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#Post#: 3822--------------------------------------------------
Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 2, 2011, 11:53 am
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This has always been my favorite book (yes even with the plot
holes) And I'd like to draw some attention to the parallels
between CoS, Arthurian legend, and the typical structure of a
fairy tale.
For starters lets examine your average, run of the mill, fairy
tale. It's been done from Hans Christen Anderson, to the Grimms,
to Walt Disney:
Basics:
- A damsel in distress (this is usually a princess). EG:
Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, hell even Fiona from Shrek.
- An evil wizard, witch, sorcerer etc. EG: Malefocent, The Evil
Witch, Rumplestilskin, every story has the evil and often
magical antagonist.
- A dragon. Most fairy tales contain a dragon or mythical beast
that has to guard wherever the damsel is imprisoned.
- A dungeon, tower, castle, cave ... somewhere for the damsel to
be held.
- A hero, a white knight, a prince.
So the basic structure would be, Evil magical antagonist
imprisons/enchants the princess/damsel and traps her in a
tower/dungeon/castle. The hero has to save her by battling a
dragon/mythical beast. They live happily ever after.
By plugging in our variables we essentially arrive at the same
ending: HAPPILY EVER AFTER. Now lets examine how Harry Potter
and the Chamber of Secrets fits into this equation:
A damsel/princess: GINNY WEASLEY: while not a princess Ginny is
the youngest Weasley, and the only girl in several generations.
She is part of a pure-blood family and her status as the 7th
child and only girl makes her a prominent player. We can
ascertain that because she is both the baby and only daughter
she is treated "like a princess" in the cliche way most young
girls are. Notice that the adjectives to describe Ginny often
characterize her as small, shy, and weak. Despite her eventual
transformation her role in CoS is damsel in distress, Rowling
sets out to show you this early on in the novel.
[img]
HTML http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=20210828[/img]
An evil wizard: TOM RIDDLE/LORD VOLDEMORT: Lord Voldemort is the
most evil wizard of modern times. He is the heir to Salazar
Slytherin. In CoS he turns up as a memory hidden in a diary, a
memory of his 16 year old self (Tom Riddle). He uses the
enchanted diary to possess Ginny Weasley.
[img]
HTML http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSV9T3iOjfKvb1Heej0z2y01ae3pnGEBU8NcucF9wii2LDYZpvetqzHDQ[/img]
A dungeon: THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS: A hidden chamber deep
underneath the school created by Salazaar Slytherin. It houses
the basilisk.
[img]
HTML http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVNT3YlzXJl6ir6MptLMWpzdE6WdYD2kuAKW9H9JM_ykwlQDvnxAnMVg[/img]
A mythical beast: THE BASILISK: A mythical beast, a giant snake
with yellow eyes. It's stare will kill, it's venomous bite will
also kill.
[img]
HTML http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSNIELKzXhZQmi_bR0mVkMcT2N1KwldSlAtH59IWdf0tXqJRkSQo8Oapg[/img]
the hero/white knight: HARRY POTTER: The Chosen One, The Boy Who
Lived. Voldemort's main adversary.
HTML http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xA5P0gRG2Ig/RuO6U1C_5vI/AAAAAAAAJ_A/5Nw82g_LxmI/s1600/Harry_Potter_Chamber.jpg
The evil wizard Voldemort (aka Tom Riddle) enchants and
imprisons Ginny Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter
has to save her by battling a basilisk. THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER
AFTER.
**OTHER**
- Harry pulls the sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat. In
Arthurian Legend Arthur becomes king after pulling a sword from
a stone.
[img]
HTML http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRsEn1YDZc6pN10dtjUEJF4qu-nin60CjW_jHfPsYJSUbtgLkGZHaqpXxc[/img]
- Ginny's full name, Ginevra, is the Italian form of Guinevere,
King Arthur's wife.
Why this matters:
This is the first hint we get at Harry/Ginny as a future
romantic pairing. Unlike most fairy tales Harry doesn't
immediately get the girl. His relationship with Ginny develops
in a much more realistic and natural way but make no mistake,
the parallels to fairy tale structure in CoS are there to be a
subtle hint at their future relationship. Any non H/G shipper
should make note of this.
