Blog #1 Prompt #2 Nothing is as it Seems

There are many expectations raised in this the first Harry Potter books. Harry who has had a pretty terrible life so far finds out that he is a wizard. He also gets to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I think Harry was just expecting to learn magic, which he does, but he also finds himself into trouble. He had initially expected Draco Malfoy to be the person who opened the chamber of secrets but was mistaken when he and Ron, disguised as Crabbe and Goyle, found out that Draco suspected Harry of being the heir of Slytherin and opened the chamber of secrets. The purpose of raising expectaions and then fail to fulfill them is to keep the reader to continue to reading the text. I know when I first read the Harry Potter series there were several things that I had expected. One expectation I had the first time I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was that I thought Malfoy was the person who opened the chamber of secrets. One example of how I can to this thought was that the way Malfoy disliked anyone who was muggle born. The entire Malfoy family that has been introduced so far in the first two books are true elitist. This is shown in the way Lucius and Draco speak of muggles and muggle born people. Lucius even tells Draco that he should be ashamed since Hermione is top of the class and she is a muggle born student.  

B1P1: How Psychology Has Changed Reading for Me

        I have read (and re-read) the first two Harry Potter books at three points in my life: first, at the beginning of elementary school; second, at the end of high school; and third, at the end of college. Each read has been different for me. Previously, I thought this was because of an increase in reading comprehension; although I still believe this, I am now analyzing the differences in my reading process based upon the prompt, “text and reader no longer confront each other as object and subject, but instead the ‘division’ takes place within the reader himself.”

        First, I’ll discuss changes in the way I read. Oddly enough I read much slower now than I did as a child. It took me around two days to read the first book; I was seven. It took me about a week to read it this time around. As a kid I took everything at face value, simply

enjoying the people and environment set before me. Now it’s difficult for me to read a chapter without back-tracking several times to analyze people’s personalities, thoughts, and interactions. I am reading the Harry Potter novels in the same manner I read a psychology

article or text. This new reading style is a slightly double-edged sword; I still find the books fascinating, but it is not because I’m swept up in the magic and fun of the world – it’s because I am dissecting the characters like lab rats.

        As with the magic, the connection I once felt to the characters has left. When I first read the books I felt strongly connected to Harry, most likely because the story was mainly told from his point of view. I would not say I feel connected to any of the characters; however, at this time the characters which most interest me are Dumbledore, Snape, and Malfoy. I believe my interest in them comes from my surprise at their characters development throughout the series. Perhaps Rowling deliberately kept these characters shrouded in mystery most of the time or maybe I didn’t pay enough attention to them – either way I am now looking at their actions much more closely during this reading than previously.

TL:DR I am now reading the Harry Potter books like I do psychology articles. I don’t necessarily connect with any of the characters; however, I am very interested in some and am following them more closely through the series than I previously did.

Blog #1, Prompt #2

            I feel as though this quote really registers with the Harry Potter books, because so often in the series, we are given red herrings and lead to believe one thing when something entirely different is actually true.  For example, throughout the entire second book, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are trying to figure out who opened the Chamber of Secrets, we are constantly having to “modify our expectations” while they explore the various possibilities. At first, we are lead to believe that Draco Malfoy might be the culprit. We go along with the trio as they use Polyjuice Potion to investigate, and end up realizing that he is not the Heir of Slytherin. After that, there is some suspicion that Hagrid might be the Heir of Slytherin, and we discover through some investigation and a discussion with a large spider, that Hagrid is not guilty either. We are continually introduced to new possibilites that might solve the mystery, and as soon as we think we have found the criminal, we are proved wrong and are pointed in a completely different direction.

I think that it is important to incorporate these red herrings into literature, because it really keeps the reader on their toes. It forces the reader to read the text with more care and pay more attention to the little things going on in the background in order for them to figure out what is really going on in the story. When a story is extremely predictable and has no essence of mystery, it gets quite cumbersome to read. A book that keeps the reader guessing and requires some thought, such as the books in the Harry Potter series, is a much more enjoyable and beneficial literary experience. 

Prompt 2: Snape, Snape, Severus Snape!

I think we can all agree that J.K. Rowling does an amazing job with this series. One of the things that is so great about this series is the way you are constantly surprised by it. Your expectations are constantly being modified, and because I am restricted to only talk about the first two books, I cannot fully explain how much she screws with your head. Even though there is some implied depth to Harry’s background and his future in The Sorcerer’s Stone, especially in the beginning, Rowling really makes this book into the classic hero vs. villain story. Even though there is an obvious villain that everyone fears, Lord Voldemort, Rowling paints Snape as the perfect villain. He hates Harry with an intense passion, he takes points from Gryffindor for no reason whatsoever, and he really does seem out to get Harry from the beginning. The fact that Rowling can paint such a dark figure like Snape and turn away from making him the “bad guy” is just good writing. Regardless of Snape turning out to be a good guy, well, not really a good guy, just not the villain attempting to steal the Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are still weary of him in The Chamber of Secrets. This tells me that Snape is going to be a reoccurring character that no one is ever very sure of. This brings so many questions! When is Snape going to show that he really is a terrible villain? If he doesn’t, when will he show compassion and really prove he is a good guy? Expectations not being met keep readers on the edge of their seats. That’s good writing.

