What's subversive was Re: Reader response (was: Who is the adult)

[olivierfouquet2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 101088

Pippin

> 
> Which brings me to my main point. David gives me far too much 
> credit. I did not invent the ambiguities surrounding the character 
> of Remus Lupin. JKR did that. All I did was catalogue them -- 
> and suggest a possible explanation. It seems to me that in 
> Lupin's case the subversive reading is to deny that the 
> ambiguities exist or to claim that they are accidental. <veg>
> 
> The desire to see any group of characters as simply good or 
> simply evil is thwarted by the books themselves, it seems to me. 
> There is no litmus test for Voldemortism, except Voldemortism 
> itself.  Yes, it was dreadful that the Slytherins let Draco shun 
> Hermione, and  that they were willing to accept help from 
> someone whom they knew might be allied with Voldemort just to 
> get new brooms for the Quidditch team--but then JKR showed 
> that  the Gryffindors were willing to let Harry and Ron do the 
> same thing for the sake of a Firebolt. Heaven knows what they 
> would have done for seven!
> 
> It may be a subversive reading not to assume that Slytherin 
> prejudice is inherently more culpable because it is racist.  But 
> then again JKR was careful to choose qualities for the other 
> Houses that have also  been associated with campaigns  of 
> extermination against the Other. The Inquisition was carried out 
> in the name of chivalry, the Nazis tried to exterminate the 
> mentally inferior even before they went after the Jews, and the 
> original Reign of Terror was conducted in the name of liberty, 
> equality and brotherhood.
> 
> Have we been shown members of  Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or 
> Hufflepuff who might respond to  a gospel of hate? We have.  As 
> for the Chamber of Secrets, the Room of Requirement  is just as 
> scary.  Wonder what would happen if you went in there and 
> asked for a library of Dark Arts manuals and a monster that 
> would obey your commands?
> 
> Pippin

Now Olivier

Hum, I don't think you can get away with that so easily Pippin.

Lupin might be evil, he might turn out completely, relentlessly evil, I grant you that, but 
saying it is the natural non subservive way to read the HP books seems a bit too stretched. 
I would be more than willing to make my point a little clearer, but I need some more times. 
For now, I'll just restate something I already wrote: of course Lupin is ambiguous in PoA, 
the whole book is designed to prepare the shock of Lupin embracing Sirius in the Shack. 
Hence the "You heard James", hence the Sneakoscope, hence the "wary"
eyes and the "lazy" wand movement.  But once this authorial intent has been used in the 
Shack, I fail to discern ambiguity in OoP. But I'll come back to that later.

As for your historical parallels, I am not sure I'm convinced yet. Inquisition was not in the 
name of chivalry but on the contrary an attempt of the Church to seize power over 
chivalry. But I'm drifting away from topic. And for now I must go vote.

Olivier, coming back soon