B3: Why I Hated the Epilogue

I have mixed feelings regarding the final book and the way in which Rowling ended her series. As a whole I love The Deathly Hollows, the book does an incredible job of providing character development without sacrificing an engaging plot. However, the feeling of realism that is brought through Rowling’s incredible characters and story was diminished following the epilogue.

Rowling’s final book brings to light the previously unexplored depths of several enigmatic characters; the one of which was most interesting to me being, Albus Dumbledore. The portrayal of Dumbledore progressed through the series from an idealistic father figure to an enigmatic mentor. Similar to a child parental relationship in the real world, Rowling revealed bits of Dumbledore’s character to readers through his interactions with Harry as their relationship matured. Dumbledore and Harry’s relationship started with the child (Harry) idolizing his parental figure (Dumbledore) as an impenetrable hero, however, as the child grew he began to view his parent in a critical light – allowing him to perceive the imperfections in their façade. The introduction of Dumbledore’s flaws within The Deathly Hollows made me appreciate him more as a character. Although some of his actions angered me, his imperfections brought a real sense of humanity to his character and, as a fellow flawed individual, I cannot hate him for not being perfect.

Unfortunately, the epilogue of the series left a bitter taste in my mouth to what was otherwise the perfect final course. Rowling created a world as far away from reality as anyone could imagine; however, she grounded that world by adding relatable flaws to characters and circumstances. The realism which Rowling crafted into her series was, for me, destroyed by the epilogue.  Here the main characters are shown living their perfectly ordinary (in terms of wizarding standards) lives following the end of the war. New characters are introduced; however, they are mere shadows compared to the characters Rowling presented throughout the rest of the series. Rather than being given true identities, their personalities are reflected through their names and appearances. In my opinion, the series should have ended with the Harry’s feeling of solace regarding the vanquishing of Voldemort and his intention to immediately procure a sandwich from Kreacher.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Arthur A. Levine, 2007. Print.