Camping, ethics, structure, from 'I am about to rant....'

[dwalker696]

No: HPFGUIDX 174182

Laurel wrote: 
> Donna, I just want to say "I LOVE YOU!" Thank you so much for 
writing this.
> I have been trying to sort through the posts to find a discussion 
of the
> Trio's traveling into the woods, into the darkness, etc. I thought 
this was
> a key point of the plot. I think it's the most important part of 
the book,
> actually, and ties in very nicely with the Quest theme.

Donna blushes and replies:
Gosh Laurel, thanks! I swear, the one thing that keeps coming up when 
I discuss DH with friends is the structure of the book, and 
inevitably the camping always comes up with that. I keep thinking if 
I can get my thoughts organized well enough, I would like to start a 
thread that just discusses the book within the context of literary 
structure and form and allusions to works within similar genres. One 
thing I loved about DH was that the structure and literary blueprint 
of the book is even more complex than I had hoped for - with each 
book the writing structure has really developed, become more layered, 
even my (now) nine year old who started reading Harry in Kindergarten 
noticed that even the reading level was increasing - she commented 
something like, "each book seems more and more like what adults 
probably read, I don't mean WHAT she (JKR) is talking about, I mean 
the WAY she writes about it!" Of course, most of my thoughts on 
examples of this in the book happen when I am driving or jogging, so 
I don't jot them down, but somehow I am going to start... 

 
> Laurel:
> 
>> I feel that DH really shows JKR's growth as a writer. DH is 
definitely my
> favorite of the series.

Donna replies:
I have heard other people comment similarly to this (about JKR 
growing as a writer), but I can't help wonder that perhaps the 
increase in the complexity of the writing was intentional on JKR's 
part? The reading level seems to increase; certainly the subject 
matter matures; and the running themes seem to multiply. When 
discussing the book with my daughter, let's say we're talking about 
Harry's reaction to what he learns about DD early in DH, and I 
comment that this is a classic theme in literature, that the 
protagonist or archetypal hero has a kind of "fall from 
grace/innocence" as he realizes the pillars he looks up to aren't 
perfect/have let him down/were a facade. And she will say, "Well, I 
thought you said a major theme of the books was the choices we make 
regardless of our environment? And before that you said a major theme 
was oxymorons in characters and situations, (Hagrid and Fang are huge 
and tough looking but really big softies, LV and HP had similar 
upbringings, but both turned out very differently, Malfoy and Dudley 
who were given everything they ever needed turn out to have been 
denied the gift of generosity, etc) And before that you said a major 
theme was that youth shouldn't always unquestionably accept the rules 
and doctrines given to them by adults? And before that you said...."  
Another impression I have of DH is that it uses more literary plot 
devices and classic literary themes than any of the other books.

So, one could argue she increased the reading level and subject 
maturity to age along with young readers who started the series, 
well, when they were young. But the rest of it....is it a function of 
her writing ability growing? Is it a function of her being tuned in 
to this world she created full of literary allusions and references, 
and therefore inserting such allusions and references, everything 
from using the names of Greek mythological characters to using 
lovingly 'plagarized' plot devices, became second nature to her? Or, 
was the growth in her writing from book to book completely 
intentional from the beginning; to reflect that HRH were growing and 
maturing, and that the mystery and secrets Harry has to discover with 
each book were becoming ever layered and complex. I kind of like to 
think she may have set out writing Harry's story with the intention 
to make each book more complex and layered in structure and form than 
the last one.

Thoughts, anyone?

Donna