[HPforGrownups] On canon value (was Re: On the nature of theories/MAGIC DISHWASHER)

[James P. Robinson III]

No: HPFGUIDX 47778

As the clock struck 05:15 PM 12/4/2002 +0000, mysmacek took pen in hand and 
wrote:
>--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Grey Wolf" <greywolf1 at j...> wrote:
> > Eloise wrote:
>
> > > If the internal evidence could still support MD, why should JKR's
> > > authorial intent matter one jot?
> >
> > Internal evidence is the same thing as canon. JKR's word is *also*
> > canon.

Ewwww.  A dispute about canon!  Now we are reaching the level of the 
Tolkienisti.  I very heartily and vehemently disagree with the statement 
above.  Canon is the books themselves.  JKR's statements are her opinions 
about the works and ARE NOT CANON.  I would agree that they have not one 
jot of authoritative value.  A more interesting question is whether FBAWTFT 
and QTTA are canon or some sort of quasi-canon or not canon at all.

> > (On a tangent, there is certain "softness" to JKR's word which
>makes it
> > less "canon" than what is written in the books.

No.  They have NO canon value, not a "soft" value.

>  If JKR suddenly
> > announces in an interview that Hagrid wasn't taken to Azkaban, but
>to
> > another prison, it would drive many people on the list mad, since
>it is
> > a fragant violation of hard canon. And, knowing us, we'd find a
> > plausible reason none of us would really believe but would use, for
> > sake of our sanity.)

There would be no conflict, since her statements are not canon.

>I would even say that JKR's own words are NOT canon, unless written in
>her books :-))

Agreed.

>After all, she might need to mislead us - I doubt that if someone had
>asked in online chat "I think that Snape is a vampire and a brother to
>Lily Evans and that Dumbledore is in fact EVIL...." and if that had
>been true, that she would give back anything but misleading (read
>"untrue") answers.

JKR is free to make ANY statement about canon or the Potterverse that she 
chooses.  Those statements are just that:  statements she has made.  They 
have no canon value.

>IMHO the canon value of various sources is like this:
>1) the four (so far) books

Agreed.

>2) JKR's own words, unless suiting her otherwise

I disagree.  Her statements and opinions have NO canon value.  They are her 
opinions and personal statements, not a part of canon.


>(big gap)

Why?


>3) FBAWTFT, QTA

This is a questionable entry.  Personally, I would say they occupy some 
sort of quasi-canon limbo, but I could probably be convinced either way.


>(enormous gap)
>
>4) the movies, action figures, etc :-)

Aaaargh.  Less than zero canon value.  If anything, these offer a pollution 
of canon interpretation and should be utterly disregarded.


                                                 Jim





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