Fantasy Favourites Read-A-Thon: It's Tricky

I would like to apologize to the amazing host of the Fantasy Favourites Read-A-Thon for my delay in posting these challenges. My weekend was just so busy and I didn’t get a chance to blog any!

These are some tough questions! While haven’t read Harry Potter yet (I know, I know) I answered some of the questions anyway. I love the Lunar Chronicles series, and so I tried to answer them all! I’ve never read The Lux series either, but I’m going to try to answer some of the questions (even though they are really hard). They remind me of my AP Gov class I’m taking now.

Harry Potter Questions

1. You stand in front of the mirror of Erised, which shows your greatest desire. What do you see?

I see world peace, no disease, and family, food, and shelter for everyone.

2. “The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.” What would you do with the Philosopher’s Stone?

Metal into gold so I can help a bunch of people. I don’t think anyone I know would want to be immortal.

3.  A Boggart turns into what they think is your biggest fear. What would your Boggart turn into?

Either a snake or some kind of scary criminal.

4. You just got access to a Pensieve and have all your memories and thoughts to access. What memory would you like to revisit?

Any memory where I’m happily surrounded by my family or a favorite moment from my time in Romania.

5. The Harry Potter universe deals with a lot of prejudice – prejudice against werewolves, inferiority of house elves, arresting and murdering Muggleborns. Hermione started S.P.E.W. (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) when she was 14 years old. What would your action plan against prejudice be (or are you fine with the way things are)?

Prejudice is something that I absolutely despise and can NOT stand at all. I think that people should read more diverse books to work on their empathy, but most of all get to know a diverse crowd of people. When people start to have prejudiced thoughts, they should have to step into that person’s shoes - like a very realistic dream where they are that person or something.

6. Here’s an age-old question for you: good or evil? E.g. Would you join Voldemort because you revel in his power, or because you’re afraid of it? Would you stand down and fight Death Eaters, or hide and wait until it’s over? Please note that both sides have cookies, so that’s no valid reason to join the Dark Side.

I would like to think that I would never join the dark side, and that I would fight and not hide.

Lunar Chronicles Questions

1. Should you compensate your own happiness for the good of the people?

I don’t think that it would be right to be so selfish as to forsake everyone else for my own happiness. If I did that, then I wouldn’t be happy so that is neither a win win nor win lose situation.

2. Should you really try to run away from your problems or face them?

I am a firm believer in facing your problems. If you don’t then they will never truly go away and you will never be truly happy.

3. If someone close to you falls ill, and there is only one cure should you give it to them, or wait (endangering their life) till the cure can be replicated for others too?

I couldn’t sacrifice everyone for one person (hopefully) no matter how much I loved them. I would wait until there was, at least, two other replications before giving them the cure.

4. In a relationship, does status matter?

NEVER, EVER, EVER DOES STATUS MATTER! Sorry, but sometimes you just gotta shout it out so people can understand.

5. Is world peace worth compensating independence?

I am all for world peace, but that world peace should never come at the price of independence. What is peace if you can’t be free? Is it even peace then?

6. Does your race/family history affect your personality and who you are?

I don’t know that it necessarily always affects you you are, especially not your personality, but I can see where sometimes it might.

7. If you had a super power, should you use it?

It depends on what it is, and only if it is for the good of others.

8. Is love worth risking everything for?

Not everything. If it took blowing up the entire world or something, then that would be a resounding no. Love is worth some risks though, just not the lives of other people.

9. Is lying to someone for their own safety acceptable?

Maybe. Normally, lying is not okay at all, but if it’s for their own safety and there is no way around it then I guess it would be okay. I hope you can tell them the truth eventually though.

10. Should marriage depend solely on love but also other factors?

Well, marriage should be to someone you love. It should not be based on money, status, or looks/appearance at all. Some things like religion might be factors, though. I don’t know that I would fall in love with someone, though, if they didn’t have said important to me factors (Christian, kind, makes me laugh, etc.)

The Lux Questions

1. How far would you go to protect someone you love? Would you kill to save them?

It really depends on the situation.

2. When do you think are people allowed to decide about the life of others? What makes one life more valuable than that of another?

No ones life is more valuable than another.

4. The US is one of only 26 countries worldwide that is still actively imposing the death penalty. (The death penalty is still legal in 36 countries, though 10 of them haven't made use of it in the last decade or are under a moratorium.) What are your thoughts on the matter?

Personally, I don’t approve of the death penalty. I think that a life sentence to prison would be more effective, because it gives criminals the time to think about what they have done, and maybe change, at least in their hearts. I don’t think that it is our right as humans to judge people so severely.

8. What if alien lifeforms actually existed among us? Do you think you would be accepting of them or sceptical?

Again, I don’t like prejudiceness, so I hope that I would be acceptable (you know as long as they were kind).

9. The earth is no longer habitable. Another planet has been discovered that can support life, but it is inhabited by a lower/equal/higher life form. Do humans have a right to take over the planet?

No! They were there first! Maybe they would let us live there peacefully with them, but you can’t rightfully take over a planet with force.

10. Just because you have the power to do something, doesn't mean you should do it. In which cases do you think someone should actually use their power to do something no matter their personal opinion on the topic?

I think people should only use that power to help others.

Again, the only book of these that I have read is The Lunar Chronicles, so…

What about you? What would you do in these situations, how would you answer these tough questions?