Horcrux - Plot Coupon or Plot Vehicle (was: Subverting Proph, .. Horcruxes )

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 147939

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "susanbones2003" <rkdas at ...> wrote:
> 
> Jen D. here, very much a neophyte in discussions of this depth but 
> willing to plunge in and make an idiot of myself anyway... 
> 
> From what I can gather ... the Horcruxes seem very contrived to 
> Neri, and possibly detract from the overall story because they 
> are simply plot coupons, things to be cashed in for plot movement.
> ...I see the potential ..., for horcruxes to be imbued with meaning 
> on several levels. Horcruxes tell us something about LV. Remember 
> DD telling Harry ... that (Voldemort) chooses objects for their deep 
> significance? It could be that the horcruxes, the obtaining of them 
> involves Harry's willingness to delve into the personality of LV in 
> order to understand what he'd choose or how to obtain the horcruxes. 
> ...edited...

bboyminn:

Just a few random thoughts stimulated by Jen D. I'm sort of mentally
merging McGuffins, Plot Coupons, and Horcruxes into a generalization
here. In a sense, for a good writer, the Plot Coupons never really are
important, but the journey to get them is. In a sense, the Plot
Coupons are the McGuffins that starts the Plot Ball rolling. 

The usual tale start something like this. You can keep your life
and/or your freedom and/or marry my daughter if you will perform seven
tasks; find the Golden Fleece, bring back that sacred chalice, bring
me Gladstones Staff, bring to me the Amulet of Samarkand, bring to me
the Secrets of Shambhala, bring me blah-blah-blah.... Yet when the
Hero accomplishes the task, what does he do? He hands the object over
to the King and that is that. The device itself is not significant but
the journey to retrieve it is, and the lesson learned and friends made
along the way are very important. 

Perhaps in Harry's story, the Horcruxes themselves really are not that
important. Yes, they have some significants to the story, but perhaps
what Harry learns about himself and about Voldemort, and about who his
allies are and who he can truly trust, are all very important. 

Yes, the Horcruxes themselves may be boring predictable Plot Coupons,
but they may also be the stimulus that sends us on a a wonderous
journey of discovery. And really... isn't that journey far more
important and interesting that the object that causes the journey? Are
we really more interested in Hercules handing over the Fleece to the
King, or are we more interested in Hercules harrowing fight against
the giant three-headed cyclops on his way to get the Fleece? 

Plot Coupons are standard writing fare. What distinguishes Hackney
Plot Coupons from brilliant Plot Coupons is whether they send us on a
mindly interesting but mostly predictable journey, or whether they
send us on a wonderous adventure. 

I think JKR has a enough wonderous adventures on the table to make me
think she can pull off at least one more. 

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn