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

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 117781


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nrenka" <nrenka at y...> wrote:
> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Renee" <R.Vink2 at c...> wrote:
> 
> <snip> 

Renee:
> > >Can you really do this: accept those 
> > authorial comments that confirm your own judgement and 
> > interpretation but reject those that don't? 
> 
 
Nora:

>Well, this is how I tend to use her comments

<snip>
 > I take JKR's own descriptor of Snape as a 'sadistic teacher who 
> abuses his power' as a statement indicating that we are indeed 
> justified in that reading of the text and are not going to find 
out > the contrary.  [If, however, she were to state that 'Snape was 
play- acting all along, and then goes on to show it, even in a 
subtle manner--that'd be another story.]

Renee:
Actually, I don't disagree - I was merely using Alla's example, 
which happened to be Snape.   

<snip>

Nora:
> Authorial statements about character can be useful as potential 
> regulations for predictions. 

Renee:
If this is the same thing as what I called "clues" in a previous 
post, I agree. But that such statements are valuable as predictions 
doesn't automatically mean they're 100% valid as assessments of the 
text we've got so far. What JKR is trying to say isn't necessarily 
identical with what she's actually saying, though of course the 
final verdict will have to wait until after Book 7.   

Nora:
> Given her statements about such people 
> as Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge, I wouldn't put much money 
on a  subversive reading of either of those characters.  Pippin is 
really  hoping (methinks) that JKR has been exceedingly sneaky and 
careful with her statements about Lupin, to set us up for a very big 
BANG. 

Renee:
It probably won't come as a big surprise that I'm of a different 
opinion... Calling Lupin a "great man" and saying he's one of the 
characters she loves (along with HRH, DD and Hagrid), doesn't strike 
me as particularly sneaky and careful. If I don't believe in ESE!
Lupin, it's partly because I believe these statements give us a clue 
about JKR's intentions with this character, and not because I 
personally think Lupin is such a great man; so far, he's been too 
flawed to qualify.

Renee