Literary value and fan interaction - please help with my research!

[thinmanjones1983]

No: HPFGUIDX 162790

Pippin:
> There are lists of changes and corrections at the Harry Potter Lexicon
for
> all the books. Here's a link to the one for CoS
> http://www.hp-lexicon.org/about/books/cs/changes_cs.html
>

klotjohan:
That may come in handy, thanks!

> Pippin:
> > > Luna and Tonks remind me of stock fan fiction characters, but
> > > Rowling has doubtless read a lot of amateur fiction as part of her
> > > teaching career and so their inspiration may date to long before
> > > Rowling developed a fandom of her own.
> > >
> >
> > klotjohan:
> > In what way do they remind you of fan fiction? I'm not too familiar
with
> > it I'm afraid.
>
> Pippin:
> Nymphadora's grandiose name, unusual magical talent, strangely
> colored hair, physical awkwardness and romantic interest in an
established
> character are  typical of the sort of original characters  created
> by beginning fan fiction writers (in the world of fan fiction they are
> derisively labelled "Mary Sues.")
>
> Luna, initially disdained, socially awkward and seemingly in a
> world of her own,  is another variation on the type.
>

klotjohan:
OK, interesting stuff. I'm wary to dive into the expansive subject of
fan fiction.

> >
> > klotjohan:
> > <snip>  I'd like to hear what you think about the
> > "conventionality" and adherence to a pattern of the first books in
the
> > series. I agree that the expected can be soothing to the mind, but
as
> > you say it can be detrimantal as well. Did you experience any
difference
> > in this respect between the books, and if so was it a positive or
> > negative change?
>
> Pippin:
> I started reading the series just after Prisoner of Azkaban came out
> in paperback. I had gathered enough from skimming various
> reviews to know that there was something fascinating about this
> Snape person <g> and as I read the first book I was puzzled by
> all this interest in what seemed  to be a very ordinary
> children's book villain. Of course I was floored by the ending.
>
> Now it seems she's turned Snape back into a conventional
> villain after all. But I don't believe it...<g>

klotjohan:
Neither do I, Rowling seems too fond of twists and turns for it to be so
simple.


>  One thing I noticed is the way that Rowling treats female characters.
> It seems that the women in the first few books are stuck in
> conventional roles. However, if you pay attention to the details, the
> first four books refer to female textbook authors, business owners,
dark
> magic fighters (the witch who banished the Bandon banshee),
> professional Quidditch players, Ministry officials and headmistresses,
> and of course the villainess later identified as Bellatrix Lestrange.
> Wizarding society is actually well-diversified.
>
> People also said that she depicts all marriages as conventionally
> happy, and all women as good mothers, but we hear about
> Hagrid's mother who abandoned him, and the failed marriages
> of Hagrid's parents and Tom Riddle's.
>
> It seemed to me that JKR was deliberately setting people up to
> underestimate the role of women in magical society as a sort
> of consciousness raising exercise. For example, you have to
> read the description of the World Cup game very carefully to
> find out that two of the Irish chasers are female.
>
> She likes to lead us into making judgements based on
> our expectations and then show us that we were wrong.
>
> Pippin
>

klotjohan:
Very nice reflections on the gender "problem". One can of course turn
the text inside out looking for conventions and stereotypes, but it
seems Rowling has tried her best to strike a balance between realism,
entertainment and political correctness (for lack of a better term). As
you point out, there are several indications that she was successful in
this.

Klotjohan