HP: Mystery or Adventure?

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 117893



The words "mystery" and "adventure" are often used to characterize 
the HP saga.  However, these two kinds of stories have quite 
different characteristics.  I wonder if much of the argument over HP 
in fan circles has to do with whether one approaches it more as a 
mystery or more as an adventure?

In a "mystery" one expects the author to operate more or less within 
a rather strict set of rules.  Most of these rules really arise from 
one basic premise: the ultimate meanings of plot and character can't 
be presented without elaborate clues and foreshadowing.  In the most 
archetypal cases, no "solutions" should be presented that the reader 
could not have "deduced" for him- or herself, given the clues 
provided. M. Night Shymalan's "The Sixth Sense" is a very good 
example of a mystery constructed according to the strictest of 
rules.  Even if you don't deduce the ultimate "pay-off," after it is 
revealed you have to admit it was all there, laid out in front of you 
if you had only put everything together the correct way.

In and "adventure," however, the rules are a lot less stringent.  
The "pay-off" in an adventure story arises from a hero or group of 
heroes surmounting a set of obstacles toward some goal.  There really 
isn't any requirement that everything be deducible in advance, or 
even that everything be foreshadowed.  True, it is considered dirty 
pool if the author does something too outrageous, such as having a 
critical character we've never heard of before drop in during the 
last ten pages of the book, but by and large one should expect the 
unexpected and cut the author a great deal of slack for throwing 
curve balls.

Now, all sorts of middle ground exists between these two types of 
stories.  I'm just suggesting things change depending on whether you 
regard HP as *more* mystery or *more* adventure.

A lot of the developments in the HP saga look very different 
depending on whether one approaches the books as mysteries or as 
adventures.  To choose an example Kneasy often talks about, the 
various seeming contradictions and puzzles surrounding Lupin might be 
significant indeed in a mystery.  However, in an adventure story they 
would likely signify nothing much except that the author doesn't 
think those issues are important for advancing the plot.  
Dumbledore's behavior at various points might be extremely 
portentious if one thinks we are dealing mostly with a mystery.  
However, if the point is largely adventure his behavior is simply 
what is necessary to set up the challenge Harry and his friends have 
to overcome.  Snape and the riddles surrounding him might be an 
intricate part of an overall mystery plot, or they might simply 
represent one challenge Harry must overcome in his adventures.  
People who approached HP as a mystery were deeply disappointed with 
the "obvious" nature of the prophecy.  People who see it mostly as an 
adventure might simply accept the prophecy as a Maguffin needed to 
propel the plot of OOTP along.  The development of "ancillary" 
characters such as Ron might be highly important for the pay off of a 
mystery, but in an adventure might just represent various curve balls 
thrown along the adventure road. For those people who favor mystery 
the MWPP generation is a possible source of clues.  For those who see 
things in terms of adventure MWPP is just interesting backstory for 
the action.  If HP is more mystery it is about unlocking deep secrets 
having to do with Harry and the nature of his relationship with 
others, including his enemies.  If HP is more adventure then it is a 
story about reaching the goal of defeating an evil wizard.

Personally, I think HP moves between mystery and adventure.  However, 
it is likely that there are times when we think JKR is writing 
adventure that she is engaged in crafting a mystery, and also many 
times when we are sure we are dealing with a mystery of great import 
when in fact JKR is giving us an adventure story.  Thus arise a good 
many of our confusions and disappointments.  And thus arise a good 
many of our criticisms of JKR, that is we often feel she has played 
dirty with mysteries when she was writing adventure, and we often 
expect because she was doing one thing in a particular circumstance 
she will do it in another (i.e. if x is important why isn't y?).

Just some thoughts.


Lupinlore.