[HPforGrownups] Re: Quidditch as Metaphor/Krum

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 53758

I said, regarding Viktor at the QWC:

> > 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.
> 
Petra Pan responded:

> 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.
> 
Perhaps I should have said "showcase his talents" instead of his stardom, because that much more accurately describes what I really mean.

> 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 think our views are much closer than the bandwith we've used would suggest.  I suspect most of our differences may relate to different definitions of the word *glory*.  My dictionary defines glory as "praise, honor or distinction extended by common consent."  That's not the same as being a publicity hound; it's simply obtaining recognition for one's own accomplishments.  There's plenty of evidence to suggest that Krum doesn't care for publicity away from the Quidditch pitch at all (or else he'd have asked one of those lipstick-toting sixth years to the Yule Ball).  The fact that he skulked around the back of the photo session before the first task indicates that he doesn't want recognition just for being famous, any more than Harry does.  

However, I believe he measures himself and measures success based on his own performance.  He knows what he's good at and I believe he intended to showcase those skills at the QWC.  If catching the snitch was the most important thing about playing in the QWC, then I believe he was seeking glory for himself.  There's nothing inherently wrong with that, except that Quidditch is a *team* sport.  And he put himself ahead of his team.

My interpretation of Krum's capture of the snitch:

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.

Petra Pan:
> 
> 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.
> 
I don't think it really matters whether Krum caught the Snitch before or after Lynch crashed if Krum could have held Lynch off until the Snitch escaped.  Harry's statement that Krum "wanted to end it on his own terms" because he "knew they were never going to catch up" suggests that Krum could have allowed the game to continue if he chose, but he didn't.  He gave up on his team.  That doesn't make Krum evil, but it sets him apart from Harry.  And in the war against Voldemort, that difference between Harry & Co and Voldemort will be crucial.

Debbie


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