JKR and a Tale of Two Stories(Re: Rowling/writer's block )

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 80832

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Wanda Sherratt" 
<wsherratt3338 at r...> wrote:<snip>
 
And I'll say more: OotP has "nervous 
> breakdown" written all over it.  I think she was in the impossible 
> situation of *having* to produce a book and feeling unable to do 
so, and this tortured hulk is the result of all that strain.  Maybe 
> she's over it, and maybe she's not.  I'll know when the next book 
> comes out - or if it DOESN'T come out, just like OotP for several 
> years.


Jen:  There is a breakdown at work, but it's not happening to JKR. 
It's happening to the WW as we know it, and as a consequence, to the 
readers.

OOTP is a different kind of story from the other four, and I don't 
think it's because JKR is slipping or because Harry is growing older 
and has a different POV. Rather, JKR is intentionally telling us two 
stories at once:  The literal plot that furthers the storyline, and 
the Pensieve story--a tremendous backstory JKR presents in a visceral 
way.

Let's enter The Pensieve during the time of the First War and see 
what we see.......

"Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get 
friendly with strange wizards or witches....terrible things 
happened."{SS 54-55}

"The terror it {Dark Mark} inspired...you have no idea, you're too 
young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering 
over your house, and knowing what your about to find 
inside...Everyone's worst fear..."{GOF 142}

"Imagine that Voldemort is powerful now. You don't know who his 
supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; 
you know he can control people so that they do terrible things 
without being able to stop...the Ministry of Magic is in disarray, 
they don't know what to do...Terror 
everywhere...panic...confusion..."{GOF 526-527}


OOTP is a jagged, bleak, confusing story because, finally, we aren't 
just hearing memories of the First War, we are FEELING what it's like 
as Voldemort rises from the *dead* back to power. 

We see and feel what it's like when the Good side is divided: Harry 
and Dumbledore are suddenly considered untrustworthy; Fudge and the 
MOM are working at cross purposes with the Order; A woman like 
Umbridge comes into power because in all the confusion and betrayl, 
no one can stop her.

Who do we believe?!? Is Dumbledore credible anymore? Are the MOM and 
Fudge evil? Where ARE the dementors BTW, and what's their next move? 
Who's going to die next and will it be at the hand of a DE, or 
someone who seemed trustworthy at one time? And please, no, I can't 
believe ESE!Lupin....!

I tried to get at why Voldemort has this effect in another post 
(80749), but went off on a tangent. There's just something more to 
Voldemort than the evil-yet-strangely inept Dark Lord we've seen so 
far. We are definitely starting to FEEL his presence. Just as Harry 
has a "power the dark Lord knows not", Voldemort has an equally 
powerful force "to spread discord and enmity" as Dumbledore said. I'd 
like to think the Good side will unify in Book 6 and start fighting 
the power, but....

Whew! Glad I got that off my mind! This is just the only way (at the 
moment) I can reconcile the tone of OOTP with the series, and also 
close the gap between the abject fear Voldemort seems to inspire in 
so many characters, and the way he's actually been portrayed so far.

Jen