Mark Evans - evans, Evans, EVANS

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 86215

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:

> Pip!Squeak:
> > 
> > Not clear to me.
> > 
> > Firstly, there is no evidence apart from a coincidence of surnames 
> > that Mark Evans is related to Harry Potter. My local phonebook has 
> > an entire large page of Evans's. It's a very common surname.
> > 
> 
> <snip>
>

 
> Geoff:
> True - try a Welsh phone book....
> 
> However, as many of have said, JKR's coincidences can often be 
> suspect. Can I just refer you back to a longish post (message 85255) 
> in which I put togather a lot of the verious bits of evidence which 
> just /could/ support the theory.
> 
> Geoff

bboy_mn:

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this (OoP) the first book in which
Lily's maiden name is mentioned? I believe someone made that statement
higher up in this thread.

And just by happenstance, the name Evans is used in reference to TWO
seemingly unrelated people. It's hard to believe that JKR could use
the same name in the critical book in which Lily's family name is
revealed, to refer to two unrelated people. Really hard to believe.

In the beginning of the book we get a casual in-passing reference to
Mark Evans-


"Another ten year old? I know you did Mark Evans two nights ago --"


So, Mark Evans is intoduce (pg 13); now let's look at the introduction
of Lily's family name 634 pages later -


--- Quote - OotP - HB Am Ed, pg 647 - 648 ---

"All right, Evans?" said James, ...

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James ...

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James...

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggle to his feet again, "you're
luck Evans was here Snivelles--"

"Apologise to Evans!" James roared at Snape...

"Evans!" James shouted after her, "Hey, EVANS!"

--- End Quotes ---


SEVEN times in a page and a half, the last three with exclaimation
points, and the very last one in ALL CAPS.

It seems to me that JKR was trying pretty hard to drill that name into
our minds; trying pretty hard, virtually screaming it at us, to make
sure we didn't miss that name.

That has to have some significants. Certainly, if there were none, she
would have used a different surname for Mark. I can't believe she was
so desperate for good names, that she had to recycle a simple name
like Evans. Certainly Smith or Jones would have worked just as well. 

If could be a Red Herring, something to distract us, but distract us
from what? That's usually how red herrings and false clues work, they
draw your attention toward something that seems significant, while at
the same time drawing your attention away from more important issues.

This doesn't seem to be that case. The only other explaination is that
JKR inserted a 'Got Ya'; something that serves no purpose at all with
regard to the story, it's simply there to screw with the heads of the
readers. That would seem to be a step out of character for the books.

The only conclusion I can reach is that this name has some
significants, and since Harry and Mark share a common ancestral name,
the inference is that they share common ancestry. I've make it clear
that is this is true, I believe it is distant ancestry.

I will admit that in general, the Evans name in Britain is probably
regarded like the name 'Smith' in the USA; it's about as generic as
you can get. But that still doesn't explain why JKR would us the name
twice in the book in which Lily's name is introduced. Certainly, as an
 author, she must know that would cause some confusion amoung the readers.

As with the real world, JKR's fictional world is very big, but our
window into her fictional world is very small, we see it through
Harry's eyes. For the name Evans to pass twice in front of that small
window without significants, seems very very unlikely.

Again, I'm convinced there is significants to Mark Evans, but also
admit, I can't quite pin that significants down.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn