Bad guys and black hats (was Re: Unreliable narrator)

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 117758


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
> > Renee:
> > Then this is where we must agree to disagree. IMO a 
(contemporary) 
> > literary text should basically speak for itself - barring 
> > explanations to readers from a different cultural environment, 
> > perhaps. If authors need to explain what they're trying to 
convey, there's something not quite right. It's a form of telling, 
instead of showing.   
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I meant to clarify it right away, but somehow forgot, sorry.
> 
> I just wanted to say that I value author's intention, when 
> character's motivations could be interpreted in several different 
> ways. In that situation, when I am kind of confused, I guess and I 
> have to choose the interpretation, I will go with author's 
> intention as I understand it.
> 
> Take Snape, for example. :o) She says that he is sadistic teacher 
> and not that I had many doubts about that quality of his, but I 
> still thought that  maybe he plays at least a little bit. When I 
> hear such quote from the author's mouth, I am fully convinced.
> 
> Again, not that text did not speak for itself, but it kinda help 
> me eliminate my doubts.
> 
> I am afraid I am not making much sense.

> Take the situation with Voldemort, for example. I have quite clear 
> opinion of him and no matter how many times Rowling says that her 
> bad guys are not conventional black hats, it won't help her case 
in > mind, unless indeed she will show it to me in the story.
> 
> So, I don't think we are that much in the disagreement.

Renee: 
One, you're making perfect sense to me, and two, we're certainly not 
diametrically opposed. 

It's not that I'm averse to all authorial comments, as the last part 
of my post regarding the use of Voldemort's name indicates; if a 
question baffles me, the author's answer would be most welcome. And 
I never meant to reject things like 

- actual information about something (middle names or eye colours)
- correcting of misconceptions and cutting off wrong speculations 
(Q: "Was Lily a Death Eater?" A:"You ought to be ashamed of 
yourself!"), 
- all kinds of clues, or even red herrings, even though I'm not 
inclined to speculate a lot  
- statements informing us that something really has no significance 
(the family name of Mark Evans)

It's only when JKR tells us what to think of certain characters and 
events and how she mean things to come across that I tend to balk 
and say: "Show, don't tell!" 

What would you have done if you hadn't considered Snape a sadistic 
teacher, or conversely, if JKR had said he's mostly play-acting? 
Would you have rejected her comment like you reject the one about 
the conventional black hats? Can you really do this: accept those 
authorial comments that confirm your own judgement and 
interpretation but reject those that don't? 

Well, maybe you can. Ultimately this would mean that JKR's opinion 
in such matters doesn't weigh to heavily with you if you feel free 
to take it or leave it - just like anyone else's. And I can't say I 
disagree with that.

Renee