Intergenerational Parallels in Harry Potter
Intergenerational Parallels in Harry Potter
It is no particular surprise that a series as complicated and lengthy as Harry Potter should make use of foil characters, doubles and parallels. Simply as an aid to characterisation these are valuable tools. There is however a particular set of parallels working themselves out in the novels that I find especially interesting. Naturally, these concern Harry Potter and his friends, and the generation of his parents.
These are interesting not only for what they communicate about Rowling’s habits as a writer, but also for what they suggest about the possible fates of each of these characters. My tentative conclusions as to the meaning of these parallels will form part of this essay.
At it’s most basic the parallel seems to consist of the following: Harry/James, Ron/Sirius, Hermione/Remus, Neville/Peter, Ginny/Lily, Luna/Snape and Draco/Regulus. However, because of Rowling’s complex interweaving of associations, the true picture is rather more complicated, which shall become clear as I continue.
The Marauders/The Trio + Neville
This is perhaps the most immediately obvious parallel. Harry, we are reminded many times, bears a strong physical resemblance to his father, and not only that, he flies like James, disregards the rules like James, and like James he is the natural leader of ‘his’ group; the similarity is more than superficial. However, as we shall see again, and again, the second generation seems to correct or perfect the actions and relationships of the first. Thus Harry, while possessing his father’s positive traits, is not and never has been “an arrogant, bullying toerag.” It is simply not in his nature.
The similarities between Sirius and Ron are not quite as clear-cut. The relationship between Harry-James and Ron-Sirius is of a similar nature - best friends and brothers - but at certain crucial points, it is inverted. Ron, like Sirius, is prone to emotional displays - he is the ‘heart’ of his group. Sirius, however, was handsome, clever, arrogant, and more than a little unstable. Ron, by comparison, struggles constantly with self-doubt, and has achieved confidence in his own abilities only after great effort. Sirius’ family believed “that to be a Black made you practically royal” , whereas the Weasleys are blood-traitors and proud of it. These characters perform extremely similar functions with regard to Harry and James - both Ron and James have proved themselves willing to die for their friends, Sirius through the Secret-Keeper plan, and Ron in his ringing declaration in Prisoner of Azkaban: “If you want to kill Harry, you’ll have to kill us, too!” The differences however, are crucial in determining each character’s fate. Ron has none of Sirius’ arrogance or his recklessness - one cannot imagine him taunting Bellatrix Lestrange.
Hermione is naturally paralleled by Remus, though it is less complicated in her case. Like Remus, she is the studious member of the group, the voice of the rules and, more importantly, of Harry’s conscience. Hermione though, does not suffer from Remus’ greatest flaw - an inability to stand up for what he knew to be right. This admittedly, is no part of the adult Remus readers meet, but it is a textually acknowledged failing of his youth: “Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?” Although a genuinely caring friend, Hermione Granger is never unwilling to make herself heard.
Ron and Hermione are also paralleled, as a pair, with Molly and Arthur Weasley: “Harry was reminded irresistibly of Mrs Weasley appealing to her husband” . The significance of this is not hard to make out, however it is separate from the other doublings I shall discuss, for the simple reason that it does not appear to me that this similarity is of any particular use in determining the characters’ fates (however intriguing it may be to speculate that Ron and Hermione will elope.) Nor do Mr and Mrs Weasley appear to have any faults that are ‘corrected’ in Ron and Hermione’s relationship.
The comparison between Neville Longbottom and Peter Pettigrew may seem rather unfair to the former. There are, however, a number of similarities between them that should not be ignored. Each is plump and clumsy, overshadowed by their more brilliant peers. Neither is a particularly gifted wizard - Neville refers to himself as “almost a Squib” , though, as McGonagall says, his main problem is lack of confidence. About Pettigrew we cannot be so sure - to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix and a Death Eater would seem to require more talent than we are told he possessed. The relationships each had with their friends may be comparable. Sirius states that Peter “always liked big friends who’d look after [him],” while one of Neville’s functions in the story is to be the object of Harry’s pity and protectiveness: “he imagined how it must feel to have parents still living but unable to recognize you. He often got sympathy from strangers for being an orphan, but as he listened to Neville’s snores, he thought that Neville deserved it more than he did.”
