The Quidditch Metaphor: The Role of Quidditch in HP

[Ali <Ali@zymurgy.org>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48226

Debbie wrote:-
 
> THE BROOMS
 
>>>There can be no getting around it: Harry has the best equipment 
money can buy. In PS/SS he gets a top-of-the-line Nimbus 2000 and 
then, when it is shattered in PoA, he gets a Firebolt, the best broom 
in the world. Most of Harry's competition is playing with inferior 
equipment. Cho, for example, rides a Comet Two Sixty, which "is going 
to look like a joke next to the Firebolt," according to Wood, and the 
description of the Ravenclaw match makes clear that Cho's broom can't 
keep up with Harry's, though Harry acknowledges her flying skills. 
The Slytherins, of course, have Nimbus 2001s, which provided them 
with a momentary advantage over Harry until he acquired the Firebolt. 
But Draco, too focused on his own glory to concentrate on the task at 
hand, cannot put his advantage to good use and cannot catch the 
Snitch even though it hovers by his own ear. The conclusion: Harry 
has the skills to win without the best equipment. (In the PoA match 
against Slytherin, where Harry needs the speed of his Firebolt to 
catch up to Draco to get the Snitch, the reason he needs the power is 
telling - he had diverted his attention from looking for the Snitch 
to defend his teammate against an onslaught of Slytherins.)<<<


I would reach the same conclusion as you. Namely that Harry has the 
best equipment, but he is nevertheless the most able player. I know 
that this does happen with sportsmen, the best players get the best 
equipment.  An example would perhaps be Formula One Racing, where the 
best teams are the ones with the best cars and the best drivers. 
There comes a point though when it's not quite clear how much we are 
marvelling over the car technology and how much we are marvelling 
over the drivers skill. 

I feel that this is also true of Harry. We *know* that Harry is a 
natural. He was the youngest player for a century, and was discovered 
when using an old school broom. Why then does JKR need to give him 
the best broom that money will buy. The Quidditch team and indeed the 
whole school seem in awe of Harry's broom, but isn't this really 
unfair competitive advantage. To me, it almost overshadows his 
natural talent. Is this JKR's idea that the opposition forget how 
good Harry actually is because they are too busy concentrating on his 
broom?

Ali

Who would just like to thank Debbie for her amazing post, and also 
admit to the fact that she does not find Formula 1 racing at all 
interesting, but it fitted with her theory.