dumbledore gay??

Question

hey, u know how the harry potter author sed dumbledor is gay, did anyone realize that in the story??or did she just do it 4 publicity reasons?

Answer 1

I don't think that JKR has an agenda, or is seeking more publicity. According to the story I read, she had told the writer of the screenplay for HBP that Dumbledore was gay because there was mention of a female love interest in the screenplay and she had to set them right. Having done that, she might as well have made it public, since it would have eventually come out anyway--she could control when and how it was done. and in any case, this story came out because she was directly asked if Dumbledore loved anyone.

Throughout the series, we know Dumbledore as a tireless and seemingly single-minded fighter against Dark Wizards (at least from Harry's perspective; we do have to remember that Albus is also a great teacher, an alchemist, and important theoretical Wizard--remember the tools and instruments he made himself). But how did Albus become that way?

We learn much about this in DH, with Arianna's story, Aberforth's story and the story of the friendship between Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. In reading DH, it was clear that Grindelwald seduced Dumbledore on a number of levels; intellectually, ideologically, and, by JKR's new revelation, emotionally. We don't know if that seduction was sexual as well, and I'm not sure it is important for us to know.

The revelation completes the picture for us of a man who felt betrayed, injured by one he loved, ashamed at how far he went from rational thought and behavior, how far he really was from what he thought he was.

The up shot is that we now know more completely Dumbledore's motivations for fighting Dark Wizards--his shame at his own tangential contribution to Grindelwald's career, his reluctance to fight him, and, when Voldemort rose, his determination to not to repeat his prior mistake of inaction and to fight Voldemort from the start.

So in summery, It was part of the way JKR viewed Dumbledore and understood him. I don't think it was something that would have come out voluntarily--more likely something that would have made a scholarly article 50 or 60 years from now after she was gone and literary scholars had access to her full notes (assuming she left them to be investigated).

BTW, there is some inkling of this in DH, where Rita Skeeter talks about devoting a chapter in her book about Dumbledore to the Dumbledore/Harry relationship. This is not to say that there was anything improper--but that JKR did put out a hint.

wl

Answer 2

She never pointed any arrows to that fact in any of the books. We don't even know much about Grindelwauld until Deathly Hallows, and even then, arrows, there are none. She may have just done it for publicity reasons, or it was really true. She says she knows the characters inside out, and that a lot of the things she knows about the characters doesn't go into the book because it's not relevant or important or necessary.

Actually, I've been starting to question her character after she decided to sue those people in India for theming a religious festival after Harry Potter. It wasn't an event that they were gaining any money from -it was a religous festival, after all. But she demanded thousands of dollars (can't remember exactly how much) from the people who were setting it up, or else to take the structure (because they were making a replica of the Hogwarts castle) down. The Hogwarts Castle replica was not permanent, it was coming down, anyways, and it took them a lot of time and money to put the thing together. Rowling can go and jump off a bridge for doing that, because she has enough money already.

Answer 3

apparently the director of the sixth film had something in the script about an old love affair of Dumbledore's and so J.K Rowling corrected him and so I guess it was on her mind when a child asked her if Dumbledore ever found true love and she responded that he hadn't and that he was gay. I don't see why anyone is suprised...or why people are making a big deal about it. It doesn't change the story in any way. Why she felt the need to tell people I don't know but she did say that people should take a lesson because the entire book was a "long lesson on tolerance".

Answer 4

I had suspicions in the past, just theories...
But as a whole, I am not suprised or let down.
If anything, I respect him more.
And I respect her for having the guts
to say it.
As for it just being a publicity stunt, I really doubt that
it was. She waited until all of the books were released, and gave people plenty of time to come to their own conclusions.
I think that she will be giving us a lot more little snippets like that since everything is said and done. It's cool to learn something new about a character and be able to think back and see how it relates to the choices they have made in the books.

Answer 5

No, because Harry Potter does not need anymore publicitiy. It is already successful enough. I don't see why everyone's making it such a big deal- Dumbledore was who he was, gay or straight. The story doesn't change.

Answer 6

I think it was for publicity reasons. To put it simply, avid readers of the series always wondered why he didn't have a girlfriend. To be complete, one does not always need a mate. It's a shame she said that. The series is over and so why add to it? unless another series will be created focusing on this one character. There was opposition to her work to begin with and now I think this will open up a whole new can of worms. It may increase book sales down a new avenue.

Answer 7

It was a surprise to me. I mean, everyone knows that Harry is gay, but Dumbledore being gay was a complete surprise.

Answer 8

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2007/10/23/dumbledore/index_np.html

I was kinda wondering the same thing and then I read this great article and there were hints that he was gay everywhere, subtle hints but pretty obvious now that she's come forward with that.

Answer 9

I never realized it until she told everyone.

Answer 10

The whole of the books suggest or imply that he is gay, but she just clarified it for us. Thanks JKR!!!