What distinguishes these characters however is far more important, and is simply this - Neville Longbottom has a core of strength, courage, loyalty and determination that Peter Pettigrew never possessed. Neville has already proved himself willing to stand up for his friends and his principles, whereas Peter was willing to sacrifice everything - friends, conscience and life as a human - in order to survive. His struggle is Voldemort’s struggle, only less sublime - rooted in what is mundane and petty.
Thus does the second generation overgo the first. Where the Marauders were eventually riven by suspicion and distrust, the bonds between the Trio seem unbreakable, and although Neville may not ‘fit in’ perfectly with them as a group, his loyalty is undoubted. It is well night unthinkable to imagine one of these characters betraying the others.
Lily & James/Harry & Ginny
The implied comparisons between these two couples are among the most complicated in the books. Ron and Hermione are likened to Molly and Arthur simply because it is apt, as characterization and as a neat bit of foreshadowing. For Harry and Ginny however, the parallel matters.
As I have mentioned, in many ways, Harry resembles his father. This is not only physical - his leadership abilities, his fierce loyalty, his quick reflexes and perhaps his sense of humour, may all be reckoned to come from his father. Nonetheless, there are certain similarities to Lily that should not be ignored. The first is the self-sacrifice that seems to be an engrained part of his character - to save others, Harry has always been willing to die. We see this play out with regard to Ginny in Chamber of Secrets, Sirius in Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince, but it can, I think be safely judged to be a general character trait: “you’ve got a bit of a - a - saving-people thing.”
The other area where he resembles Lily, and the one I wish to discuss in detail, is in the Harry-Ginny relationship. When it comes to romance, Harry plays Lily’s role. Although both romances are structured slightly differently in that Harry ‘discovers’ his partner earlier, the essentials are the same - mother and son find a viable relationship with someone they had previously dismissed.
In this case the similarity is relatively straightforward, but Ginny’s doubling of James is rather more complicated. Her relationship with Harry echoes James’ with Lily, but it also inverts in certain important ways. James Potter’s largest failing, in Lily’s eyes and the readers, was his arrogance and ‘selfish disdain for the feelings of others.’ The contrast with Ginny is pronounced - where James needed to gain humility, Ginny seemed to suffer from excess of it. Harry induced or not, during her early years at Hogwarts, Ginny endured a crippling shyness and lack of self-confidence. Like James, she had to learn to compensate for and correct that flaw.
There are certain other similarities between James and Ginny. Both come from prominent pureblood families, however the Potters, we are led to believe, were wealthy, where the Weasleys are poor. Ginny is the youngest of her family, her abilities and maturity constantly underestimated. James, needless to say, was the spoiled apple of his parents’ eyes - their pride and joy, so to speak. It is also interesting to note that both characters have ‘canonically’ played as Seeker and Chaser, though this seems more likely to be the result of authorial absent-mindedness than intent.
The significance of this parallel is complicated, as Harry and Ginny both parallel Lily and James, playing one role within ‘the group’ but another as part of a couple. What bearing it has on the fates of Harry and Ginny is equally hard to judge - though it is more possible that they will ‘correct’ James and Lily’s bad luck, and live.
Lily/Ginny
Although Ginny resembles James in several crucial respects, there is nonetheless a certain similarity between her and Lily. The most obvious of these has to do with her appearance. Ginny is not a carbon copy of Lily Evans (whatever the casting directors of the Harry Potter films would have us believe) but her looks are clearly intended to echo Lily’s - except for her eyes, which are brown, somewhat like James’ (Harry of course, has Lily’s eyes in James’ face.)
