Dumbledore and the 'rules' of fiction

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 1183

Hi

Flying Ford Anglia wrote:

> The fantasy genre seems very rigid to me (not knowing too much about
> it), to the extent that Diana Wynne Jones could find enough
> clichés to write the very funny "Tough Guide to Fantasyland".  I
> recall that JKR said she didn't set out to write within the fantasy
> genre, but
> realised, when she was mentioning centaurs, that she was writing a
> fantasy book.  This suggests to me that she may not follow accepted
> conventions in this genre.

I admittedly have no experience with the fantasy genre either.  I do
know that I recall reading the same thing that Neil does -- although I
thought it was when she saw unicorns rather than the centaurs.  In any
case, I don't think she set out with the idea that HP was fantasy
(likewise, I maintain she didn't set out with the idea that it was a
childrens' series either).  I agree with Neil that there's every reason
to believe that she may not be (probably isn't?) following accepted
fantasy lit conventions.  I also seem to remember reading that she
admitted she hadn't read much "fantasy lit" & I could swear she went on
to say that she never cared much for Tolkien.  I could be making that
last part up though -- maybe something to do with I can't seem to get
into Tolkien myself.

Dumbledore -- I'm afraid I agree with Neil & Scott to some extent.  I
don't necessarily have any reason to think Dumbledore is on the bad/dark
side.  Like Brooks, I'm inclined to believe he is not at all on the dark
side at the moment.  But, I do think he's got the potential to be much
more multi-dimensional, with some shades of gray.  I also think JKR is
masterful at creating surprises & unexpected plot twists.  I don't
necessarily think she'll let the Bad Guys win or that Dumbledore will be
revealed to have been a baddie all along.  But, I suspect she'll
introduce more "gray" shades into our characters.  Snape is truly
multi-dimensional at the moment.  I think there are other characters who
have the potential to become so -- Dumbledore among them (Ron is another
prime suspect).

As for why he lets Snape get away with being so cruel to certain
students --  well, my guess is that he doesn't really concern himself
with the minute details of what happens in all the classes.  We don't
really know that Dumbledore prevented Snape from failing Harry in
potions that one year after all.  We just have Harry's thoughts that
Snape was giving him a "zero" & his later thoughts/suspicions that
Dumbledore must have intervened to prevent him from receiving a failing
grade.  It might just as easily have been McGonagall to intervene.  She
is head of Gryffindor & might have gotten advance notice of the final
grades of the students in her house.  My guess is that Dumbledore really
just doesn't know about Snape's specific conduct -- he probably has a
general idea (but I doubt that specific instances of abuse have reached
his ears).  Maybe there is a shortage of qualified teachers.  And,
there's definitely more to the Dumbledore-Snape relationship than we
know at this point.  And, he probably does think that having a "nasty"
teacher or two can't help but build character.  I sort of imagine that
the other profs have a pretty good idea of how nasty he is to students,
but they too may be short on the specifics.

BTW, I *do* think Snape is entirely out of line in how he runs his
classes -- no doubt he's a ill-tempered bitter man.  None of the above
is meant to excuse his behavior to some of the students.  I just think
Dumbledore likely doesn't know the specifics.

Penny


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