emma_in_dream | Entries tagged with jk rowling

I was thinking how odd the fashions in the Harry Potter universe are. Like everything else in the magical world, they have basically frozen in time at the end of the late 18th century when they signed the Statute of Secrecy. Hence quill and ink rather than any of the successive inventions of pencils, type writers, word processors; candles and lanterns rather than anything later; hence transforming snuff boxes, objects no longer in regular use.

Hence the robes, which would have been kind of old fashioned even in the 18th century. Maybe like what older women would wear or the formal robes of doctors and scholars at that time.

And robes are a lovely form of fashion – so forgiving to a variety of body shapes. So useful for disguising it when you are kicking Ron under the table (as in the Order of the Phoenix).

And people can wear a variety of gear under their robes. People can wear increasingly modern clothes, like the Weasley kids in their jeans but have robes over the top to signal their primary identity as wizards and witches.

The robes themselves seem to offer relatively limited scope for personalisation. But clearly within the wizarding world there is scope – after all, there is a thriving fashion industry (Madam Malkins) and a second hand industry (Ron’s formal robes). And girls’ robes seem to be viewed as different to boys’ robes (hence Ron’s complaints about his looking like something for Ginny). Also, you can get super fancy robes (like Draco’s).

There had been books published prior to 1857 that were set in schools; but there had not been a genre of school stories up until when Thomas Hughes published *Tom Brown’s Schooldays*.

Reading over it now, almost every convention of the genre is there in his first book, beginning with the journey from home to the school. School stories almost begin with the obligatory journey to another world, usually by train but in this case by stage. (Although written in the era of trains, the story is set a generation earlier, in the time that Hughes himself went to Rugby).

It has the new child’s awe at the fantastic buildings – Tom Brown looking at the close at Rugby; Darrell Rivers admiring the stone walls of Malory Towers; Harry Potter viewing Hogwarts. The protagonist is self sufficient, sociable, not terribly academic but good at sports. There’s the antagonist, a sneaky bully who has no school spirit. There is the emphasis on friendship and sports. There’s a god-like Head Master, Arnold, who makes even Dumbledore seem run off the mill. It contains various adventures, the outwitting of dim masters, defeating the bully, moving up through the school. The penultimate scene is of Tom in his final days at Rugby, head of the cricket eleven and respected throughout the school.

There are also a few ways in which *Tom Brown’s Schooldays* includes material not taken up by future school story writers. The book begins with an unnecessary and embarrassing chapter on how Tom would play with the little boys from the village when he was a child, even though they were his social inferiors and spoke with comical peasant accents. And there is a lot more religion than modern authors would include.

There is a substantial plot involving Brown meeting and being redeemed by his relationship with Arthur, a delicate and beautiful boy who demonstrates true Christian grit by getting on his knees to pray in front of the other boys in the dormitory. Arthur and Tom share a special bond, share a study and spend quite a bit of time reading the Bible together. (Hehe).

The final scene of *Tom Brown’s Schooldays* is Brown rushing back to Rugby, after hearing of the death of his Head Master. Overwhelmed, he goes to the chapel and pulls himself together by reflecting that no matter how magnificent Arnold was, his character was just a way of glimpsing the workings of God.

‘And let us not be hard on him, if at that moment his soul is fuller of the tomb and him who lies there, than of the altar and Him of whom it speaks. Such stages have to be gone through, I believe, by all young and brave souls, who must win their way through hero-worship, to the worship of Him who is the King and Lord of heroes.’

Hughes was taught by Thomas Arnold, the famous Head Master of Rugby. Apparently he was quite the inspirational speaker, a proponent of the muscular Christianity of the nineteenth century. Hughes does not seem to have been a special protégé of Arnold, but the massive success of this book basically set Arnold’s image up for the rest of the century – supremely wise, incapable of error, stern, basically the Old Testament God.

I find those parts of the book pretty repellent, but you have to hand it to Hughes – there was something about this novel that inspired a heap of incredibly talented authors to follow him.

There’s the Flashman chronicles by George MaczDonald Fraser. I cannot recommend them enough – basically he takes Hughes’ cowardly villain, Flashman, and writes a series of supremely funny novels about him being a coward and a villain who, through a terrible series of events, is forced into the thick of battles and the centre of politics.

The scene of little Arthur praying in the dormitories may seem familiar. It’s because Terry Pratchett took it up in *Pyramids* where a student brings in a goat and attempts to sacrifice it in his first night at the dormitories of the Assassin’s Academy. The lines ‘Garn, the little pious git’ and ‘There’s no shame in a chap being man enough to pray’ are virtually line for line from *Tom Brown’s Schooldays* but read quite differently with the addition of the pentagram.

