[HPforGrownups] Do we need any more death cases?

[Taryn Kimel]

No: HPFGUIDX 89792

Neri:
I recently find it somewhat depressing to log into the group, what 
with all the cheerful predictions of the death of Snape, Molly, Ron 
and even Harry himself. And if you can't find a post that kills your 
favorite character, well then, we have a poll for that. This leads me 
to ask, do we really need any more death cases of major characters? 
Would this advance the plot? Would it make Harry or the reader 
realize something they don't understand yet?

I think JKR killed Cedric and Sirius because (among other reasons) 
she wanted us to feel that nobody, even Harry himself, is secure. She 
knew that until GoF we all said to ourselves: "well, this is a 
children book after all, so of course Good Will Prevail and everybody 
will live Happily Ever After", and even after GoF we said to 
ourselves: "but the main characters are safe from death, because JKR 
must not traumatize all her young readers". So she decided to 
increase the suspense and raise the stakes on us. Now that she put 
the fear of JKR into our hearts, does she really have to kill 
somebody important? If she wants to get somebody out of the game for 
plot reasons, there are ways to do it other than killing him (for 
example, Hermione petrified in CoS). Even self-sacrifice does not 
necessitate death, as we've seen from Ron's sacrifice in SS/PS.

Taryn:
Well, she doesn't HAVE to, I guess, but that's called anti-climactic, which is a total killer for a good story. We are expecting people to die because this is a war and it would hardly be an impactful one if no one died. JKR HAS put fear into our hearts, and if she doesn't make good this fear, then we have an anti-climactic storyline. What would be the point of her saying, "Okay, I just want you to know that nobody is safe, not even Harry!" and then at the end of the series saying, "Fooled you! They really are safe. No harm done!"? Would you really want to read that?

Neri:
Note that JKR usually uses magical plot devices twice. This is more 
fun than once because by the second time we are already aware of the 
device's existence and may see it coming if we are very perceptive. 
But three times would be predictive recycling. I mean, if we were now 
to discover that Crookshanks or Trevor are unauthorized animagi, we 
would say: "OK, we saw this coming a mile away. JKR must be losing 
her magic touch". But doesn't the same apply for killing a major 
character? IMHO, if there are polls in HPGU about whose going to die 
next, then this is a good indication that this specific dramatic 
device was exploited. <snip>

Taryn:
But there's a very large difference between her magical plot devices and death. The devices are introduced in one book and then pop up as a surprise the second time around (unless, as you say, one is VERY perceptive). Their second time around, they are usually present for the whole storyling if you can pick out the clues. Death is not. Sure, in book 5 we were all waiting for the one big death, but there weren't exactly solid, factual clues lying about because it wasn't going on throughout the story. The whole point is that death is a sudden, undiscriminating factor that you can't predict will happen.

Death is unique in its manner of providing motivation for all sorts of things and the fact that us knowing its coming does not lessen its value (IMO, anyway). After all, it's not a magical device JKR has invented and is milking to an extreme. It's a fact of life, ESPECIALLY during wartime, and JKR has been NOTHING if not realistic. Well. Y'know. Barring the whole magic, wizards, and witches thing. You know what I mean. ;) It doesn't necessarily HAVE to teach Harry anything because of its very sudden and ever-present nature. But I have a feeling there will be events or motivations spurred from upcoming deaths (esp. DD's).

Then again, I've ALWAYS loved death in literature. I'm a total sucker for it. Makes me bawl (when done right), but Iove a good tragedy.


Neri:
OK, I do seem to remember that JKR said in some interview that there 
will be many people dying. But I think this was before GoF, wasn't 
it? Well, since then we did have Frank Brice, Bertha, Crouch Sr., 
Crouch Jr., Cedric, Bode and Sirius (sorry if I forgot anybody). A 
respectable number for what *is* a children book. And don't get me 
wrong, I'm sure there will be many more secondary characters dying. 
This is a war, after all. But my hunch is that by the end of book 7 
all the major characters (except maybe DD) will be left standing, if 
a bit battered.

Taryn:
No, that interview was post-GoF. You can take a look here:

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/2001/1201-guardian-yates.htm

December 28, 2001. She talks about "...deaths, more deaths coming..." and refers to the infamous "at least one death that's going to be horrible to write," the obvious reference to Sirius. (And note the "at least," too.)

--Taryn

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