HP Analysis Part the Second
Jul. 26th, 2007 02:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grammargirlOkay, first of all, today I found myself not just reading fanfic, not just enjoying fanfic, but actually tearing up over fanfic and it is all ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thunderemerald's fault. (If you're curious, this is what I was reading [HP7 spoilers like woah]. It is beautiful and sad and so much better than the epilogue we were given.) I'm sort of irritated, actually, to learn that there is actually brilliantly written fic out there, and not just borderline pornographic wish fulfillment written by oversexed adolescents who wouldn't know a semicolon if it hit them upside the head, because now I might actually have to read it, and thus hand in my I'm A Fan, But The Sane Kind card forever.
ANYWAY.
The rest of my HP7 analysis, as promised.
Kreacher: plays important role involving Regulus and the locket horcrux
...aaaaand, check. I thought Kreacher's transformation from Totally Batshit Crazy Elf to Suck-up Iron Chef Elf was a wee bit unbelievable in its abruptness, but I really liked that Hermione's S.P.E.W. crusade and Dumbledore's observation about the importance of showing mercy to enemies both came full circle. And Kreacher rallying the Hogwarts house elves into a crack team of Ankle Biters for the Good Guys was a master stroke.
Ron and Hermione: make red-haired, bucktoothed babies, or at least make out a lot.
Right again (though who the hell names a kid Hugo? Particularly when they could have named the kid, oh, say, FRED. All of Harry's kids are walking memorials; where's the Weasley love? It's not like they could have come up with a name to pair with Fred that was more awkward than Albus Severus. But I digress.), but I have to say I got to the end of this book wondering what, exactly, Hermione sees in Ron. I'm not sure why it took me seven books to figure this out, but Ron is a spectacularly annoying character. He's boorish; he's incredibly insensitive; he lacks Hermione's smarts, Harry's bravery, and his brothers' wit. About all he's got going for him is loyalty, and even that falls by the wayside when Hypoglycemic Horcruxed Ron takes over. So... I don't know, man. Someone explain to me Ron's appeal, please. I do have to give Rowling credit, though: the makeout scene in front of the Room of Requirement when Harry's all, "Um, could this maybe wait until we're done saving the world?" is pretty much the best thing ever.
Tonks and Lupin: make pink-haired, wolfish babies, or at least make out a lot.
Poor Teddy. I get that Rowling made him an orphan to parallel Harry's history, except Teddy gets to grow up surrounded by people who love him (again with the cycles and symmetry). But still. Poor kid. I know a lot of people have been upset that Tonks and Lupin died in such a random, unexplained way, but I absolutely agree with whoever it was who pointed out that this is war, and in war people die for no damn reason, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time or for hesitating for a fraction of a second too long. Lupin and Tonks die pointlessly, without poetry or justice or vengeance, and their deaths are all the more tragic for it. Even worse--and correct me if I'm wrong, here, because I read the book really fast and my chronology may be off--Harry doesn't get a chance to grieve or even really react when he sees the bodies, because he still has to focus on his upcoming confrontation with Voldemort. But still: they live on in Teddy, who will get to grow up in a world without fear, raised by his loving adopted family, and they died fighting. That's something.
Harry and Ginny: will get over Harry's noble Spiderman complex long enough to make out a lot, but then I can't decide if they make red-haired, green-eyed babies or if Ginny dies heroically
Okay, I've seen whinging from scattered people about the sexual politics of the series in general, and DH in particular, and for the most part I think they're full of shit--I point to Hermione, McGonagall, Bellatrix, Luna, half the Gryffindor Quidditch team, etc.--but in the case of Ginny (and, to a lesser extent, Tonks), I can actually see their point. She kicks fucking ass in OotP, becomes a great Quidditch player in HBP, she's fierce and brave and totally her own person... and then, as soon as she and Harry pair off, she gets relegated to background love interest. Even most of the fight with the Death Eaters at Hogwarts, in which she helps defend the castle, happens off screen. And then we get to the Big Climactic Hogwarts Scene in DH and all of a sudden she's too young and fragile and precious to fight? WTF. And off she goes (against her will) to the Room of Requirement to stayout of the way safe because we must protect the Future Baby Mama! Meanwhile, little Colin Creevey goes down fighting. Grr. And that is my Ginny Rant.