And, of course, Hughes stands at the head of the still flourishing genre of school stories. Without Hughes, there is no Malory Towers, no Chalet School, no Greyfriars, no Hogwarts. This book is not without flaws, but if you have inspired authors ranging from Enid Blyton to JK Rowling, George MacDonald Fraser to Terry Pratchett, you have done pretty well.

I want to read a well written, lengthy piece of fanfic about Regulus Black. I am fascinated by the way he was brought up as a pure blood, embraced Voldemort and then changed his mind and backed away. I am impressed that he stole from Voldemort so effectively that he did not even find out about it til 15 years later.

It’s Book Week, a time I have a love/hate relationship with. I hate having to make the costumes, yet love looking at them once made.

This year Ruby and Pearl went in borrowed costumes as all our gear is in storage. Pearl was Harry Potter. Ruby looked cute as a Pokemon.

Ruby very much wanted to be a Lorax and I have promised that I will make a costume for her birthday party (which will be Dr Seuss themed). Surely by then we will either be moved or have resigned ourselves to not moving. Either way, the costume box and craft gear should be accessible.

Despite my utmost foreboding, Pearl’s party was great. There was a break in the weather and the kids could play outside. They were captivated by some very simple party games, with the most popular probably being a Harry Potter Time Turner variant of charades.

JK Rowling Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 2016 Play
Corona Pilgrim Captain America: Civil War, Prelude 2016 Graphic Novel
David Weber On Basilisk Station 1993
Enid Blyton The Secret Island 1938
Connie Willis Blackout 2010
Peter Stansky The First Day of the Blitz, September 7, 1940 2007 New
Julian Thompson Dunkirk: Reteat to Victory 2008 New
Joyce Lankester Brisley Milly Molly Mandy Stories 1928 Short Stories
Joyce Lankester Brisley Milly Molly Mandy Again 1948 Short Stories
JK Rowling Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 1997
Joyce Lankester Brisley More of Milly Molly Mandy 1929 Short Stories
Agatha Christie The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding 1960 Short Stories
Joyce Lankester Brisley Milly Molly Mandy and Co 1955 Short Stories
Joyce Lankester Brisley Further Doings of Milly Molly Mandy 1932 Short Stories
Joyce Lankester Brisley Milly Molly Mandy and Billy Blunt 1967 Short Stories
Agatha Christie Nemesis 1971

1, I am rereading *HP and the Philosopher’s Stone*. I wonder if Pearl is old enough to read it? She wants to because other kids she knows have. But it does have Voldemort sucking on unicorn blood. And Harry’s dead parents (who spend more time onstage than Hermione’s live parents). And the viciousness of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.

2, I am planning to adult like mad on Friday, census, tax, rates.

3, My parents entertained over the weekend and my children were shocked – shocked, I say! – to see the table clear and free of clutter. Pearl very earnestly praised them while Ruby ran around looking at the table and I smothered a laugh.

1, I’ve finished the latest Harry Potter and it has inspired me to write a whole lot of stuff that wasn’t in the play. Also, I’d like to go to the play, should it ever make its way to the home of Hermione’s parents.

2, I hear good things about *Ghost Busters* from everyone whose opinion is important to me.

1, I saw the latest *Star Trek* on the weekend. I really really loved the way the characters were part of a non-military organisation dedicated to exploring, rather than a military. I liked the characterisation, the action and the themes. The only thing I did not like was the tendency to use shots that looped through space. Even though I saw it in 2D it made me feel seasick and gave me a splitting headache which has persisted to the next day. I think I am getting to the point where I can no longer watch movies on the big screen because the cinematography is too much for me. At least this will save money.

2, I’m up to Act II of *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*. I am enjoying it more than I thought I would, given that my least favourite part of all the books is the prescriptive final chapter which outlines exactly what happens to all the characters, down to the middle names of their children, but does not address the *massively important* theme of the need to fundamentally restructure wizarding society to integrate the rights of all magical, sentient creatures. Still, more HP is more basis for fanfiction.

3, My children were exemplary on the weekend, allowing me to lie down after the movie. This fixed the troubles with my vision and made me feel cheerful enough to play super heroes with them. In this iteration, I was the villain (as I always am) but was thwarted by Hermes with her power of running so fast she makes whirlwinds and Nay-Nay whose secret power is the ability to control small ponies.

I have to rec this story because:

(a) it perfectly captures the tone of pregnancy advice books; and
(b) it so chillingly encompasses the way squibs are discarded in magical society.

Title: An extract from The Witch’s Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby Care, by Alarica Rosier. Chapter Nine: What if my Baby is a Squib?

