Characters and the revelation model (Was: Re: Depth?)

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 139893

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:

> Betsy Hp:
> But the smaller the amount of "screen time" the larger the impact 
> of every scene we do get to see.  And a competent author realizes 
> this.  In fact, in that sort of situation you'd best give a hint of 
> normal before throwing in abnormal so your reader gets a heads up 
> that something is amiss.

The larger the impact of every scene--which means that a minimal 
amount of information can also cause maximal disruption.  The less 
information you give, as well, the more the reader has to fill in the 
blank on his own--and the more likely he is to make mistakes.

As well, 'normal' changes over time, from when characters are 15 to 
when they're 21 and married with kid.  Open wartime could 
change 'normal' significantly.

> No, I think JKR gave us the "normal" for the Marauders, including 
> pecking order, right up until the moment Sirius spotted Snape.  
> (Actually, I think the only "abnormal" bit of that scene was that 
> Snape was caught so unawares, but that's just IMO. <g>)

So, here's a character question for you: why have we gotten such 
wildly contradictory information about Peter?  Several characters 
denigrate his abilities and tell us that he's an incompetent, but 
I'll be damned if Peter hasn't been one of the most effective DEs 
running, in any number of ways.  Is this incompetent character 
construction, or are we (and maybe other characters) being given the 
hints that things are not quite what we think they are?

Likewise, we have some of the same contradictory information about 
other characters who we get comparatively little of in the present 
tense.  It's up to each reader to untangle the mess for himself, and 
possibly muck up grandly in the process.  Let's take James: arrogant 
obnoxious berk becomes the man who Lily marries and dies for his 
son.  Some have postulated an essential continuity of character--but 
some have argued for a dramatic and radical change in him.  JKR could 
drop either option into the mix at the moment.

Correspondingly, we could be given information that really modifies 
our view of the Marauders' friendship, and could lead to our 
perspective on it being more of a solid, lasting, and deep thing.  I 
hope I've made it clear how easily this could be done--if it's what 
she's interested in.

-Nora thinks, from a literary point of view, that it would be both 
hilarious and ballsy if Spinner's End was mostly Snape telling the 
truth