Trackback
[...] andrew added an interesting post on The Harry Potter Alliance » Blog Archive » A Misunderstood VisionaryHere’s a small excerptA Misunderstood Visionary. April 29th, 2009 by andrew. At Dumbledore’s funeral, many, Harry included were looking back on what we feel about Dumbledore. Others, mostly Ministry officials were pretending they knew him to save face – but … [...]