Comments | terri_testing: Two Views of James Potter

terri_testing

Two Views of James Potter

May 06, 2009 20:54

The first was written largely in response to smallpotato’s response to my fiction “Liberacorpus”, and examines canon parallels to the actual actions we see James take.

The second re-examines James after Snilysocanon took me to task for being unduly unsympathetic.

“James the Bully: Canon Parallels”

( We are privileged )

james potter, sirius black, harry potter, marauders

Comments 49

oryx_leucoryx May 5 2009, 06:56:17 UTC

In his heart of hearts, Sirius truly believed that consequences are controllable: that if he doesn’t MEAN harm he hasn’t committed it.

Until the time came when consequences did catch up with him - when James and Lily died and he got sent to Azkaban. And he did say that he was responsible for Peter's betrayal because he was the one who proposed the switch. But this does not prompt him to rethink other instances where things turned out less than disastrous such as the whole werewolf caper, even all those months after being out of Azkaban.

I'll probably write more tomorrow.

Bambi finally met Godzilla terri_testing May 5 2009, 15:00:00 UTC

Exactly. Reality finally caught up with him. Splat!

But actually, the Godric's Hollow disaster was still intentionally caused--by Peter, if not by Sirius. So Sirius need not have questioned his previous life-lessons; the consequence was still intended by SOMEONE, which is different from registering the possibility of wholly unintended consequences....

totalreadr May 5 2009, 15:17:56 UTC

I think it's more likely than not that she does know what she wrote. At the very least, no one could possibly write such an *exact* parallel as the one with Draco Malfoy (not just "Who'd want to be in [house]?" but continuing with "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?") without being aware of it...could they ( ... )

Intentions.... terri_testing May 7 2009, 02:23:43 UTC

Realistically, I think JKR wasn't in total control of her material--she gave us the "I think I'd leave" parallel in Book 7, but she had Dumbledore tell us in Book ONE that James was to Severus as Draco was to Harry, yet she doesn't actually seem to register that the corollary is that we should dislike James as a posturing rich-boy bully ( ... )

Re: Intentions.... totalreadr May 8 2009, 03:23:57 UTC

I think we should blame the system that leaves the social workers so hopelessly overloaded that they are incapable of offering any support ( ... )

Re: Intentions.... terri_testing May 9 2009, 05:38:10 UTC

But in this case, we can't blame "the system". Placing Harry with the Dursleys was Dumbledore's absolutely solo decision, questioned by every witch or wizard who ever actually saw Petunia and Vernon. And Albus set a spy on the Dursleys (Arabella Figg is a member of the Order, and has been reporting to Albus on EVERY detail a neighbor could glean of the Dursleys' response to their involuntary charge) as soon as he sent Harry there ( ... )

Thread 7

totalreadr May 5 2009, 16:37:48 UTC

You know, this reminds me of...true story ( ... )

Darwin awards terri_testing May 7 2009, 02:26:21 UTC

You're familiar with them? Given to those who improve the species by preventing themselves from reproducing?

As you say, at the least her subconscious knows.

Thanks for your comments!

Comparisons of the prequel oryx_leucoryx May 5 2009, 19:55:44 UTC

If, like me, you interpret the people on brooms chasing James and Sirius as Ministry officials (there is no mention of black robes or masks) then the next thing that happened was that the policeman got Obliviated (I wonder how we are getting his perspective). The obvious parallel is the Muggle baiting for fun at the Quidditch World Cup. Or you can read the scene as people being disrespectful to a person whose authority they do not recognize - the parallels are the twins throwing snowballs at Quirrell and the twins shoving Montague into the Vanishing Cabinet because they did not recognize the authority of the Inquisatorial Squad. (The twins caused brain damage directly, in James and Sirius' case the damage would be caused by the Memory Charm.) Of course, if like the apparently popular view the pursuers on broomsticks were DEs then James and Sirius may have set up an unsuspecting Muggle to be killed (or just further tormented), which is worse than the above ( ... )

Re: Comparisons of the prequel terri_testing May 7 2009, 02:28:28 UTC

I read the prequel only once, so I can't really comment (except to say that it reinforced my existing image of James and Sirius, which was not high). So I can't say who the pursuers were--if anyone else wants to chip and argue, feel free!

What people say about James: (part 1) oryx_leucoryx May 5 2009, 19:58:49 UTC

Even Remus wouldn’t, before Sirius. We know for sure that Minerva, Filius, Horace, Hagrid, and Pomona were on staff while Harry’s parents were at Hogwarts; it’s probable that Hooch and Pince were.Are you confusing Pomona with Poppy ( ... )

Re: What people say about James: (part 1) terri_testing May 7 2009, 02:45:04 UTC

OUch-yes, of course I meant Poppy (leading Remus to the Shack) not Pomona--whose wherabouts in the Marauder era we're not given--thanks for the catch ( ... )