Double-Edge of Magical Objects and Memory, What is Rowling’s purpose depicting their double-edged nature? |
  Nov 12 2007, 03:36 PM
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Sundae-Nut-Chopper at Florean Fortescue's  Posts: 921 Joined: 10:41pm March 2, 2007 Location: Entering the Ministry of Magic    |
In 'Harry Potter: A Blue Peter Special.' Blue Peter (CBBC), July 20 2007, Rowling comments on the double-edged nature of magical objects in her Harry Potter universe:
QUOTE RHYS: If you can have one item from the world of Harry Potter, what would it be and why? JKR: Ummmm.... I think the Pensieve would be tempting. Very tempting. To be able to go back and relive moments and look at them from different angles would be wonderful, but quite frightening as well. The thing is, most of the magical objects in Harry Potter are double-edged in some way. There are very few objects that are straight -- that are completely benign. They all seem to have some sort of negative quality to them. So... it's how you use them. Rowling’s magical objects are inventive and often critical to the plot development, but she reminds us that there is a double-edged nature to most of them. The positive side of most of the objects is usually what captures our imagination, but often it is the negative side that deepens Rowling's plot development and underscores the many moral decisions that must be made when using them and the destructive consequences they may have. It is also interesting that many of the most powerful objects are involved with memory. I find the Resurrection Stone particularly interesting because of the psychological nature of its magic. It 'recalls' the dead and though it could be argued whether this is simply recollection or memory, Rowling implies through the Beedle the Bard tale that obsessing over memories can become addictive in much the same way looking into the Mirror of Erised could. The negative aspects of the Pensieve are more subtle, but we can clearly see some of the negative consequences of observing someone else's memory, through Harry's experience with Snape's memory. There is also the Horcrux Diary in which Voldamort stored the memories of his teenage self - and here, memory operates like a lure to destruction. I think Rowling uses many of these magical objects to explore abstract concepts such as feelings of loss, obsessions with power or with the past, and even the desire to be invisible. The list of magical objects is almost endless. What are your thoughts on the double-edged nature of these objects? This post has been edited by chloe squibbulus: Nov 12 2007, 08:45 PM -------------------- "I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! And now before we go to bed, let us sing the school song! Everyone pick their favorite tune...and off we go!" Dumbledore; Sorcerer's Stone. |
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