Rowling only gives Harry one damsel in distress to save. At no
point in any other book is Harry rescuing anyone in the same
manner that he rescues Ginny. This is an important clue that
Ginny is Harry's ultimate destiny.
Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard are plays on Grimm's Fairy
Tales, it's obvious she has a love for the genre. It isn't a
mistake CoS is structured this way.
#Post#: 3825--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: Hermes_The_Exile Date: September 2, 2011, 12:03 pm
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I'm glad you brought up the romantic pairing hints. I tell
people that I saw Harry/Ginny coming as early as this book, for
that exact same reason — there had to be some significance to
Ginny, and to Harry saving her.
I also like how Chamber pairs thematically with Prince. Both
books focus on the backstory of Tom Riddle, and both books delve
into Harry's relationship with the Weasleys in general and Ginny
in particular.
Well done. :)
#Post#: 3829--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: magic_is_might Date: September 2, 2011, 12:06 pm
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Thanks for laying out all the parallels - I think that's
extremely cool (and now very obvious) how JKR paralleled the
Arthurian legend.
#Post#: 3836--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 2, 2011, 12:13 pm
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[quote author=Hermes link=topic=396.msg3825#msg3825
date=1314983032]
I'm glad you brought up the romantic pairing hints. I tell
people that I saw Harry/Ginny coming as early as this book, for
that exact same reason — there had to be some significance to
Ginny, and to Harry saving her.
I also like how Chamber pairs thematically with Prince. Both
books focus on the backstory of Tom Riddle, and both books delve
into Harry's relationship with the Weasleys in general and Ginny
in particular.
Well done. :)
[/quote]
Thanks! Rowling said in an interview that certain plot points
from HBP were originally inserted in Chamber, including the
romantic plot lines but she thought the kids were too young to
"settle yet".
Most of the books have parallels to another. HBP and CoS are the
most obvious in my opinion. Especially with Voldemort's
backstory and the subplot of a mysterious book. Maybe I'll do a
post on that in Miscellany. I like writing these.
#Post#: 3859--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: YouBetcha Date: September 2, 2011, 1:18 pm
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While I still believe the H/G pairing was poorly developed and a
little rushed or sudden, I won't deny that there were a lot of
hints in CoS. Thanks for laying all this out, it was a good
read.
#Post#: 3892--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: JustCallMeTaylor Date: September 2, 2011, 3:36 pm
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Brilliant, this is great!
My mom told me they would get together ever since she read CoS.
I maintain that I would have figured it out had I not been so
young when I read it ::)
#Post#: 3893--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 2, 2011, 3:40 pm
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thanks!
Ginny has been my favorite character since CoS. I was just
entering Middle School when I read it and I found her easily
relatable. The disembodied voice really freaked me out in the
book (I was like ten). I knew I wanted Harry and Ginny together
from CoS on because I knew that's what Ginny wanted.
I didn't realize the parallels until I was a bit older, but I
remember being incredibly disappointed when Harry noticed Cho in
POA. Poor Ginny :-[ .
#Post#: 3896--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: JustCallMeTaylor Date: September 2, 2011, 3:44 pm
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[quote author=kamikaze ginny link=topic=396.msg3893#msg3893
date=1314996054]
thanks!
Ginny has been my favorite character since CoS. I was just
entering Middle School when I read it and I found her easily
relatable. The disembodied voice really freaked me out in the
book (I was like ten). I knew I wanted Harry and Ginny together
from CoS on because I knew that's what Ginny wanted.
I didn't realize the parallels until I was a bit older, but I
remember being incredibly disappointed when Harry noticed Cho in
POA. Poor Ginny :-[ .
[/quote]
I know :'(
But, at least they got together in the end!!
I don't know if you know this, but she's my favorite character
also ;D
#Post#: 3908--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 2, 2011, 4:31 pm
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Actually I didn't know that! It's nice to meet another Ginny
fan. I feel like there are so few of us!
#Post#: 3913--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chamber of Secrets - Rowling's Fairy-tale
By: JustCallMeTaylor Date: September 2, 2011, 4:37 pm
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I know, it's sad... I honestly don't get why people hate her so
much
She's awesome, and hilarious
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