World Building And The Potterverse

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 167500

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > I had a hard time snipping this because I didn't want to mangle  
> > your idea.  And I *think* I get it.  Basically JKR *wants* us to 
> > see the holes in order to sort of jump start our thinking about   
> > why we want those holes filled in?  Or maybe allow us to write in 
> > our own reasons?
> > The issue I have with that is, IMO, encapsulated by Ken's        
> > response to my rant on Draco's hand of glory:

> >>Ken:
> > <big snip>
> > As it is we can't be sure with this author. Do we give her       
> > the benefit of the doubt, or is this just more sloppy story      
> > planning?

> >>Pippin:
> That's a good illustration of what I'm talking about <g>. The
> Hand of Glory is *not* sloppy in the same sense that  the
> number of students is. It doesn't  violate the internal logic 
> of the Potterverse.
> <snip> 
> IMO, the sense of violation comes from breaking the narrative 
> convention that says a story is a chain of connected events with
> a beginning, a middle and an end. The end of the story isn't
> logically inconsistent with the beginning, but it's narratively 
> deficient because we don't learn how the conflict between Draco
> and his father was resolved.

Betsy Hp:
Yes, I agree that it's a different sort of mistake.  But, as Ken 
points out, it's the sheer number of a variety of types of mistakes 
that have started making me a bit nervous about JKR's ability to 
steer her ship.

I get the impression that you think JKR has *chosen* to make these 
mistakes, that's it's all part of keeping alive a mystery or a brave 
aesthetic choice.  I'm having a *really* hard time keeping that sort 
of hope alive.  There are *so many* mistakes on *so many* different 
levels it starts looking less like a cunning choice and more like 
sloppiness.
 
> >>Pippin:
> In terms of the overall narrative this omission is probably no more 
> significant than the omission of how Harry recovered the Marauders 
> Map. We aren't likely going to need to understand that in order to 
> understand how Harry defeats Voldemort. 

Betsy Hp:
Well, no.  But it certainly plays havoc with our ability to 
understand Draco as a character.  There's a tension between Draco and 
his father.  It's hinted at in PS/SS, exemplified in CoS, and bungled 
in HBP (at the same time Draco is going through massive growing pains 
and re-examining his relationship with his father).  How Harry gets 
his map back is a technical issue.  How Draco got his hand of glory 
is a wasted chance to show us something.  Did his father surprise 
Draco with it for Christmas? Did his mother secretly include it in 
one of her many gift baskets?  Did Draco buy it for himself while at 
B&B's at the beginning of HBP?  Each choice brings something a bit 
different to the table.  But JKR decided to waste the opportunity.  
(Though honestly, I think it was merely a stupid continuity error on 
her part.)

> >>Pippin:
>  But there are many stories in the Potterverse with Missing 
> Middles and some of them doubtless *are* significant. How can 
> we tell which ones they are? We can only guess. Does  it 
> matter why Dumbledore trusted Snape or where Lupin spent the       
> missing twelve years between Godric's Hollow and PoA?   We don't   
> *know* -- and that simultaneously builds reader interest in solving 
> the puzzles and tempts us to presume it can't be done -- thus      
> preserving the mysteries even though millions of readers are       
> hunting for the answers and JKR has declared that all the clues are 
> there.

Betsy Hp:
Which is why I'm still holding out for DH. <g>  But I will admit I'm 
not too hopeful.  At this point I'm just hoping the main characters 
stay semi-recognizable (and the trio become a little less cruel).  I 
have a feeling most middle missing stories will remain unfinished, 
unrealized, mishandled stories.

Betsy Hp