Suspension of disbelief - Being dependent

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 182469

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > Right. Actually, my thinking is that Voldemort should have been
> > beaten before Harry was born. Or before he was even a twinkle, for
> > that matter.
> > <snip>

> >>Lynda:
> Ok. So some person gets an idea for a story.
> <snip of story outline>
> In constructing the story, there should have been several powerful, 
> creative and inventive people who could have stepped in and stopped 
> the bad guy before he/she became powerful, but if the writer lets   
> that happen there's no story. This writer wants to write the story 
> outlined above, so goes ahead and does so.

Betsy Hp:
What I'd want is for the author to not just merely hand-wave away 
the "should have been".  The writer is trying to draw me into her 
world, to make me believe it.  So put some effort into it.  Come up 
with a reason for Voldemort to have driven the WW to its knees.  Make 
him so powerful/crafty/charming/whatever that a handful of creative 
and inventive people *couldn't* stop him.

Then set him loose upon your world.

> >>Lynda:
> There are a lot of stories written that if the writer had followed 
> the line of reasoning that bad guy A should have been stopped by    
> good guy 1 before becoming so powerful would never have been        
> written.

Betsy Hp:
Well, yes.  But good writers think up a reason for good guy 1 
failing.  JKR doesn't, IMO.

> >>Lynda:
> There have also been, most unfortunately, many real life incidents 
> where if people had paid attention bad people would have been       
> stopped before they were.

Betsy Hp:
Yes, and that would have been an excellent foundation for Voldemort's 
unstoppability.  Only...  people paid attention in JKR's world.  I 
mean, she's the one shooting her own self in the foot here.  It would 
have been quite easy to make the WW look at Voldemort as someone 
wonderful or someone to ignore and Dumbledore as a crank.  But that's 
not how she wrote Voldemort's rise.  He's pretty much terroizing from 
the get go and Dumbledore is considered wonderful and powerful and 
the last hope by everyone around him.  And that's *before* Harry was 
born.

> >>Lynda:
> So the argument that Voldie should have been stopped before Harry   
> was even born is a moot point as far as I'm concerned.

Betsy Hp:
I think if you're happy with the story, yes it's certainly moot.  But 
since I'm very much not, these are the kinds of questions I ask.

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > Yes, I was talking about Harry having that horrible moment when   
> > you realize your preconceived notions are wrong.
> > <snip>

> >>Carol responds:
> I think Harry does realize that he was wrong about a lot of people,
> or, at any rate, he changes his view of them (Luna, Neville,        
> Kreacher, Regulus, Draco, Snape), but it doesn't come to him as an
> epiphany--it's a more gradual change in perspective.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I meant more, Harry realizing that he was the ass in this scenario.  
Pretty much everyone you mention bows down at Harry's feet (sometimes 
literally, as in the case of Kreacher).  Or they're dead.  Or they're 
evil and finally realize it.  But Harry himself doesn't have to 
recognize that someone else was right where he was wrong.  Harry 
never has to rethink the way he comes at things.

> >>Carol:
> And, of course, much of DH is about coming to understand dumbledore 
> and finding the truth about him...<snip>

Betsy Hp:
Blech.  Don't I know it.  Most. Boring. Story. EVER!!  And it boiled 
down to, "Yes Harry, Dumbledore *does* love you best."  Which again, 
yawn.  And also, gag.  And furthermore, it doesn't work as 
a "learning he was wrong moment" for me since it was just Harry 
wibbling about whether or not Dumbledore loved him.  Or deserved to.  
Which, as it turned out, Dumbledore did.  Hurrah.

As to Snape...  Oh, Snape, I remember when you were cool, alas.  So 
much promise, down the drain.  Now you're dead and a nasty little toe-
rag of a child has named his stupid, whiny off-spring after you.  For 
a middle name of a middle child anyway.  Well, that's what comes from 
losing your head over a stuck up, snot of a girl.  You end up chained 
to an egocentric madman, forced to guard a child most unworthy.  
Really, death was the kindest course.  At least you avoided the 
sanctimonious ever-after.  I mean, look at the poor Malfoys.  Do they 
look happy?  Of course they don't.  Who would?  Doomed to life of 
dependency on the kindness of Gryffindors.  ::shudder::

Betsy Hp (had a bit of fun in that last paragraph...don't take it too 
seriously as it was written with giggles)