HP on Sparknotes.com

[ats_fhc3]

In response to my quickly written, not-thought-out post (I hate it 
when I do that) GulPlum wrote:

"Ahhh... You have unknowingly (?) hit the nail on the head 
there: "the literary canon". What is a "canon"? It's something which 
people who are generally acknowledged to know what they're talking 
about decide it to be."

My English teacher, whom I greatly admire, referred to it as that. 
What I thought it meant was that the great novels, poems, sonnets, 
and esays that have been published and are great works of 
literature. They don't necessarily have to have staying power, 
because lately, everyone has been teaching contemperary literature. 
I should also mention here, or somewhere, that I am extremely 
conservative...the reason why my new English teacher and I are at 
odds sometimes...(she's very liberal, most of my University is)
 
"The members of the HPFGU family of lists have decided what the 
HP "canon" means, but by no means is that definition the one applied 
by other groups of fans. In the same way, the "canon" of litterature 
is something which a bunch of academics have decided is valuable and 
worthy of closer attention."

Good point. I didn't consider the fact that we refer to HP books 
as 'canon.' In fact, my ex-boyfriend flipped out when he heard me 
call it that, thinking I was equating  it to the Bible. I 
guess 'literary' canon would distinguish it from other canons. I 
mean, this group is HP only, so when we say 'canon,' everyone knows 
we are talking about the four HP books, plus the 2 school books. 

"But that doesn't mean that "literature" stopped existing when the 
last great writer died. I don't know about the USA, but certainly 
here in Britain, living authors frequently crop up in reading lists 
in schools, colleges and universities."

See, here (States), we don't have any good, local, living authors. 
If we did, or if I had seen a book/essay/poem that was written 
recently, my opinion would be different. Maybe. We haven't had any 
good books written recently. I'm sure someone's else's opinion would 
be different, though. By the way, would you recommend any good 
books? I think I'm under my 3 book-at-a-time quota...
 
"As with any other "canon" (in the word's widest possible meaning) 
choices are frequently arbitrary, often based on prejudice, and 
always subjective and hard to justify."

Hence my opinion. You've just described the basis of it.
  
"However, few books of the latter kind usually get published 
(regrettably, the Internet means that lots of crap writing can get 
an audience anyway) so there's a huge "window" which includes pulp 
at one end and literary masterpieces at the other."

That's where my problem lies. The fact that there's a lot of 'crap 
writing' out there. And not just on the Internet. And some of it is 
really popular. At the writing group I'm part of, we talk about 
books where we wonder how they ever got published...or if they were 
even ever edited. (www.toasted-cheese, if anyone wants to know). No, 
I don't think I'm a better writer than JKR, or anyone, for that 
matter. Never had anything published. It's all sitting on my 
computer, half-unfinished.

"What's the difference? Don't let anyone force you to believe one 
way or the other. The same goes for TV, plays, movies, the works." 

I've decided for myself. I like Harry Potter. But I don't really 
consider it literature. I think that part of it is because the 
series isn't finished yet. I don't like a lot of today's movies and 
TV shows because it's...well, crap. Like that new movie, "How to 
Lose a Guy in 10 Days." Don't get me started on that.
 
"A big problem now, though, are "post-modern" works, which generally 
are more about the medium than any kind of interest content. There's 
some post-modern stuff which I like, and some I abhore, perhaps 
simply because I don;t "get" it. If someone else does, then fine, 
but I'm not going to say I like it just because it's trendy to do 
so."

Neither would I. My problem with contemperary and post-modern stuff 
would probably offend a few people though... I just think that some 
of it isn't *good*. I admire JKR for her hidden clues, etc. That's 
good writing, in my opinion. She's got a diverse audience, when 
critics say these are children's books. The fact that we have this 
group shows how good a writer she is.
 
"Back to HP: for teenagers, it's aboslutely, definitely, literature."

I think it can be literature for adults, too.  

"I can think of few books which could provide better material to 
teach the rules of literary analysis. The level of debate which the 
Potter books generate online among teenagers is proof that they 
actually *want* to analyse this material. They probably don't 
realise that what they're doing is literary analysis, but I feel 
immensely gratified to see them doing it."

This is good material for analyzation because they don't know 
they're analyzing it, and they're having fun doing it. And, since 
it's new, not a lot of teachers are making their students read it 
and write a 500 page paper on the symbolism or something. And if 
they are, they think it's cool, because no one else does it, and 
it's a fun book.
 
"The problem is that the literary establishment hates anything 
populist and thus it's unlikely that the Potter books could enter 
the distinguished canon any time soon. In a way, I'll be sorry when 
the Potters eventually do enter the canon, because kids will be 
forced to read the books, and their analysis will be straight-
jacketed by their teachers rather than the free-flowing voyage of 
discovery it currently is."

I think I don't consider HP part of a literary canon because it's a 
brand new book, and I love it! The literary canon, to me, is a 
distant thing, where I don't know the people, and I can't write a 
letter to the author and ask him/her what he meant by something. 
With HP, it's a fun book to read. I don't feel the need to analyze 
it. Sure, I'll ask, "Do you think this means something?" But I don't 
feel like I have to look at Remus Lupin's name and feel stupid for 
not knowing that it hinted he would be a werewolf. (Please, no one 
comment on that...)
 
"There's no shame in adults reading them, but I doubt that the books 
will ever be part of a university curriculum." 

I would take that class!

"That's not a reflection on the level of writing, but of the 
establishment prejudices against the type of story they are." 

That may be part of my thing with literature vs. general fiction.
 
"A couple of comments on the Sparknotes text.<snip>"

I read them, sort of. They're pretty ridiculous. They leave out half 
the major things that happen. Snape is mentioned in passing, and his 
role in the world of HP is completely diminished...how dare they! 
For the record, Sirius is hardly mentioned. I didn't read all of it, 
so I don't know what they said about Remus. The character analysis 
for SS/PS doesn't even mention Ron (I don't think, I didn't see his 
name on it).

Sorry this was so long...I took a 2 hour break, too...

-Acire, who is going to eat the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup that's 
been sitting in the fridge for the past half an hour...it's been 
calling me...