In demonstrating this parallel however, Ginny’s relationship to the trio and Neville is much more important. Lily, we can infer, was not part of the Marauders’ group, at least not while she was at school. Ginny’s relationship with Ron, Harry and Hermione is similar. Although all three are fond of her, and vicesa versa, she is not, at this point, part of their group. It does however seem reasonable to assume that this will change. Her relationship with Neville is separate, but apparently friendly - however we know next to nothing about Lily’s relationship with Peter Pettigrew, so this means very little.
Lily Evans seems to have been virtually faultless, but we know that Ginny definitely is not. Both share a habit of defending those victimized by their peers - Snape in Lily’s case, Luna (and to a lesser extent Neville) in Ginny’s - but this is only apparent similarity of character (as opposed to function) between the two. We do know that Slughorn likes both characters, and Rowling referred to each as ‘a popular girl’ but any other similarities are hard to judge.
Partly this is because we know so little about Lily. In comparison to the younger characters of the four Marauders and Snape, we have startlingly little information about her. What remains to be discovered is for anyone to guess, but it is probably safe to assume that in one respect at least the two women will be very different. Unlike Lily, Ginny will not die young.
It may seem odd to state this without qualification, but there are convincing reasons to believe that Ginny at least is safe. In calculating the odds recently, one commentator pointed out that the series cannot have a happy ending if Ginny dies. This is perhaps more true than he was aware. Of all the young characters, it is Ginny who is, symbolically, associated with rebirth and renewal. This occurs twice - the first time in the Chamber of Secrets, where Ginny all but dies. That the Chamber functions as a sexual signifier, is an argument I accept, and the presence of the phoenix is a further reason to interpret this as a form of rebirth. The second occasion is in Order of the Phoenix, when Ginny is fascinated by the hummingbird.
It is fitting that Ginny should have these associations, given her romantic relationship with Harry. What they tell us about her future is a little more difficult to discern. Perhaps, like Lily, Ginny will be offered a choice - or perhaps we will be led to believe that she has died until some suitably dramatic moment. Unfortunately, knowing as little as we do about Lily, it is difficult to predict precisely how this parallel will work itself out.
Snape/Luna
This is another parallel that may seem to insult the second character in question, but as always, it is worth remembering that the second generation corrects the first. Luna’s function with regard to Harry is the same as Snape’s is with James. She is the outsider, the ‘odd’ and off-putting character, and Harry’s treatment of her becomes a test of his own moral worth. Snape however, responded to ill treatment with hatred of his own - attacking Lily, a Muggleborn, who he considered more vulnerable than himself. Luna’s response to being bullied is a kind of philosophic resignation. She certainly doesn’t like the treatment she receives, most undeservedly, but she does not stoop to revenge or hatred. Whether the parallel is useful in determining Luna’s final arc is unclear, partially because Snape’s future is uncertain. Without venturing onto the vexed territory of Snape’s allegiance, I will say that his death in book seven seems almost guaranteed. Whether this spells doom for Luna is hard to know, though I certainly hope not.
Snape & Regulus Black/Draco
Part of the difficulty of determining Luna’s arc, is that her similarity to Snape is shared with Draco. The rivalry between Harry and Draco is textually acknowledged to bear a resemblance to that between Snape and James Potter: “they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr Malfoy.” Admittedly, this had seemed to lapse somewhat until Half-Blood Prince, when Harry became ‘obsessed’ with Draco. However, this instalment also introduced another possible double for Draco.
Regulus Black was a failed Death Eater because he could not do what Voldemort asked of him. He was morally incapable of murdering someone (at least, so Sirius assumes) and as we discover in Half-Blood Prince, so is Draco. Objectionable and disgusting as his personal politics are, he is not a murderer. It is possible that Draco will rebel against Voldemort, as Regulus did - but if I am correct, he will succeed where Regulus failed. Although this could take various forms, the most obvious would be for Draco to destroy a Horcrux as Regulus attempted to - most likely Nagini. I think it unlikely that he will follow Snape’s current path of double, triple, perhaps even quadruple agent, for the simple reason that, in the world of the books, Snape’s actions are happening now. All these parallels belong squarely to the generation that is past - to have Draco doubling Snape’s actions now, rather than Regulus’ actions then, strikes me as redundant and inelegant, though it is certainly possible.
