The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Question regarding a WOJ about "Changes". -I dont see what Harry did wrong.

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Shift8:
I was perusing the WOJ database looking for things that might be relevant to some BG theories. I came across one where Jim is responding to a person who is disappointed about changes. This persons complaint was that they had been wondering what would make Harry act in immoral fashion. Essentially, what kind of pressure would it take to make Harry go over the edge? This person was disappointed because as they saw it, the fact that Jim made it so that Harry was trying to save Maggie turned the moral dilemma into a cop out.

Jim then responds by explaining that Maggie being in danger doesn't excuse Dresden because that's not a good enough excuse.

My confusion is that I don't get what exactly Harry was supposed to have done wrong in Changes. What was the big moral dilemma?

noblehunter:
In Changes, Harry was willing to get almost all of his friends killed in what was, as far as he knew, a vain attempt to rescue his daughter. He says several times that he was willing to let the world burn if it would get him Maggie back. He also believed he was selling his soul to Mab. Fortunately, the author hadn't entirely abandoned him so his bad intentions mostly came out okay. With two exceptions.

He asks a reforming warlock to help him commit suicide, which would lead the council to kill her as well, by coming up to the very edge of what is permitted under the Laws. Then he allows her, a sensitive magic user rather than a brawler, to come to a nexus of black magic and be in the middle of a nasty stand up fight with a gang of demigods plus their army. Molly was traumatized and, even if Harry had survived, might have lost her chance at not becoming a full-time warlock.

He also murdered Martin and Susan, which while justifiable by certain standards of morality is still something a stand-up hero should do.

Shift8:
-I don't recall Harry actually doing anything that got his friends killed or put them in danger. He asked people to help him, and they obliged. Also saving Maggie was a perfectly good reason to go to extremes. Not to mention that all of these actions were really part of the war with the Vampires, so nothing can really be said about the motives of Harry since he had knowledge that he was acting within said war. Saving his daughter was also tantamount to winning the war and saving himself and the Eb. Whatever Harry did, he acted knowing that he was acting within the context of the greater war.

-I dont see a problem with having Molly help him kill himself, especially since it was a fail safe against Mab manipulating him. I also don't see how allowing her to fight is a problem either. Molly is a big girl and makes her own choices. And asking a weaker person to fight is hardly a moral crime.

-That is and extremely....interesting...definition of murder. Martin was an asshole working for the Red Court and had betrayed them all. Susan literally told Dresden to kill her in order to take out the Red Court. Why should a stand-up hero not do that? Its not heroic to have absurd and unprincipled standards that are devoid of context. Even if Susan had not given her assent to Harry, he would have been justified in killing her to activate the spell because she was dead or worse if he didn't. The situation is so black and white its not even funny imo.

Telynn:
My problem with the position he put Molly in was, wouldn't him dying while she was under the doom inact her death sentence?  The wizard who put himself out there to rehabilitate her dies, unless someone else stepped forward wouldn't she then be put to death?  I always felt that was a bit crappy of him. 

Shift8:

--- Quote from: Telynn on October 05, 2020, 09:19:23 PM ---My problem with the position he put Molly in was, wouldn't him dying while she was under the doom inact her death sentence?  The wizard who put himself out there to rehabilitate her dies, unless someone else stepped forward wouldn't she then be put to death?  I always felt that was a bit crappy of him.

--- End quote ---

Molly is and was a big girl who can make her own choices. Dresden didn't mind control her. And he didn't ask favors lightly, he asked her to do it because of extreme need. That's not being jerk. And Molly took a risk, it was not a death sentence. As evinced by her still being alive.

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