Friday, April 15, 2011

Blog Post # 1: Expectations

There are definite expectations within the Harry Potter books that work in different ways than other series of books. I think that since there is a knowledge that there are more books to come, at this point in the series (just the first two books) certain things that may not be fulfilled are expected. We expect not necessarily all of the questions to be answered, but the most relevant ones to the most recent plot. Finding out who Tom Riddle is within the second book is so necessary, and there would have been such a confusion at the end as to why, when the whole of the story surrounds that mystery, we weren't to have gotten an answer. This is just one example, mind you. It's hard to go into the more mysterious elements of the plot and why they might be misunderstood at this point, because it's all very calculated. Stories like the Harry Potter ones require the guessing game, and when you think you've figured it out, there is an element of disappointment when it's revealed and you've gotten it wrong. This is only at the beginning, and I'm considering this as when I was a young reader. At some point within the series, you sort of let go of this and run with the story, let it take you where it's intended to go.

There are expectations from certain characters, as well. Right away, with The Sorcerer's Stone, we are given these opinions about certain characters: Dumbledore is a bit of a nut, but a genius and genuine. Hagrid isn't the smartest of half-giants, but he's so full of love and devotion to Harry and the students. McGonagall is a bit of a hard ass, but with a tender heart. Snape literally hates Harry, but seems to be always secretly looking out for Harry. There are so many other examples of this, and within the first two books, and for perpetually the entire series, this expectation is met. However, all of these opinions are proven right or wrong, and there is so much history connected to these opinions that is later revealed.

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