OoTP book covers & interpretations

[siriuskase]

No: HPFGUIDX 54074

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Alex" <aesob at y...> wrote:
> I'll try to keep this at least _mostly_ related to canon, but as a
graphic designer 
> who has plenty of art direction experience, that may slip out, so
I'll apologize 
> in advance.
> 
> First of all, I love the American cover much more than the UK ones,
if for no 
> other reason that it gives us something to discuss! What can be said
about a 
> phoenix rising from flames?

Exactly, I was disappointed in the UK covers - nothing to talk about,
we already knew there was a Phoenix
> 
> The first thing I find interesting in the American cover is its
blueness. Even the 
> flames of the candles are in blue tones, and the light they're
producing is blue. 
> This either means that they are bewitched to give off a blue light
(which is 
> possible since they're obviously magically floating) and the blue is an 
> indication of something. My take: the blue has something to do with
ghosts. 
> JKR has said we will learn more about why people become ghosts, and 
> though I don't think Harry is a ghost here (as one other poster
suggested), the 
> bluish light certainly lends a ghostly quality, so ghosts might very
well figure 
> largely in the storyline. Also, look at the way "and the Order of
the Phoenix" is 
> written: it has a ghostly, ethereal, almost translucent look, and
the dotted part 
> of the 'i' trails just like the candles.

Yes, the color scheme reminds me of the candles leading the way to the
deathday party, they were cool, bluish, and creepy.
> 
e reflections of the nearest flames. I see no nose or body parts. 

This brings 
> up a point that I don't think anyone else has made: wherever he is,
Harry is 
> definitely alone. This could be important to the plot. Usually he
always has 
> Ron or Hermione with him, so what is he doing alone?

This isn't surprising, if this is the climaz of the book, he would be
alone with bad guys or completely alone.  That's the way it always has
been.  In SS, alone with Q, in CS, alone with TR and Ginny who is
unconscious so in a sense, not there.  Then, in PoA, all the good guys
are unconscious and in GoF, he's in a crowd of deatheaters.  No
friends.  So the fact that he is alone on the cover may be a clue that
this is the climatic scene.
> 
> This could mean another important plot development. As Harry
matures, and 
> the world gets messier and divides into good and evil (hmmm, sounds
like 
> current affairs) he's going to have to make some tough personal
decisions, 
> and he won't always have his friends to rely on. It's part of
growing up and 
> becoming a man. Our little boy is certainly growing up!

Yep, he looks like the same kid, only older
> 
> > bboy_mn:
> > >The room does have a hazy dream-like quality that could be the 
> > >mirror reflection that others talked about or as I suggested, a 
> > >dream. The fact that the light trails from the candle flames point 
> > >in the opposite direction on the other side of the room does 
> > >strongly imply circular movement. It could be that the candles are 
> > >swirling around him.
> 
> I  don't think it's a dream unless a dream plays a very important
role in the plot. 
> GrandPre, having read the entire book, and having chosen this scene to 
> illustrate for the cover, leads me to believe that whatever we're
seeing is a 
> pivotal part of the story, probably real-life. It doesn't appear to
be an amalgam 
> of the story, as was the case in PoA, as we're only seeing one thing.

Dreams were important in GoF, but the climatic moment was never a
dream, that would be new and different.  However, the cover of GoF
comes straight from Harry's imagination, it is the happy thought he
imagined when he needed to deal with the dementer in the maze.  It
shows the three other champions alive but disappointed.  It wasn't an
amalgam either.
> 
> I do agree that the candles are swirling. The trails close to Harry
fall to the left, 
> but the smaller candles on the other side of the room fall to the
right. 
> (particularly look closely at the candles near Harry's wand, where
one even 
> appears to have a motion trail).
> 
> I think the room is circular. The ceiling is too curved for it to be
just a matter of 
> perspective. This also lends credence to the swirling idea...this
would be 
> easier in a curved room. The question is why have a room with swirling 
> candles? It must be plot related!

Reminds me of the Wizard of Oz, wasn't a whirling vortex important in
that story?  Rowling has previously alluded to other stories.

> 
> I am even more intrigued thinking about what is on the back cover
and the 
> spine (which is going to be pretty wide). Are we going to see down
one of the 
> doorways? Maybe there will be something down there. The artwork has to 
> continue for some extent to the left, so what's down there?!

We can only wait.  The room appears to be the top room of a tower,
Harry has just entered it, he glances bock at the door slaming shut
behind him.  It is a tall candle listweird room with a swirling vortex
that may carry him up to the top if he isn't careful.  There are some
open doors, but it is dark out there.  He may not be able to see
anything to base his choice on.
> 
> > bboy_mn:
> > >Maybe it's a situation like that, choose the right door and save 
> > >your friend; chooose the wrong door and be prepared to save your 
> > >own life.
> 
> This is a distinct possibility, but I think it's much more broad
than that. JKR has 
> made mention that an important theme of the series is about the
choices that 
> characters make, and I think that it is one of the most important
lessons that 
> we can learn from Harry in the series, that the choices we all make
have 
> immense consequences on our lives. Each door could represent a choice 
> (literally or metaphorically).

Very remnicens of the Tiger and the Lady (where the hero must choose
between 2 doors) or was that "Let's make a Deal!" (a favorite show of
mine when I was very young)  In both the old story and the TV show,
the person has absolutely no information about what's behind the
doors.  That makes decision making simple but very stressful.
> 
> Harry does not always make the perfect choice, and he does sometimes
fly 
> straight in the face of rules (which is why a lot of "christians"
seem to have 
> problems with the series), but he's a kid, growing and learning, and
his 
> choices always result in him doing the "good" thing. Harry may not have 
> respect for rules, but his motivation is always to further the good
side.

But he judges by his own standards, not his community, parent, church,
or school.  He wants to do the right thing, but he insists on also
thinking for himself without regard to what someone else might want
him to do.  Do you see how that can be a problem?
> 
> Another odd thing I notice is the reflection of the candles in the
doors (or we're 
> seeing candles through the doors), as though they have glass in
them. This is 
> odd, as it leads me to believe that Harry can see into the doorways
and make 
> an informed decision about which door to choose.

Oh, maybe he can.  That would be better, being forced to make an
uninformed decision doesn't demonstrate much about a person's
character.  Or he could make no decision, just stand there in the
swirling breeze, but that doesn't seem much like Harry.  Given a
choice, he prefers to do something rather than just stand there.
> 
> Also, as an aside, I don't think Harry looks at all like Dan
Radcliffe...it looks 
> like a rapidly maturing version of the same boy we saw on the GoF
cover. He 
> is thinner, and obviously growing taller and more wiry. At age 15,
boys are at 
> their most awkward...growing rapidly upward but not filling in yet
(unless 
> you're shaped like Crabbe and Goyle).

I agree, this is the same kid from GoF's cover, just older.
> 
> ~~aesob

sirius kase