Chapter Discussion: Chapter Sixteen, Goblet of Fire: The Goblet of Fire

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 192241



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff" <geoffbannister123 at ...> wrote:
<snips excellent summary>
>
> > Questions.
> 
> 1. What do you think are the different reasons driving the boys and
> girls to want to get autographs of Krum or to get him to sit at their table?

Alla:

I would imagine they are the same for some girls and some boys though :-). I am sure some girls loved the fact that Krum is an awesome athlete in addition to the fact that he is handsome too. And some boys as well. But yeah - I would imagine these two reasons are the main one and some girls probably only cared that he is handsome and some boys only cared about his talent, but some cared for both.


 
> 2. (a) Looking at the interactions between Karkaroff and the Durmstrang
> students, give your impression of what you deduced about teacher-pupil
> attitudes and also about the general ethos of the school.

Alla:
I do remember that my main thought was that Karkaroff is a very strict headmaster and has favourites, but some students love him. I also remember thinking that Durmstrang invoked for me the echos of not just eastern european, but eastern european military like school.


> (b) Do a similar analysis of the relations between Madame Maxine and
> the Beauxbatons students. Would you consider some of these students
> to be wimps?

Alla:

This is why I love these chapter discussions, because even after so many years and so many times we discuss these books sometimes somebody comes up with new angle, with something I never thought of before. Believe it or not, I never spared a thought about Madame Maxine relationship with her students. I am not sure why - probably because nothing out of ordinary came to my mind or comes to my mind now. I mean, she seems like she cares about her students, but besides that? I am not sure. Whimps? No, why?

 
> 3. (a) When you first read this chapter, how did you feel about
> Dumbledore's outline of their testing: magical prowess; daring; deduction
> and coping with danger?

Alla:

I do not remember for sure, but I think I thought it was very fitting to what those students do and study, the testing I mean and of course it seemed fitting to Dumbledore's philosophies, but not sure if this was influenced by subsequent readings.


> (b) Again, when you first read this chapter, what were your feelings
> about the entry being a binding, magical contract?

Alla:

I KNOW this is influenced by subsequent readings, but to me now it is a silly plot device designed to keep Harry in the competition and I still do not buy that Dumbledore could not break it.


Thanks for the great questions Geoff, I will come back later to answer the rest.