Character Driven or Plot Driven

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 155279

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Laura Lynn Walsh <lwalsh at ...> 
wrote:
>
> >Laura Lynn Walsh <lwalsh@> wrote:

(snipped)  when I asked the same
> question of a few people who are teachers of English
> or otherwise knowledgeable about literature, they
> answered emphatically and without hesitation - plot
> driven!  I was curious to know if people who are
> more involved with the books would see them more
> as character driven, because that is what they spend
> a lot of time doing - analyzing character.  People who
> have only read them once or who have only seen the
> movies might consider them to be more plot driven.
> The movies certainly were plot driven.  In fact, that
> is what I really dislike about the movies - they sacrifice
> nearly all of the character development to concentrate
> on plot only.  However, I know this forum is not to
> discuss the movies. (snip)
> 
I think the important thing is to look at the
> characters and to understand their motives, their feelings, and
> their actions.  It seems to me that the plot is there just to 
expose
> different facets of their characters, which would make the books,
> in my mind character driven.
> 
> But I can also see that people who have not immersed themselves
> in analyzing the characters might view the plots of each book to
> be more important.
> Laura
> -- 

Leah:
I wonder how much is personal preference.  I always used to give a 
wide berth to Eng Lit questions which required you to 'compare and 
contrast the characters of X and Y', while leaping on anything that 
dealt with plot structure, imagery, underlying symbolism etc.   So 
what attracted me to the septology was its strong narrative drive, 
the possible symbols within it,(and the humour).

So it's perhaps not surprising that I find HP plot driven; perhaps 
I'm just not interested in character analysis.  Having said that, I 
think there are three main elements at work in HP, none of which is 
characterisation.  Firstly, plot. Each book embodies a mystery or 
mysteries- who is the Heir of Slytherin, what do Harry's dreams 
mean, why is Harry in the Triwizard Contest, how is he going to get 
through it etc. In most mysteries, character is subservient to plot. 
Secondly, I think there's a theme running through the books, about a 
boy coming to a world which seems like a dream come true, and slowly 
coming face to face with both its realities and its nightmares-the 
flaws running like a crack or scar through the WW.  Thirdly I see a 
spiritual/symbolic content that shapes both character and plot.

This is not to say that JKR doesn't 'do' character. She has created 
some memorable ones, not least DD, a good character who manages not 
to be pious or sanctimonious.   However, I don't think we can attach 
too much importance to characterisation.  Take the character who is 
probably the most discussed of them all- Severus Snape. I greatly 
enjoy Snape(if enjoy is the right word).  But, I think there's 
rather less to him than meets the eye.  IMO, of course, I don't 
think he is there because it was important for JKR to study a deeply 
conflicted character, but because it was essential for the plot that 
we can never be totally sure of Snape's alliegances, and important 
perhaps for the symbolism that he is a betrayer (or apparently a 
betrayer). So, for me, plot wins every time.

Leah (thinking she is probably expressing a minority view here)