Nagini?

[Marg McKay-Lowndes]

No: HPFGUIDX 146246

Hi
A few people have been comparing the boa constrictor of book 1 with Nagini
of later installments. It occurred to me that the differences in the way JKR
portrays the snake in book 1 compared to the snake in Books 5 and 6 (ie
Nagini) serves to highlight the darker nature of the later books. In the
first book, the treatment of the snake is of an amusing but harmless
incident because the snake is not venomous. Later, however, the appearance
of the snake has menacing overtones. The snake is a symbol of Voldemort's
cunning. Therefore, I think that even if JKR did not intentionally make the
Book 1 snake harmless, it works better this way as a narrative. Just as the
books are about Harry's journey from innocence into the heart of darkness,
the trappings around him (ie snakes) are also becoming more sinister.
 
 
Cheers
MML