[HPforGrownups] The Dark Mark - You've Got Dirt Under Your Nose, by the way,

[heather the buzzard]

No: HPFGUIDX 130076

tinglinger wrote:

>I know that many of you might consider this a most
>egregious example of micro-reading, but FOUR TIMES
>in ten pages, noticed by 4 different characters, 
>and Jo's love of wordplay maakes this worthy of
>mention.
>  
>
>I wonder if Ron's smudged nose is an omen of death,
>a la the Dark Mark, or just as a symbol of being
>below ground....
>  
>

I think it's mentioned 4 times in ten pages by 4 different characters 
primarily as simply a comic device. 

Also it provides a connecting thread between the scenes and the 
characters, a common link unifying the images and sequence of events in 
the readers' minds. 

Finally, it shows very efficiently Ron's status as coming from a 'poor' 
family.

I don't think there's any greater significance to it other than as a 
literary device.  If it meant more, I would expect similar echos to have 
been made in later books.  So far as I can recall, Ron's nose has been 
clean ever since.  Hee.

Of course, not trying to invoke movie contamination here, but from hat 
we've been told JKR was quite precise as to what had to be included in 
the movies for reasons of later continuity, and Hermione DOES give her 
dirty-nose quote to Ron on the train (though the others do not).  Again, 
though, I think this functions primarily as character exposition -- Ron 
is poor and dirty, Hermione is brash and, um, not necessarily tactful.  Heh.

heather the buzzard