The official webforum of the The-Leaky-Cauldron.org LeakyNews.com: Leaky Info | Potter News | Features | Interactive | Galleries | The Books | The Films | For Fun

Leaky Lounge

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )
The Rules : FAQ : Search : Member List : Sitemap

Forum News: All you ever wanted to know about Jo's Book Nook
Hot Thread: PoA Animal Poll in the HP Book Club.
Mod Thread: David Tennant - Actor of the Month Discussion

Leaky Lounge > HP-Related Discussion: Diagon Alley > HP Book Discussion: Flourish and Blotts > Academic Analysis: Obscurus Books

 
 Reply to this topicStart new topic
What is the largest flaw in Harry Potter?
drodrey
post Jun 22 2009, 06:21 PM
Post #1
Just Through the Brick Wall


*

Posts: 2
Joined: 10:39pm April 28, 2009
I'm competing in a 'tribook tournament' where a Harry Potter fan, Twilight Fan and Percy Jackson fan all attempt to win for their book. I'm representing Harry Potter and the first task is an essay on what I think is the biggest flaw in Harry Potter.

I'm finding it extremely difficult. I've spent the last ten years making up excuses as to why Harry Potter flaws aren't actually flaws. Basically all I've got is deus ex machina, Harry Potter as a character and unoriginality. But I can't actually elaborate on them. Any ideas?
Go to the top of the page
Profile CardPM
+Quote Post
 
 Start new topic
Replies
SeveraSphyrna
post Jun 22 2009, 07:35 PM
Post #2
Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher


**

Posts: 195
Joined: 11:46pm June 12, 2009
QUOTE(drodrey @ Jun 22 2009, 06:21 PM) *
I've spent the last ten years making up excuses as to why Harry Potter flaws aren't actually flaws. Basically all I've got is deus ex machina, Harry Potter as a character and unoriginality. But I can't actually elaborate on them. Any ideas?


Hmmm...some ideas...

Deus ex machina

Book 1: Harry's mother's sacrifice saves Harry from Voldemort!Quirrell
Book 2: Fawkes saves Harry from the Baselisk and its venom
Book 4: Priori incantatem saves Harry from Voldemort
These were all foreshadowed in the books, though, so I'm not sure they came out of nowhere.

Book 7 is the worst for this though...off the top of my head...

The sword of Gryffindor in the pond (yeah, Snape put it there, but it happened to come at the right time)---and then again when Neville got it out of the sorting hat.

The Deluminator having powers that no one knew about before (transport, finding people, etc.)

The snitch having skin memory

People being able to use patronuses like cell phones

Wand magic---you could right an entire essay about this.

Ron remembering the parseltongue phrase to open the Chamber of Secrets after five years, even though he only heard it once and was basically imitating the noises.

Dumbledore coming back to explain the plot to Harry at King's Cross

You may want to check out this forum---there was a pretty good discussion of DeM (what was, what wasn't, etc.):
http://www.leakylounge.com/Deus-Machina-HP...ies-t64139.html

Unoriginality

Well, DH turns into a quest story, so it has all of the trappings of previous quest novels, the most obvious one is LotR, off the top of my head.

the Deathly Hallows (there's even a ring!)

Characters:
Aragog as Shelbob
Dumbledore as Gandalf
Kreature as Gollum/Smeagol
Wormtail as Wormtongue (some people think Snape is Wormtongue)
Dementors as ringwraiths
I'm sure there's a website out there with all of the comparisons, since this is the one that has been most-referenced (in my searching, at least).

Not sure what you're looking for in terms of Harry's character though...

Do you mean character flaws (i.e. at times, insolent, not that bright, etc.) or contradictions (i.e. spell use, behavior, etc.)?

If you're looking for the latter, the use of unforgivable curses comes to mind---he can't use crucio against Bellatrix in OotP after she kills Sirius, but can use it when Amycus Carrows spits on MacGonagall (?). Not sure I buy that he was able to "mean it" when someone spit on his teacher, but didn't mean it when someone killed his godfather...

Have you ever read the Deathly Hallows Spork?
It goes chapter by chapter through Deathly Hallows and it's a pretty good record of various problems, including Deus ex Machina, plot holes, etc. (and it's fun to read, even if you enjoyed the books).
http://community.livejournal.com/deadlyhollow/2663.html


--------------------
Go to the top of the page
Profile CardPM
+Quote Post

Posts in this topic
- drodrey   What is the largest flaw in Harry Potter?   Jun 22 2009, 06:21 PM
- - Zoom   Eh, I don't really agree with deus ex machina....   Jun 22 2009, 06:31 PM
- - Zoom   QUOTEBook 1: Harry's mother's sacrifice sa...   Jun 22 2009, 09:16 PM
|- - SeveraSphyrna   QUOTE(Zoom @ Jun 22 2009, 09:16 PM) Also,...   Jun 22 2009, 11:34 PM
- - ABrannock   His biggest flaw is he's foolish, not dumb, ju...   Jun 22 2009, 09:45 PM
- - lupinwandcaster   Stop! This is ruining the book!   Jun 22 2009, 09:50 PM
- - Kalin   I think the major flaw is that the plot and a lot ...   Jun 23 2009, 01:33 AM
- - drodrey   Thank you so so so much. Honestly that is amazing,...   Jun 23 2009, 03:18 AM
|- - MaraudingDon   QUOTE(drodrey @ Jun 23 2009, 07:18 PM) Th...   Jun 25 2009, 09:40 PM
- - ChristianWizardWorld   QUOTEBasically all I've got is deus ex machina...   Jun 25 2009, 10:07 AM
- - no1hpfan   I think the biggest flaw is how much she (Rowling)...   Jun 25 2009, 03:45 PM
- - Caracticus   The biggest flaw, for me, comes near the end... H...   Jun 25 2009, 09:28 PM
|- - roonwit   QUOTE(Caracticus @ Jun 26 2009, 03:28 AM)...   Jun 26 2009, 05:21 AM
- - lupinwandcaster   The fact that Lupin died was the biggest flaw.   Jun 27 2009, 09:11 PM
|- - MaraudingDon   QUOTE(lupinwandcaster @ Jun 28 2009, 01:1...   Jul 3 2009, 07:27 PM
- - Doctor of the Books   I think that Rowling did a pretty good job on thes...   Jul 2 2009, 01:24 PM
|- - SeveraSphyrna   QUOTE(Doctor of the Books @ Jul 2 2009, 01...   Jul 3 2009, 08:40 PM
- - The_Courtezan   The part I couldn't quite reconcile was the Li...   Jul 2 2009, 03:09 PM
- - wickedboy   A nice flaw or plot hole is Snape being a loyal de...   Jul 4 2009, 05:24 AM
- - Marine   As for me, one of the biggest flaws was Harry...   Jul 4 2009, 06:48 AM

 

Reply to this topicStart new topic
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 

Powered By IP.Board 2.3.6 © 2010  IPS, Inc.
CommunitySEO 1.1.4 P1 © 2010  IPB SEO Module
Sorting is open now for Deathly Hallows! Follow this link.
Coming Up:
The Corner Booth is on Hiatus Join us in the New Year!
Come right in to the Shrieking Shack Arcade!
Shopping at the Cauldron Shop supports this forum!
IPS Driver Error

IPS Driver Error

There appears to be an error with the database.
You can try to refresh the page by clicking here