JKR and the Problem or Three (was Re: Cultural standards ...)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 144435

Orna wrote:
>
<SNIP>
> But I think that's what JKR forces us to meet, a person with near 
> abusive qualities, and certainly one who hurts continuously 
persons 
> on their most vulnerable spots which might act heroically in the 
> good side. 

Lupinlore:
You have a much greater belief in JKR's "master plan" than I do.  I 
think that JKR is actually much more straightforward than many fans 
want her to be -- as Nora has pointed out, there are several tons of 
poleaxed shippers out there as evidence.  I suspect all the 
speculation and hypothesizing we do about JKR's subtle messages and 
subtexts is mostly building castles in the air.  In the end, I think 
the "messages" of the story will be pretty blindingly obvious, and 
the crafty subtext messages will pretty much evaporate.  Having said 
that, I do think JKR, bless her heart, sometimes lets things get 
away from her and ends up sending messages or setting up themes she 
did not at all intend -- Dumbledore's speech at the end of OOTP 
being one great example.  I suspect JKR is a fine example of 
the "problem of three" -- i.e. what I hear myself say, what I 
actually say, and what my audience hears me say are three different 
things and sometimes have stunningly little in common. She knows her 
characters so well, and has such a clear vision of what she wants to 
say, that it often doesn't occur to her that WE don't know her 
characters as well as she does, and I think she is often blindsided 
by the things her readers find "clearly" spelled out or implied in 
her story, or by the fact that things she thinks are incredibly 
clear are hazy and uncertain at best to fans.  To a certain extent 
that can be amusing, of course.  But it can also be very 
troublesome, and I think the troublesome aspect of it has risen to 
bite her, and her readers, more than once.

Orna:
I suggest that that's 
> the reason why IMO many DDM!Snape-fans think he won't survive book 
> 7. Since it doesn't feel in his character to change that far,  and 
> since morally it's difficult to have him there without some true 
> form of reconciliation – he will die, and thereby enablimg 
> compassion and forgiveness towards him. 
> 

Lupinlore:
That would be one easy way of dealing with it, I suppose.  But that 
sets up the problem of how you deal with a Dead but Unrepentant!
Snape, which in some ways is a much thornier question than how to 
deal with a Snape who is alive and still has possibilities for 
reconciliation.  I understand that you feel this may be a challenge 
JKR intends for her readers, but I just don't see it coming down to 
that.  Frankly, I just don't think JKR is that crafty or subtle.  
She has a definite preference for polishing things off pretty neatly 
where major characters are concerned -- the possible exception to 
that being Sirius Black, and although I'm certain he's gone for good 
and we won't see him again in the flesh, I'm not sure we are 
altogether through with "processing" over his character.  I am sure, 
as JKR herself has said it, that we are not through with the arcs of 
either Dumbledore or Umbridge, so I don't think they stand out as 
counterevidence to the general trend.


Lupinlore