Hogwarts: will remain open long enough for Hermione to be head girl and for the Big Three to collect Ginny, Neville, and Luna
Well, I guess I was, uh, sort of right about this? I was surprised at how strange and uncomfortable it felt when Rowling took away the familiar rhythm of the Hogwarts school year. Hogwarts, to me, is almost its own character in the series, and to take that away until the end seemed somehow unnatural. That being said, I loved the entire Battle of Hogwarts scene--McGonagall herding the desks, Neville and Sprout fighting back with the Mighty Power of Plants, Trelawny braining Greyback with her crystal ball (as someone else said: finally, that thing came in handy for something!), "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH," the Fighting House Elf Brigade, all of it. I also really wish we'd gotten to see more of what happened at Hogwarts in the Big Three's absence. I want to see Neville and Ginny and Luna recruiting for Dumbedore's army, using Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to wreak havoc against the Death Eater professors, and generally being badass--a gap that I'm mildly embarrassed to admit I'll probably be filling with fanfic, now that I know there's good stuff out there.
Voldemort: dramatically and unequivocally defeated
Okay, the weird bassackward logic of wand lore aside, I'm really glad that, ultimately, defeats himself. Harry gives Voldemort a choice--to allow himself to feel remorse, to become whole again--and the choice he makes renders him entirely responsible for his own fate. It also makes me happy that Harry triumphs using his trademark spell, expelliarmus, despite the fact that he'd been told again and again that in war, you can't show mercy. But it's his choice, once again, to preserve life rather than destroy it, that finally ends Voldemort. Harry walks away from the confrontation completely innocent; Voldemort is vanquished without Harry becoming a murderer. I do, for the record, think the whole convoluted Elder Wand plot is unnecessarily confusing and kind of pointless. But whatever. LOVE CONQUERS ALL!
...aaaand, I'm spent.
thunderemerald's fault. (If you're curious, this is what I was reading [HP7 spoilers like woah]. It is beautiful and sad and so much better than the epilogue we were given.) I'm sort of irritated, actually, to learn that there is actually brilliantly written fic out there, and not just borderline pornographic wish fulfillment written by oversexed adolescents who wouldn't know a semicolon if it hit them upside the head, because now I might actually have to read it, and thus hand in my I'm A Fan, But The Sane Kind card forever.ANYWAY.
The rest of my HP7 analysis, as promised.
Kreacher: plays important role involving Regulus and the locket horcrux
...aaaaand, check. I thought Kreacher's transformation from Totally Batshit Crazy Elf to Suck-up Iron Chef Elf was a wee bit unbelievable in its abruptness, but I really liked that Hermione's S.P.E.W. crusade and Dumbledore's observation about the importance of showing mercy to enemies both came full circle. And Kreacher rallying the Hogwarts house elves into a crack team of Ankle Biters for the Good Guys was a master stroke.
Ron and Hermione: make red-haired, bucktoothed babies, or at least make out a lot.
Right again (though who the hell names a kid Hugo? Particularly when they could have named the kid, oh, say, FRED. All of Harry's kids are walking memorials; where's the Weasley love? It's not like they could have come up with a name to pair with Fred that was more awkward than Albus Severus. But I digress.), but I have to say I got to the end of this book wondering what, exactly, Hermione sees in Ron. I'm not sure why it took me seven books to figure this out, but Ron is a spectacularly annoying character. He's boorish; he's incredibly insensitive; he lacks Hermione's smarts, Harry's bravery, and his brothers' wit. About all he's got going for him is loyalty, and even that falls by the wayside when Hypoglycemic Horcruxed Ron takes over. So... I don't know, man. Someone explain to me Ron's appeal, please. I do have to give Rowling credit, though: the makeout scene in front of the Room of Requirement when Harry's all, "Um, could this maybe wait until we're done saving the world?" is pretty much the best thing ever.
