Black vs. White

[smokyant41]

No: HPFGUIDX 41116

Mmmm, symbolic systems. Ahhhhh. :-)

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "theresnothingtoit" <mi_shell16 at h...> 
wrote:

> However I have noticed that in some places JKR has inverted this 
basic imagery letting Black be good and White evil.
 
> I first cam to this theory when re-reading PS/SS when the giant 
chess match is taking place.  Harry and co. plays as Black and the 
opposition, the evil side, plays as white.  Why would JKR swap the 
symbolism, surely it could not just be to allow the transfigured 
pieces to play first?

Well, I think it's partially that, but also, the White side is 
technically not the 'evil' side. It's merely the opposition. 
McGonagall's chess pieces are protecting the Stone, which to me would 
indicate that they're acting on the side of the good guys (making 
their white coloration appropriate.) It's definitely a bad thing that 
the white queen nearly kills Ron, but he *did* set himself up for it, 
recognizing that chess requires sacrifice to win. To our eyes, the 
chess set is 'evil' (used advisedly) because it opposes the heroes as 
they try to fight their way to the Stone, but this is what the chess 
set is *supposed* to do. It's purposely antagonistic, not evil.

Unless, of course, you accept the evil Minerva theory :-)
 
> Add it all up and I am not sure what you get.  Perhaps JKR has not 
> inverted the symbolism and Sirius and Hargrid will turn out to be 
> Ever So Evil and Draco and Dudley will be redeemed.

I think it's important to put in a word of caution when dealing with 
symbols and symbolic structures -- it's possible to read *anything* 
into anything and make anything into a symbol, but remember Freud's 
tenet: 'Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.' I think the examples that 
you pulled are interesting, and definitely worth some thought (as are 
the ones you picked to disprove your theory), but I don't really see 
any specific color symbol system, inverted or otherwise, shaping up 
in the books.

But then, I should read them again. And pull out 'A Dictionary of 
Symbols.'

HF.