Forgetful Characters/Maximum Capacity

[cynthiaanncoe at home.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27014

Cindy wrote:
> > I am, however, getting weary of HP characters with miseable 
memories 
> > at crucial moments.
> 
Luke wrote:

> I know what you mean, in terms of cumulative effect, but I have 
> comments on some of the specific examples.

<snip>

> I should add that, in theory, a villain can act at maximum capacity 
> and still lose.  Their maximum capacity *at that moment* just needs 
to 
> be smaller than the hero's was *at that moment*.  This does not 
imply 
> that the hero should be unbalanced to the villain and generally 
more 
> capable (that's a very BAD idea for a dramatic story).  It means 
that 
> something in the external circumstances must hinder the villain 
> somehow from having the normally equal amount of maximum capacity 
as 
> his protagonistic counterpart.


Luke, thanks again for your thoughts.  (Has anyone mentioned that you 
are really good at this?)  I knew Voldemort's lapses were bothering 
me, but I wasn't entirely sure why (except for a rather smug feeling 
that an aspirant for Supreme Ruler of the Universe should be at least 
as smart as I am).

What strikes me about your comments on maximum capacity, however, is 
that there must be at least two ways of having one's villian act at 
maximum capacity for the majority of the story, and then have him 
lapse at the crucial time without generating "eye rolls" among 
readers.  One way is to just have him blunder, which is what we see 
with "Phoenix tears -- I forgot."  (We need to think of a catchy name 
for this type of blunder.)

Perhaps the better way, however, is simply to deprive the villian of 
a critical piece of information.  Because the villian does not have 
this information, his actions make perfect sense based on what he 
does know.  His lack of a complete understanding of the circumstances 
becomes his downfall, rather than just his poor memory and general 
lack of Evil Overlord skills.

JKR does use this very well in the graveyard scene.  We know about 
the core of Harry's wand, but Voldemort does not.  Also clever is the 
fact that the readers don't have complete information either -- we 
know about the core of Harry's wand, but we don't know why it 
matters, and we're not sure what Voldemort knows.  So JKR is able to 
have Voldemort be surprised by Priori Incantatem and lose the duel 
without having to cry out, "Identical Phoenix tail feathers in my 
opponent's wand -- I forgot!"

Back to maximum capacity.  Are there other effective ways of having 
the villian come up short in a believable way so that the hero's 
victory isn't contrived?

Now as for Lupin, I am pleased to see that you are giving him a pass, 
as it would pain me to have to call him stupid.  You are correct that 
if Lupin sees dots labeled Harry, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew 
moving toward the Shrieking Shack, he'd have to be a simpering idiot 
not to hop up and follow along.  

Now, he does forget to take the map with him, ("I forgot!") 
particularly because he might need it if he gets to the Shrieking 
Shack and finds everyone has left.  He also forgets to wipe it 
clean.  So I suppose that he's not functioning at maximum capacity, 
either.  A side-effect of chronic wolfsbane potion use, perhaps?  


> > Crouch/Moody (forgets to watch the door or the foe glass)
> > Crouch/Moody (forgets to take polyjuice potion as often as he 
should 
> > have)
> 
> These are the ones that bug me the most, because otherwise 
throughout 
> the novel, Crouch Jr. always acted at maximum capacity.  He is a 
real 
> "evil genius", moreso than Voldemort seems to be (I have to wonder, 
> if, had he not been effectively taken out of the picture with the 
> Kiss, he might have eventually realized Voldemort was less 
intelligent 
> than him and overthrown him, taking over as the new leader of the 
evil 
> forces).  So, anyway, it is upsetting for him to overlook stuff 
like 
> this, when otherwise he is so "together".  But again, one can argue 
> that almost all villains must act just the tiniest bit under 
maximum 
> capacity if the hero is to ultimately triumph.
> 

It seems that before I can throw overripe tomatoes at JKR for writing 
this scene this way, I have to come up with an alternative that would 
work better.  And I just can't think of a good one.  Let's say 
Crouch/Moody does not spirit Harry away to his office at all, and 
simply starts melting right there on the Quiddich field due to 
forgetting to take his potion.  Dumbledore stuns him and interrogates 
him.  Yawn.

Perhaps JKR could omit the Foe Glass entirely, or perhaps Dumbledore, 
Snape and McGonagall can sneak up on Crouch in his office under an 
invisibility cloak so that the Foe Glass doesn't broadcast their 
images.  That, too, is rather dopey, because the image of the three 
teachers huddled under an invisibility cloak that they get from God-
knows-where is a most unfortunate one.  Also, Moody can still see 
through the door and invisibility cloaks.

If anyone has a better idea, I'd love to hear it.

Anyway, I was quite disappointed when the Demementor sucked out 
Crouch's soul.  He would have made a great prisoner and foil in 
future books.  And maybe this time he could have had a "real" trial.  
Such a waste.

Cindy (who belatedly realizes that her English Lit classes might have 
been interesting had she bothered to pay attention)