Chess Theory

[iris_ft]

No: HPFGUIDX 85919

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Angel Moules 
<angelofthenorth at c...> wrote:
> I did a quick search, but couldn't see anything detailing this 
idea.
> 
> A couple of weeks ago, Lycoris posted a theory to her LJ detailing 
the 
> possible relationship between the game of Chess in PS/SS and the 
whole 
> of the books. This builds on those posts, including what I added 
to the 
> idea. I'd been playing around with the chess metaphor myself, but 
got to 
> nothing like the complexity that Lycoris manages.
>
Iris now:  Your post is wonderful, and easy to understand. Great 
work!


> The Game
> 
> The first thing that strikes me is the chilling metaphor between 
the 
> chess game and life.

Iris:
Right. And there's also a parallel between the chess game in PS/SS 
and the fourth book of the series.

 >When Harry walks into the chess room, the pieces 
> have all healed themselves, and returned to their original 
positions 
> just as if nothing has happened. If Evil is White and Good is 
Dark, it 
> shows that the war will continue as if the battle has never 
happened, as 
> the pieces are faceless - there are no details, just that one side 
has 
> to win, and then they're all back to how they were.

Now me:
Exactly. Harry defeated Voldemort when he was a baby but it didn't 
change anything in the way the WW's organisation. The result of that 
inertia is the new raise of Voldemort, that will probably be 
defeated twice but will come back again and again (he or another 
Dark Lord, the name doesn't really matter, the Beast is still the 
Beast)if nothing changes this time.
Now look at what happens in Book 4. At the end of GoF, the WW acts 
just as if nothing had happened during the last task of the 
Tournament. 
> 
> In part, it's also a metaphor for death - Harry experiences losing 
Ron, 
> and having to go on without him not knowing if he's still alive. 
In much 
> the same way Sirius' death evokes a similar response. Harry has to 
go on 
> with the game, whether he likes it or not.

Iris:
"That"s chess, says Ron in Book 1,"You've got to make some 
sacrifices!"
And we can say that the chess game in PS/SS is a metaphor of what 
happens in GoF. Harry looses temporarily Ron as a friend. The scenes 
in the graveyard are scenes of human sacrifice. Cedric is murdered, 
Wortail has to give his flesh and Harry has to give his blood.
 
> Chess can be seen as a metaphor for life - for every action there 
is an 
> equal and opposite reaction, although there will evidently be 
individual 
> perturbations.

Iris:
In GoF, it works exactly like that. One example: for Harry and 
Cedric acting loyally, there is Moody/Crouch Jr acting as a traitor.
As for the "individual perturbations", we can take the example of 
Harry'psychological suffering. By the way, does Voldemort suffer 
because of Harry's blood running through his veins? I hope so...
 
> The DEs being white is a curious thing, as white initially suggests
> purity, sterility even. But consider - the likes of Lucius seem to 
exist
> quite openly, in the light. (skip)

Iris: 
You give yourself the explanation: white suggests purity and 
sterility. Now who are the Death Eaters? They are purebloods, 
obsessed with their pure lineage. Just the kind of behaviour that 
leads to sterility (not only biological, but also cultural, 
psychological, etc). And you add in your post that the White pieces 
always play first. It's what happens in GoF: the Death Eaters play 
first, and so does Evil. At the end of the book, we realize that the 
whole action has been manipulated by Voldemort. He always 
anticipated his action, he always played first.

(Big big skip), because I don't have the time to comment what you 
write about the pieces. I 'd just want to know something. You call 
Hermione "the Rook", but JKr calls her "the Castle" in PS/SS 
(Bloomsbury paperback). Which word do chess players use more oftenly?
Thanks for your post and for the help it provides,

Amicalement,

Iris