It is no particular surprise that a series as complicated and lengthy as Harry Potter should make use of foil characters, doubles and parallels. Simply as an aid to characterisation these are valuable tools. There is however a particular set of parallels working themselves out in the novels that I find especially interesting. Naturally, these concern Harry Potter and his friends, and the generation of his parents.
These are interesting not only for what they communicate about Rowling’s habits as a writer, but also for what they suggest about the possible fates of each of these characters. My tentative conclusions as to the meaning of these parallels will form part of this essay.
At it’s most basic the parallel seems to consist of the following: Harry/James, Ron/Sirius, Hermione/Remus, Neville/Peter, Ginny/Lily, Luna/Snape and Draco/Regulus. However, because of Rowling’s complex interweaving of associations, the true picture is rather more complicated, which shall become clear as I continue.
The Marauders/The Trio + Neville
This is perhaps the most immediately obvious parallel. Harry, we are reminded many times, bears a strong physical resemblance to his father, and not only that, he flies like James, disregards the rules like James, and like James he is the natural leader of ‘his’ group; the similarity is more than superficial. However, as we shall see again, and again, the second generation seems to correct or perfect the actions and relationships of the first. Thus Harry, while possessing his father’s positive traits, is not and never has been “an arrogant, bullying toerag.” It is simply not in his nature.
The similarities between Sirius and Ron are not quite as clear-cut. The relationship between Harry-James and Ron-Sirius is of a similar nature - best friends and brothers - but at certain crucial points, it is inverted. Ron, like Sirius, is prone to emotional displays - he is the ‘heart’ of his group. Sirius, however, was handsome, clever, arrogant, and more than a little unstable. Ron, by comparison, struggles constantly with self-doubt, and has achieved confidence in his own abilities only after great effort. Sirius’ family believed “that to be a Black made you practically royal” , whereas the Weasleys are blood-traitors and proud of it. These characters perform extremely similar functions with regard to Harry and James - both Ron and James have proved themselves willing to die for their friends, Sirius through the Secret-Keeper plan, and Ron in his ringing declaration in Prisoner of Azkaban: “If you want to kill Harry, you’ll have to kill us, too!” The differences however, are crucial in determining each character’s fate. Ron has none of Sirius’ arrogance or his recklessness - one cannot imagine him taunting Bellatrix Lestrange.
Hermione is naturally paralleled by Remus, though it is less complicated in her case. Like Remus, she is the studious member of the group, the voice of the rules and, more importantly, of Harry’s conscience. Hermione though, does not suffer from Remus’ greatest flaw - an inability to stand up for what he knew to be right. This admittedly, is no part of the adult Remus readers meet, but it is a textually acknowledged failing of his youth: “Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?” Although a genuinely caring friend, Hermione Granger is never unwilling to make herself heard.
Ron and Hermione are also paralleled, as a pair, with Molly and Arthur Weasley: “Harry was reminded irresistibly of Mrs Weasley appealing to her husband” . The significance of this is not hard to make out, however it is separate from the other doublings I shall discuss, for the simple reason that it does not appear to me that this similarity is of any particular use in determining the characters’ fates (however intriguing it may be to speculate that Ron and Hermione will elope.) Nor do Mr and Mrs Weasley appear to have any faults that are ‘corrected’ in Ron and Hermione’s relationship.
The comparison between Neville Longbottom and Peter Pettigrew may seem rather unfair to the former. There are, however, a number of similarities between them that should not be ignored. Each is plump and clumsy, overshadowed by their more brilliant peers. Neither is a particularly gifted wizard - Neville refers to himself as “almost a Squib” , though, as McGonagall says, his main problem is lack of confidence. About Pettigrew we cannot be so sure - to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix and a Death Eater would seem to require more talent than we are told he possessed. The relationships each had with their friends may be comparable. Sirius states that Peter “always liked big friends who’d look after [him],” while one of Neville’s functions in the story is to be the object of Harry’s pity and protectiveness: “he imagined how it must feel to have parents still living but unable to recognize you. He often got sympathy from strangers for being an orphan, but as he listened to Neville’s snores, he thought that Neville deserved it more than he did.”