Blog Post #1: Villainous Expectations

I definitely agree with Iser’s statement that “expectations are scarcely ever fulfilled in truly literary texts” (53). There are a lot of expectations that are raised that go unmet in the first two Harry Potter books, yet there is still a sense of satisfaction at the end of these two books. This goes along with the element of “mystery” that Rowling uses in this series. The key to a good mystery is to have a balance between providing evidence and perpetuating the feeling of the unknown. Rowling is excellent at this in comparison to other genre series. For the sake of comparison, I am going to use examples from two lesser-known book series’: Pretty Little Liars and The High Heel Mysteries. In Pretty Little Liars (the books, not the TV show) by Sara Shepard, someone is murdered in book one. We discover the identity of the murderer in book 8, and it ends up being someone who was never mentioned in the previous 7 books. This is an instance of not providing enough credible evidence in a mystery series in order to create a sense of satisfaction for readers. On the other hand, in The High Heel Mysteries series by Gemma Halliday, the murderer in each book is extremely obvious and the red herrings are not believable enough to lead most readers astray. Rowling, on the other hand, creates a satisfying reading experience by providing enough evidence of the real villain in each book while still expertly crafting red herrings to distract from the real evidence. For instance, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that either Harry or Draco might be the heir of Slytherin. Draco is in Slytherin and has a lot of prejudice and anger. Harry is a parselmouth and is hearing voices, which could suggest that he is not in complete control of his faculties. However, the real villain is Voldemort who is possessing Ginny. There is plenty of evidence in the book to cast suspicion on Ginny: she is often found trembling after people have been petrified, she seems more pale and nervous than usual, she suggested to Harry and Ron that she had information about the chamber that she needed to tell them in secret. However, despite all of this evidence, everything is written so subtly that it is not at all obvious that Ginny has any involvement until the end of the book. Likewise, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, it is far more obvious that Snape might be the villain because of his unpleasant demeanor. Thus, it is easy to miss the subtle signs about Quirrell: the turban’s strange scent, the fact that he was in charge of the troll, etc.

Rowling raises the expectations that we, as readers, can guess the identity of each villain, yet most people will guess incorrectly. Thus, our expectations of ourselves as readers are challenged, yet this creates a more satisfying reading experience. In part, it is more satisfying to guess the end of a mystery incorrectly than to guess correctly. However, other expectations are not met initially. For instance, in the first book, Harry wants to know why Voldemort targeted him. This is a very important question that readers also want answers to, yet Rowling does not answer the question in the first book. This is perhaps one of the reasons that people want to continue on with the series: in order to find more large-scale answers about the wizarding world. Yet, the question still is not answered in the second book. In my opinion, Rowling is incredibly successful in giving answers while still raising large questions throughout the series, but this is a risk that she takes. While I devoured each of these books while I was growing up and anxiously awaited reading each next book, there is a risk that some readers might become frustrated by the fact that it is necessary to read all seven books to really understand everything. I think that the key to her success is that each individual book has a mystery that is wrapped up and contained while there is still a larger mystery that is not wrapped up until the end of the series. 

And now, because I have rambled longer than the recommended 350 words, I will share an amusing photo about shattered Harry Potter expectations when it comes to aging: 

Blog Post 1, Prompt 1

Throughout the first two books of J.K. Rowling’s, Harry Potter series, Rowling draws the reader in and allows them to completely submerge themselves into the stories, almost feeling like the reader is certainly part of the dialogue themselves. As chapter after chapter through the first two years of Harry’s journey progresses, and also throughout the remaining five years, the reader has a thirst for more and more wanting to know what is going to happy next, or what adventure Harry, Ron, and Hermione will encounter in the future.  I had read the series while I was in elementary and middle school, without a doubt, growing up with Harry Potter. The character that I most identified with when I was younger was Hermione. I was always “that girl” in class that always knew the answer to every question asked. When I was younger, I was also the cautious one in my group of friends, saying “I don’t think that is a good idea”, or “You guys are going to get into trouble”.  As Hermione matured into the second book, I realized, now that I am reading the series again, that I identify with her more than ever. Hermione is becoming more fearless, yet she still is insanely smart, she isn't afraid to help Harry overcome his obstacle in the second book, such as when she was being daring by concocting the polyjuice potion in Moaning Myrtles bathroom. She knew that she had the potential to get caught, but she was being a true friend, trying to be selfless by helping Harry get information about the Chamber of Secrets. I have matured as well and have become more courageous the older I get, allowing me as the reader, to identify with Hermione the most. 

-Alexandra Stevenson 

The "Insufferable Know-It-All"

I identify with Hermione most in this series. I was always pushed not just to participate but rather excel in everything I do. Whether it is my traditionally brilliant engineering parents or just my own intrinsic competition, I always strived to be my best and beat everyone around me. Thankfully, this mindset has worn off a bit since high school but at CCM we are constantly surrounded with passionate artists chomping at the bit to excel. From my perspective, Hermione doesn’t feel like an insufferable know-it-all rather fervent and eager.  Hermione’s character never annoyed me because it a way, I feel you should be that ardent when it comes to whatever you are passionate about. I think my competitive academic background and now the competitive nature of my theatrical world have constantly put me in a state where just participating was never good enough. Possibly people who have not been a part of an extremely competitive environment might find Hermione’s antics intolerable because they themselves have never felt so encompassed by their passion. Her passion is books and while mine is theater, I know how it feels to want to be the best.  

I feel like most people would say Hermione annoys them more than Ron did but to me, Ron was hands down one of the most maddening characters.  He just seemed to constantly complain about his standing rather than actively try to change anything. He also took every chance he could to be simply mediocre which is way more aggravating then an engaged student.  Let alone, without Hermione, Harry could never have accomplished half the things he was able to do. Hermione figured out Devil’s Snare and the Potions in book one and in book two, Hermione figured out the Basilisk and how it navigated the school.  Harry might be the figurehead but Hermione is the one that time and time again gets Harry to his heroic moment. Hermione is not an insufferable know-it-all; simply, her fervor is misunderstood.