Tonks and Lupin: make pink-haired, wolfish babies, or at least make out a lot.
Poor Teddy. I get that Rowling made him an orphan to parallel Harry's history, except Teddy gets to grow up surrounded by people who love him (again with the cycles and symmetry). But still. Poor kid. I know a lot of people have been upset that Tonks and Lupin died in such a random, unexplained way, but I absolutely agree with whoever it was who pointed out that this is war, and in war people die for no damn reason, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time or for hesitating for a fraction of a second too long. Lupin and Tonks die pointlessly, without poetry or justice or vengeance, and their deaths are all the more tragic for it. Even worse--and correct me if I'm wrong, here, because I read the book really fast and my chronology may be off--Harry doesn't get a chance to grieve or even really react when he sees the bodies, because he still has to focus on his upcoming confrontation with Voldemort. But still: they live on in Teddy, who will get to grow up in a world without fear, raised by his loving adopted family, and they died fighting. That's something.
Harry and Ginny: will get over Harry's noble Spiderman complex long enough to make out a lot, but then I can't decide if they make red-haired, green-eyed babies or if Ginny dies heroically
Okay, I've seen whinging from scattered people about the sexual politics of the series in general, and DH in particular, and for the most part I think they're full of shit--I point to Hermione, McGonagall, Bellatrix, Luna, half the Gryffindor Quidditch team, etc.--but in the case of Ginny (and, to a lesser extent, Tonks), I can actually see their point. She kicks fucking ass in OotP, becomes a great Quidditch player in HBP, she's fierce and brave and totally her own person... and then, as soon as she and Harry pair off, she gets relegated to background love interest. Even most of the fight with the Death Eaters at Hogwarts, in which she helps defend the castle, happens off screen. And then we get to the Big Climactic Hogwarts Scene in DH and all of a sudden she's too young and fragile and precious to fight? WTF. And off she goes (against her will) to the Room of Requirement to stay
Hogwarts: will remain open long enough for Hermione to be head girl and for the Big Three to collect Ginny, Neville, and Luna
Well, I guess I was, uh, sort of right about this? I was surprised at how strange and uncomfortable it felt when Rowling took away the familiar rhythm of the Hogwarts school year. Hogwarts, to me, is almost its own character in the series, and to take that away until the end seemed somehow unnatural. That being said, I loved the entire Battle of Hogwarts scene--McGonagall herding the desks, Neville and Sprout fighting back with the Mighty Power of Plants, Trelawny braining Greyback with her crystal ball (as someone else said: finally, that thing came in handy for something!), "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH," the Fighting House Elf Brigade, all of it. I also really wish we'd gotten to see more of what happened at Hogwarts in the Big Three's absence. I want to see Neville and Ginny and Luna recruiting for Dumbedore's army, using Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to wreak havoc against the Death Eater professors, and generally being badass--a gap that I'm mildly embarrassed to admit I'll probably be filling with fanfic, now that I know there's good stuff out there.
Voldemort: dramatically and unequivocally defeated
Okay, the weird bassackward logic of wand lore aside, I'm really glad that, ultimately, defeats himself. Harry gives Voldemort a choice--to allow himself to feel remorse, to become whole again--and the choice he makes renders him entirely responsible for his own fate. It also makes me happy that Harry triumphs using his trademark spell, expelliarmus, despite the fact that he'd been told again and again that in war, you can't show mercy. But it's his choice, once again, to preserve life rather than destroy it, that finally ends Voldemort. Harry walks away from the confrontation completely innocent; Voldemort is vanquished without Harry becoming a murderer. I do, for the record, think the whole convoluted Elder Wand plot is unnecessarily confusing and kind of pointless. But whatever. LOVE CONQUERS ALL!
...aaaand, I'm spent.