What distinguishes these characters however is far more important, and is simply this - Neville Longbottom has a core of strength, courage, loyalty and determination that Peter Pettigrew never possessed. Neville has already proved himself willing to stand up for his friends and his principles, whereas Peter was willing to sacrifice everything - friends, conscience and life as a human - in order to survive. His struggle is Voldemort’s struggle, only less sublime - rooted in what is mundane and petty.
Thus does the second generation overgo the first. Where the Marauders were eventually riven by suspicion and distrust, the bonds between the Trio seem unbreakable, and although Neville may not ‘fit in’ perfectly with them as a group, his loyalty is undoubted. It is well night unthinkable to imagine one of these characters betraying the others.
Lily & James/Harry & Ginny
The implied comparisons between these two couples are among the most complicated in the books. Ron and Hermione are likened to Molly and Arthur simply because it is apt, as characterization and as a neat bit of foreshadowing. For Harry and Ginny however, the parallel matters.
As I have mentioned, in many ways, Harry resembles his father. This is not only physical - his leadership abilities, his fierce loyalty, his quick reflexes and perhaps his sense of humour, may all be reckoned to come from his father. Nonetheless, there are certain similarities to Lily that should not be ignored. The first is the self-sacrifice that seems to be an engrained part of his character - to save others, Harry has always been willing to die. We see this play out with regard to Ginny in Chamber of Secrets, Sirius in Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince, but it can, I think be safely judged to be a general character trait: “you’ve got a bit of a - a - saving-people thing.”
The other area where he resembles Lily, and the one I wish to discuss in detail, is in the Harry-Ginny relationship. When it comes to romance, Harry plays Lily’s role. Although both romances are structured slightly differently in that Harry ‘discovers’ his partner earlier, the essentials are the same - mother and son find a viable relationship with someone they had previously dismissed.
In this case the similarity is relatively straightforward, but Ginny’s doubling of James is rather more complicated. Her relationship with Harry echoes James’ with Lily, but it also inverts in certain important ways. James Potter’s largest failing, in Lily’s eyes and the readers, was his arrogance and ‘selfish disdain for the feelings of others.’ The contrast with Ginny is pronounced - where James needed to gain humility, Ginny seemed to suffer from excess of it. Harry induced or not, during her early years at Hogwarts, Ginny endured a crippling shyness and lack of self-confidence. Like James, she had to learn to compensate for and correct that flaw.
There are certain other similarities between James and Ginny. Both come from prominent pureblood families, however the Potters, we are led to believe, were wealthy, where the Weasleys are poor. Ginny is the youngest of her family, her abilities and maturity constantly underestimated. James, needless to say, was the spoiled apple of his parents’ eyes - their pride and joy, so to speak. It is also interesting to note that both characters have ‘canonically’ played as Seeker and Chaser, though this seems more likely to be the result of authorial absent-mindedness than intent.
The significance of this parallel is complicated, as Harry and Ginny both parallel Lily and James, playing one role within ‘the group’ but another as part of a couple. What bearing it has on the fates of Harry and Ginny is equally hard to judge - though it is more possible that they will ‘correct’ James and Lily’s bad luck, and live.
Lily/Ginny
Although Ginny resembles James in several crucial respects, there is nonetheless a certain similarity between her and Lily. The most obvious of these has to do with her appearance. Ginny is not a carbon copy of Lily Evans (whatever the casting directors of the Harry Potter films would have us believe) but her looks are clearly intended to echo Lily’s - except for her eyes, which are brown, somewhat like James’ (Harry of course, has Lily’s eyes in James’ face.)
In demonstrating this parallel however, Ginny’s relationship to the trio and Neville is much more important. Lily, we can infer, was not part of the Marauders’ group, at least not while she was at school. Ginny’s relationship with Ron, Harry and Hermione is similar. Although all three are fond of her, and vicesa versa, she is not, at this point, part of their group. It does however seem reasonable to assume that this will change. Her relationship with Neville is separate, but apparently friendly - however we know next to nothing about Lily’s relationship with Peter Pettigrew, so this means very little.
