Thinking, Over-Thinking and the Ties that Bind
I am all for anything that makes youth really sit down and [i]think[/i] about something, so when the new books release and analysis abounds on the forums, I'm usually thrilled. Lately, and possibly just because I wasn't around for the OOTP release, I've noticed a trend, namely picking ut the wrong things and taking them to the moon.
For instance - in the US edition of the book, Dumbledore makes a comment to the effect of "Draco, they can't kill you if you're already dead." Now, without context clues, it's easy to think that that's a little menacing, but if you take in the next sentance the meaning is clear and in no need of analysis. "We can protect you, Draco. We can send someone for your mother. We can hide you more completely than you ever imagined." Mind, those are not exact quotes but that's the general jist of things.
To jump to the conclusion, for those sentances, that Draco is already dead is a bit batty. A bit like the witness protection program, the mob, or the FBI, Dumbledore is offering to hide Draco and to make it look like he is dead or has disappeared. In exchange for Draco's sharing information with the Order.
Why JKR included this is unknwon but I suspect she wanted to show Dumbledore's trusting, merciful side once more before he died. Draco had been overtly trying to kill him all year and, in his mercy, trust, and complete lack of faith in Draco, he siad nothing to spare the boy. Now that the time for himi to do the deed is upon him, he's certain in Draco's 'true heart' he's not a murderer or a true follower of Voldemort and willing to save him.
Throughout the book, his mercy and trusting nature have been hammered as his greatest weakness and, in this situation, it killed him. He imobilized Harry to keep him from a. attacking Draco while Dumbledore was bargenning with him and b. to prevent him from moving and calling attention to himself, thereby risking his life.
To be honest, so far as I can tell, that's the sole intention of the sentance but many are seizing and taking it to a rather strange place :)
Now, if you'll go back to GOF for a moment, to the scene in Moody's office when he discusses the Secrecy Sensors and the fact that they can't function properly in the school around so many people. Very few took that up with the numorous other clues run to the conclusion that 'Moody' wasn't really himself.
It isn't the scenes that seem big that contain pivitol plot information, its the scenes that seem inconsequential that make the biggest impact on plot development.
For instance - in the US edition of the book, Dumbledore makes a comment to the effect of "Draco, they can't kill you if you're already dead." Now, without context clues, it's easy to think that that's a little menacing, but if you take in the next sentance the meaning is clear and in no need of analysis. "We can protect you, Draco. We can send someone for your mother. We can hide you more completely than you ever imagined." Mind, those are not exact quotes but that's the general jist of things.
To jump to the conclusion, for those sentances, that Draco is already dead is a bit batty. A bit like the witness protection program, the mob, or the FBI, Dumbledore is offering to hide Draco and to make it look like he is dead or has disappeared. In exchange for Draco's sharing information with the Order.
Why JKR included this is unknwon but I suspect she wanted to show Dumbledore's trusting, merciful side once more before he died. Draco had been overtly trying to kill him all year and, in his mercy, trust, and complete lack of faith in Draco, he siad nothing to spare the boy. Now that the time for himi to do the deed is upon him, he's certain in Draco's 'true heart' he's not a murderer or a true follower of Voldemort and willing to save him.
Throughout the book, his mercy and trusting nature have been hammered as his greatest weakness and, in this situation, it killed him. He imobilized Harry to keep him from a. attacking Draco while Dumbledore was bargenning with him and b. to prevent him from moving and calling attention to himself, thereby risking his life.
To be honest, so far as I can tell, that's the sole intention of the sentance but many are seizing and taking it to a rather strange place :)
Now, if you'll go back to GOF for a moment, to the scene in Moody's office when he discusses the Secrecy Sensors and the fact that they can't function properly in the school around so many people. Very few took that up with the numorous other clues run to the conclusion that 'Moody' wasn't really himself.
It isn't the scenes that seem big that contain pivitol plot information, its the scenes that seem inconsequential that make the biggest impact on plot development.
posted by Kay at
1:22 PM
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