halliemei
16-11-2005, 17:01
Today while discussing the meaning of a name that just passed right by in HBP (Galatea Merrythought), I decided to do some thinking. Her name is synonymous with love and obsessive love. Well, that was interesting. Even a name that I doubt is very important in the grand scheme of the series (just a feeling) relates to the central theme of this book -- LOVE -- but it doesn't end on love, but rather on sacrifice. So, I wondered if each of the books had a similar structure. Here's what I came up:
Book 1
Starts with a sacrifice -- but this is unknown to Harry, so it's simply the
starting over of the cycle.
Book about discovery -- Harry's a wizard, Harry gets a friend, Harry
belongs in a whole different world, Harry discovers good and evil isn't
what he thought
Ends with Truth -- Things are not always what they appear to be --
stuttering professor Quirrel(mort), Snape and the Stone.
Book 2
Truth must be determined -- popularity is fleeting, fame is not necessarily
real, voices and relationships aren't necessarily what they seem (voice in
the chamber, the diary), situations can be made different than reality
(i.e., Hagrid and Aragog as the monster)
Ends with Courage -- standing up and facing fear (in the chamber), doing
what's right (releasing Dobby)
Book 3
Starts with courage -- facing Aunt Marge, the "grim", Sirius Black is going
to kill him and betrayed his parents
Ends with Trust -- trusting those closest to him (i.e., Ron and Hermione),
trusting DD (re: Sirius), trusting Sirius
Book 4
Starts with Trust -- trusting DD and MEM, struggling with Ron's lack of
trust, Winky and Dobby, Harry's dreams are real
Ends with Betrayal -- by WT again, MEM is Crouch Jr, the TWT is a set up
Book 5
Betrayal of Harry -- seemingly by Ron and Hermione at first, seemingly by
DD, by Harry's own mind as the book progresses, teachers can be really
cruel and unjust, DA
Love -- saves Harry in the MoM
Book 6
Love is the central theme: obsessive love (i.e., Romilda Vane, amortentia),
unrequited love (Ron and Hermione), physical love (Won Won and Lav Lav),
sacrificial love (understood Lily's sacrifice, Bill and Fleur, Lupin and
Tonks), love of friends (Luna to the Christmas Party, Neville's
dedication), "real" love (Ginny, later Ron and Hermione)
Ends in Sacrifice -- turns away from Ginny, ???? Snape and DD???
So, if the structure continues and my theory about the sacrifice of Lily at the beginning of 1 is a cycle, then:
Book 7
Sacrifice -- by Harry (the horcrux must be destroyed), for Harry (by Ron
and/or Hermione, by Ginny?, by Snape?)
OKAY. We're set up for a new discussion. I thought this was interesting. I wonder if anyone thinks the themes of each book are different than I thought they were, or whether you think that it's not so simple.
Book 1
Starts with a sacrifice -- but this is unknown to Harry, so it's simply the
starting over of the cycle.
Book about discovery -- Harry's a wizard, Harry gets a friend, Harry
belongs in a whole different world, Harry discovers good and evil isn't
what he thought
Ends with Truth -- Things are not always what they appear to be --
stuttering professor Quirrel(mort), Snape and the Stone.
Book 2
Truth must be determined -- popularity is fleeting, fame is not necessarily
real, voices and relationships aren't necessarily what they seem (voice in
the chamber, the diary), situations can be made different than reality
(i.e., Hagrid and Aragog as the monster)
Ends with Courage -- standing up and facing fear (in the chamber), doing
what's right (releasing Dobby)
Book 3
Starts with courage -- facing Aunt Marge, the "grim", Sirius Black is going
to kill him and betrayed his parents
Ends with Trust -- trusting those closest to him (i.e., Ron and Hermione),
trusting DD (re: Sirius), trusting Sirius
Book 4
Starts with Trust -- trusting DD and MEM, struggling with Ron's lack of
trust, Winky and Dobby, Harry's dreams are real
Ends with Betrayal -- by WT again, MEM is Crouch Jr, the TWT is a set up
Book 5
Betrayal of Harry -- seemingly by Ron and Hermione at first, seemingly by
DD, by Harry's own mind as the book progresses, teachers can be really
cruel and unjust, DA
Love -- saves Harry in the MoM
Book 6
Love is the central theme: obsessive love (i.e., Romilda Vane, amortentia),
unrequited love (Ron and Hermione), physical love (Won Won and Lav Lav),
sacrificial love (understood Lily's sacrifice, Bill and Fleur, Lupin and
Tonks), love of friends (Luna to the Christmas Party, Neville's
dedication), "real" love (Ginny, later Ron and Hermione)
Ends in Sacrifice -- turns away from Ginny, ???? Snape and DD???
So, if the structure continues and my theory about the sacrifice of Lily at the beginning of 1 is a cycle, then:
Book 7
Sacrifice -- by Harry (the horcrux must be destroyed), for Harry (by Ron
and/or Hermione, by Ginny?, by Snape?)
OKAY. We're set up for a new discussion. I thought this was interesting. I wonder if anyone thinks the themes of each book are different than I thought they were, or whether you think that it's not so simple.