Author: nineveh_uk

http://omniocular.livejournal.com/151520.html

I happened to be rereading *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azheban* at the same time that I was thinking about the Bechdel test.* So I started looking for incidents of female characters talking to each other.

Aunt Marge came by at the beginning of the book but she and Aunt Petunia only talked about how lovely Dudley was and how awful Harry was, so that doesn't count. To pass the Bechdel test, two female characters have to talk to each other about something other than a man.

I was surprised that I got to page 52 before I found Mrs Weasley giggling with Hermione and Ginnie about love potions. Of course, we only see what Harry sees but by that point Harry had had conversations with Uncle Vernon about pretending to be at St Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys, with Fudge about using magic and with Mr Weasley about Sirius Black.

So then on page 58 Hermione stood up to Professor Trelawney about divination (though arguably she was really talking about Harry, in the sense that they were arguing about whether or not he had a grim and was going to die). But then she does talk to Professor McGonagall about how silly divination is. That's definitely a clear Bechdel win though not exactly a moment of great feminist support as she then disrespects Professor Trelawney.

Reading on, I found the girls on the Gryffindor team giggling together over how handsome Cedric the Hufflepuff seeker was. That would be a fail on the Bechdel scale.

But Hermione, Parvati and Lavender talking about the death of her rabbit would be a pass.

Then Madame Rosmerta and Professor McGonagall took part in a multi-person conversation about Sirius Black having been James Potter’s secret keeper and betrayer. That would count, I think, as their discussion is mostly political (in the sense of having to do with the rise and fall of the greatest dark wizard of their time).

Professors McGonagall and Trelawney spar at the Christmas table over the validity of Divination as a subject. Clear pass.

And that was it. Though Hermione did have off-screen conversations with Professor McGonagall about the possibility of Harry’s broom being cursed (fail as it was all about Harry) and about using the time turners to do an accelerated course of study (pass).

I was surprised at how few conversations between women there are. The books don’t strike me as ones in which female characters don’t get a lot of page time. (Is this a thing? Like screen time?) But this is because of Hermione who mostly talks to Ron and Harry and not to other girls.

It’s partly due to Harry being the point of view character, so we only see what he does. It is probably also better in later books when Harry stays with the Weasleys and we see longer conversations between Mrs Weasley, Ginnie and Hermione. Also, once Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang are around, there are a heap more options for people for Harry to overhear. And Umbridge I suppose. Tonks. Fleur. Bellatrix Lestrange. I really need to reread one of the later ones in this light.

* The Bechdel test is the criteria of containing at least two female characters who talk to each other about something besides a man.

I have decided that there is a particular story I want to read, one I am hoping someone has written. I am sure someone somewhere will have had a go at it, because there are about a million devoted Snape fans.

I’d like to read a story where things work out for Snape. He never calls Lily a mudblood and when Lily sees James bullying another student she leaves him. She is already bearing James’ child, but Snape is so thrilled to have Lily that he does not mind in the least and raises him as his own. They live happily ever after (or at least a good deal more happily than the incredibly creepy ending he gets canonically where he dies staring into Harry’s eyes and pretending she is Lily).

Last month I finished the Harry Potter series. I find the ending quite hard to understand because they do that thing which people always do in adventures where they refuse to share any information.

It makes sense to keep the whole Horcrux thing a secret when Dumbledore asks Harry to. At that point they are trying to surprise Voldemort. But at the point when Voldemort is attacking Hogwarts because he knows that the Trio have destroyed several of his Horcruxes, surely at that point it is the time to share the information.

While in the Room of Requirement do you not quickly say, 'Ravenclaws, he has a Horcrux hidden in an object associated with your house. Any ideas? Get on it?

Also, we need to destory this Horcrux here. Please volunteer to do that.

Also, we need to kill the snake before we go for Voldemort. Concentrate on getting the snake and Harry will go after the king pin.

This way we have the best chance of success.'

For goodness sakes, what is the point of hoarding the information when you can increase your chance of winning and improve the odds of your allies surviving?

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I've been rereading the Harry Potter books, but also some serious non-fiction, including Chloe Hooper's *The Tall Man* about the death in custody on Palm Island in 2004 which lead to the riot and the burning of the Police station. It's a grueling read but on a really important topic.

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Did Malcolm Baddock, the poor wee eleven year old who was sorted into Slytherin and hissed by the Weasley twins, ever forgive the Gryffindors?

In the Harry Potter books, how can Hagrid have his accent after *fifty years* of living surrounded by those speaking received English at Hogwarts.

Either he is stubbornly clinging to his Giant heritage or we are to believe that he is incapable of learning? Does nature trump nurture?