Lily Evans seems to have been virtually faultless, but we know that Ginny definitely is not. Both share a habit of defending those victimized by their peers - Snape in Lily’s case, Luna (and to a lesser extent Neville) in Ginny’s - but this is only apparent similarity of character (as opposed to function) between the two. We do know that Slughorn likes both characters, and Rowling referred to each as ‘a popular girl’ but any other similarities are hard to judge.
Partly this is because we know so little about Lily. In comparison to the younger characters of the four Marauders and Snape, we have startlingly little information about her. What remains to be discovered is for anyone to guess, but it is probably safe to assume that in one respect at least the two women will be very different. Unlike Lily, Ginny will not die young.
It may seem odd to state this without qualification, but there are convincing reasons to believe that Ginny at least is safe. In calculating the odds recently, one commentator pointed out that the series cannot have a happy ending if Ginny dies. This is perhaps more true than he was aware. Of all the young characters, it is Ginny who is, symbolically, associated with rebirth and renewal. This occurs twice - the first time in the Chamber of Secrets, where Ginny all but dies. That the Chamber functions as a sexual signifier, is an argument I accept, and the presence of the phoenix is a further reason to interpret this as a form of rebirth. The second occasion is in Order of the Phoenix, when Ginny is fascinated by the hummingbird.
It is fitting that Ginny should have these associations, given her romantic relationship with Harry. What they tell us about her future is a little more difficult to discern. Perhaps, like Lily, Ginny will be offered a choice - or perhaps we will be led to believe that she has died until some suitably dramatic moment. Unfortunately, knowing as little as we do about Lily, it is difficult to predict precisely how this parallel will work itself out.
Snape/Luna
This is another parallel that may seem to insult the second character in question, but as always, it is worth remembering that the second generation corrects the first. Luna’s function with regard to Harry is the same as Snape’s is with James. She is the outsider, the ‘odd’ and off-putting character, and Harry’s treatment of her becomes a test of his own moral worth. Snape however, responded to ill treatment with hatred of his own - attacking Lily, a Muggleborn, who he considered more vulnerable than himself. Luna’s response to being bullied is a kind of philosophic resignation. She certainly doesn’t like the treatment she receives, most undeservedly, but she does not stoop to revenge or hatred. Whether the parallel is useful in determining Luna’s final arc is unclear, partially because Snape’s future is uncertain. Without venturing onto the vexed territory of Snape’s allegiance, I will say that his death in book seven seems almost guaranteed. Whether this spells doom for Luna is hard to know, though I certainly hope not.
Snape & Regulus Black/Draco
Part of the difficulty of determining Luna’s arc, is that her similarity to Snape is shared with Draco. The rivalry between Harry and Draco is textually acknowledged to bear a resemblance to that between Snape and James Potter: “they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr Malfoy.” Admittedly, this had seemed to lapse somewhat until Half-Blood Prince, when Harry became ‘obsessed’ with Draco. However, this instalment also introduced another possible double for Draco.
Regulus Black was a failed Death Eater because he could not do what Voldemort asked of him. He was morally incapable of murdering someone (at least, so Sirius assumes) and as we discover in Half-Blood Prince, so is Draco. Objectionable and disgusting as his personal politics are, he is not a murderer. It is possible that Draco will rebel against Voldemort, as Regulus did - but if I am correct, he will succeed where Regulus failed. Although this could take various forms, the most obvious would be for Draco to destroy a Horcrux as Regulus attempted to - most likely Nagini. I think it unlikely that he will follow Snape’s current path of double, triple, perhaps even quadruple agent, for the simple reason that, in the world of the books, Snape’s actions are happening now. All these parallels belong squarely to the generation that is past - to have Draco doubling Snape’s actions now, rather than Regulus’ actions then, strikes me as redundant and inelegant, though it is certainly possible.