Names and POV in the HP books

[kibakianakaya]

No: HPFGUIDX 154241

Carol <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>> The obvious answer is that the narrator's use of the names
> reflects Harry's.

Lilygale here:
Very interesting.  I never noticed the name game before.  I agree
that name usage reflects Harry's POV or feelings towards the
person.  For example, he literally knew Wormtail as the rat for
three years before meeting the man.  He's not going to call the
man "Scabbers" but he probably thinks of him as that 'dirty rat'
hence Wormtail.

Huge Snip

> Narcissa and Bellatrix are referred to their first names by the
> narrator in "Spinner's End," reflecting their own usage (and
> Snape's), as well as the unusual PoV of that chapter. Elsewhere,
> Bellatrix is referred to by both names but Narcissa is first
> "Narcissa Malfoy" and then Narcissa in "Draco's Detour"--a
> deviation, apparently, from Harry's PoV as surely he would not
> use her first name in referring to her.
> Snip

Lilygale again:
Thanks for getting me thinking about Narcissa.  We may find some
clues in the interactions between Harry and Narcissa in "Draco's
Detour".

Draco insults Hermione; Harry and Ron whip out their wands.
Narcissa tells them to put the wands away and threatens them "If
you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing
you ever do."  Again?  Harry and Ron threatened Draco, but did not
attack him.

Harry's response is interesting. He treats Narcissa as an equal
deserving of contempt, with no attempt to preserve any semblance of
respect that one might give to an (otherwise unknown) mother of a
schoolmate.   Harry (thinks he) knows that Narcissa is on the side
of evil and is going to show it.

'"Really?, said Harry, taking a step forward and gazing into the
smoothly arrogant face that, for all its pallor, still resembled her
sister's.  He was as tall as she was now.  "Going to get a few Death
Eaters to do us in, are you?"'

Notice that the narrator points out that Harry is as tall as
Narcissa.  This scene indicates to me that Harry feels like he is
growing up (he is as tall as she is) and no longer constrained to
call all adults by their titles.  The adults have to earn the
respect that goes with the title.

Harry goes on to mention Narcissa's "loser of a husband,"
strengthening the idea that the shift from Mrs. Malfoy to Narcissa
is based on his loss of respect for her, and feeling confident that
he can address her in a way that displays his contempt.

Furthermore, to call Narcissa "Malfoy" at this point would be
confusing, since Draco is there and Lucius is mentioned.  Hence,
Narcissa.