Quidditch as Metaphor/Krum

[Petra Pan]

No: HPFGUIDX 53727

Debbie:
> 3.    The final score was 170 to 160. 
> He gave up on his team when they
> only needed to score only two more
> goals in order to put victory within
> reach.  One goal would have put a tie
> within reach.  Krum's action sealed
> the team's defeat.
 
Yours truly:
> Ah, here's where our readings diverge.  
> I don't see Krum as having given up 
> on his team at all, and he'd be 
> justified seeing that they were down 
> 160 points right before he caught 
> the Snitch.
> 
> In order for Bulgaria to win in your 
> scenario, two things have to happen: 
> (1) Krum must catch the Snitch AFTER 
> (2) Bulgaria outpace Ireland by at least 
> two goals.  And the previous action in 
> this game does not support this scenario: 
> Ireland is scoring [17] goals for every 
> goal that Bulgaria scored.

Debbie: 
> I've seen many a sporting event in
> which one team appears completely
> outmatched in the early going, until
> something happens which shakes them
> up and gets their adrenaline going,
> spurring on a stirring comeback.  The
> role of momentum and attitude in
> sporting events can be just as important
> as talent.    Krum snatched an
> opportunity from his team at a point in
> time when they were not completely out
> of the game, and whether he did it
> in order to win glory or not, that was
> the effect.  He lacked faith in
> his team, and clinched their loss.

<later in same post>

> Perhaps he did think his grab of
> the snitch preserved a measure of
> dignity for Bulgaria.  Perhaps his
> coach's treatment of him as the
> unquestioned star without whom the
> team would have gone nowhere led him
> to believe that his catching the
> snitch was the only thing that mattered.
> It just so happened that it emphasized
> his stardom and left his team in
> the dust.

I don't disagree with you on the EFFECT 
of Krum's actions.  Not even one bit.  
Ultimately, what I'm clueless about is 
how you came to the conclusion about 
Krum's MOTIVES; I am most curious to 
know what it is that you are seeing 
that I am not?

See, if Krum is not motivated by the 
desire to "emphasize his stardom," 
I find that he's less (if at all) culpable 
for leaving "his team in the dust."  
This goes back to your original post 
analyzing the role of the Seeker and a 
specific aspect of that role that calls 
for a hero-type functioning as a Seeker 
to be a team player.

Just to be clear, I agree with you about 
the importance of that aspect of the 
Seeker.  But I am still at a loss as far 
as understanding how Krum is an example 
of the self-centered publicity hound who 
contrasts with TeamPlayer!Harry.  Draco 
in CoS demonstrates your point more 
clearly, me thinketh. <g>

I am curious to know what you think of 
the other passages in GoF related to 
Krum.  Especially in those involving 
issues of fame, publicity and glory.  
See, he struck me as being anything but 
someone who's out for more fame and 
glory, which is, if I read your original 
post correctly, what you feel motivated 
Krum to fail to be a team player.

Yours truly:
> Then there's the fact that Lynch spots 
> the Snitch as Krum was taking a bludger 
> to his face.  At this point no feint is 
> going to divert Lynch and no referee is
> stopping the game.  What could Krum 
> do but to go after the Snitch despite 
> having just been injured?  Foul Lynch?  
> Can't really tell from text if it's 
> even possible for Krum to do so....

Debbie: 
> But Lynch takes himself out of the
> chase.  "[Krum] was drawing level with
> Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled
> toward the ground again . . . for
> the second time, Lynch hit the ground
> with tremendous force and was
> immediately stampeded by a horde of
> angry veela. . . . Krum, his red
> robes shining with blood from his nose,
> was rising gently into the air,
> his fist held high, a glint of gold in
> his hand."  As I read this passage, the
> snitch hovered very close to the
> ground, and Lynch crashed trying to get
> it (he may have already been suffering
> from a concussion at this point and his
> concentration might have been off).  I
> don't think Krum played dirty by fouling
> Lynch.  Instead, Krum had a clear choice
> and he chose to take the snitch rather
> than to let it go.

The accuracy of this assessment depends 
on whether Lynch crashed before or 
after Krum got his fingers around the 
Snitch.  The text does not make this 
clear.  I'd be inclined to agree with 
you that Krum had clearly made a choice 
IF Lynch crashed BEFORE the Snitch was 
caught.  We just don't know.

Petra
a
n  :)

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