Does JKR's Narration Fit The Mold?

[Ebony Elizabeth]

No: HPFGUIDX 1610

Hello, everyone!

Veering off my twin pet fave subjects of teaching and religion for 
the time being.  :)  I've been meaning to share the following for 
almost a week now.

The other night in class, we had a semi-heated debate about the 
functions of dramatis personae (characters) in folklore.  There were 
several interesting points made.  I brought up the fact that Propp's 
theory could only be applied to the subgenre of the fairy tale--
trickster tales do not fit this mold.  Some of my classmates as well 
as the professor felt that the functions are archetypal, or so 
embedded in our collective subconscious that they are common to all 
humankind.

My question is this.  Does HP?  Peg led a very interesting discussion 
the other week about the rules of fiction.  Is there a pattern for 
fictional success?  Here's Propp's version--the good prof here 
implied that Harry Potter conforms to these rules in some way.  I 
rejected this theory and did my weekly paper on another essay, but I 
was *very* curious to see what the opinions here were.

THE FUNCTIONS OF DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Initial theses:
1)  Functions of characters serve as stable, constant elements in a 
tale, independent of how and by whom they are fulfilled.  They 
constitute the fundamental elements of a tale.
2)  The number of functions known is limited.
3)  The sequence of functions is *always* identical.
4)  All tales are of one type in regard to their structure.

A tale usually begins with some sort of initial situation.

After the initial situation, there follow functions:
1)  One of the members of a family absents himself from home.
2)  An interdiction is addressed to the hero.
3)  The interdiction is violated.
4)  The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance.
5)  The villain receives information about his victim.
6)  The villain attempts to deceive his victim in order to take 
possession of him or of his belongings.
7)  The victim unknowingly helps the villain by being deceived or 
influenced by the villain.
8)  The villain harms a member of the family or a member of the 
family lacks or desires something.
9)  This lack or misfortune is made known; the hero is given a quest 
or command, and he goes or is sent on a mission/quest.
10)  The seeker (often the hero) plans action against the villain.
11)  The hero leaves home.
12)  The hero is tested, attacked, interrogated, and receives either 
a magical agent or helper.
13)  The hero reacts to the actions of the future donor.
14)  The hero uses the magical agent.
15)  The hero is transferred to the general location of the object of 
his mission/quest.
16)  The hero and villain join in direct combat.
17)  The hero is branded.
18)  The villain is defeated.
19)  The initial misfortune or lack is set right.
20)  The hero returns home.
21)  The hero is pursued.
22)  The hero is rescued from pursuit.
23)  The hero arrives home or elsewhere and is not recognized.
24)  A false hero makes false claims.
25)  A difficult task is set for the hero.
26)  The task is accomplished.
27)  The hero is recognized.
28)  The false hero/villain is exposed.
29)  The false hero is transformed.
30)  The villain is punished.
31)  The hero is married and crowned.

While this paint-by-numbers view of fiction and of storytelling in 
general may work for some, I reject it as being myopic and 
exclusionary.  (Think that's what I said last week... can't remember 
my whole argument though.)  I also think that to apply this theory to 
the Harry Potter novels is an attack on JKR's unique voice and 
arresting narrative style, although some of my classmates do not 
agree.  The general feeling I got when it was brought up is that HP 
is "not great literature"--direct quote from a classmate who *is* a 
Ph.D. student in kidlit.  Nice girl who has two master's degrees in 
English already, but her statement *really* ticked me off.

What do you think?

Ebony