PoA 2 :: Plugs 'n' recs

[pauraque_bk]

PoA 2: Aunt Marge's Big Mistake

Dudley had spent most of the summer in the kitchen, his piggy little eyes fixed on the screen and his five chins wobbling as he ate continuously. (18)

Others have remarked on the grotesque Roald-Dahl qualities of the Dursleys, certainly evident in this chapter. Interesting that it's Muggle "reality" that's portrayed as exaggerated fantasy, while the descriptions of things that go on in the magical world tend to be more restrained. The WW is more "normal" to Harry.

'No need to tell us he's no good,' snorted Uncle Vernon, staring over the top of his newspaper at the prisoner. 'Look at the state of him, the filthy layabout! Look at his hair!' (18)

I cracked up here. Also, clever allusion to Harry's judgmental attitude towards Snape's appearance. One of a number of parallels in the descriptions of Sirius and Snape, which we'll see later on.

'Exactly,' said Harry, looking calmly up into Uncle Vernon's large, purple face. 'It's a lot to remember. I'll have to make it sound convincing, won't I? What if I accidentally let something slip?' (21)

Ah, Harry's a manipulative little thing. I wonder if he seriously thinks Vernon would have signed his permission form? I guess he does, but it doesn't seem likely to me.

'You mustn't blame yourself for the way the boy's turned out, Vernon [...] You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup--' (24)

Whoa! This is right up there with OotP's "enough effing owls" for shock value. I doubt they'll be able to get it into the movie, which is unfortunate, since it's Marge's best/worst line.

The main thing that strikes me about this chapter is how *awful* Aunt Marge really is. When JKR tries to get me to hate a character, it frequently doesn't work (Snape, Peter, Bellatrix... Voldemort, I guess), but occasionally she gets it really right, as with Umbridge, and as with Aunt Marge. Her obnoxiousness is consistent and excellently done, and definitely makes Harry's outburst understandable.

JKR is pretty good at doing all types of obnoxious-yet-prosaic behavior, actually, even when we end up sympathizing with the character. Draco's snottiness, Snape's relentless grudge-holding, Lupin's passive aggression... All ring very true to me. She has a good ear for it.

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Plugs:

-genfic_hogwarts is going along swimmingly so far, which makes me happy. This might be of particular interest, by the way, to those friends of mine who may enjoy the occasional fic, but aren't really in fandom and don't have fandomish tastes.

-idlerat is attempting to organize a fandom fundraiser for MoveOn.org. This is interesting, as I've never seen an overtly political fundraiser in a fandom before. Fundraisers for disease research and charity, yes. For an election? This could be a first.

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Recs:

You know when you read a fic with a premise you've read a hundred times before, and you suddenly realize that *this* is it, *this* is the definitive take on Krycek-in-the-silo, or Dark Lord Harry, or whatever it is?

"Blank" (PG-13) by switchknife is just such a fic. Has Sirius-in-Azkaban ever been done with such raw lyrical grace?

...he turns his head to see dark hair, whipped and tangled, a flash of teeth, joy-feral, eyes bright and hazel behind the glint of glass...


Also, the astounding nicolthewhore has written me a slick, nasty, visceral Peter ficlet called "Chilling" (NC-17, disturbing). I asked for Peter/any Marauder, and I certainly got that... and oh so much more. To say anything else would spoil it.

A dry rustling, like cloth dragging across the floor, and Peter sits up, wide-eyed, straining to hear which direction the noise came from. Something cold slithers across his shoulder, trails down his back, flits across his thigh. Peter jerks from the sudden touch, whips his head back.

"W-who..."


Why are you still here? Go read!

Comments

[glitterdemon.livejournal.com]

Last one, I swear. You just have some amazing insights into this book, and it's my favorite, so I can't help but jump in. :)

Interesting that it's Muggle "reality" that's portrayed as exaggerated fantasy, while the descriptions of things that go on in the magical world tend to be more restrained.

I was talking to a friend of mine a while ago who has read the books but is non-fannish, and when I was telling him about the fandom and its fanfic in particular, I mentioned that there was a tendency in fic to address the abuse issues with Harry and the Dursleys in a way that was hardly even touched in canon. I told him that, personally, I have issues with the fact that we see little if any of the effect of their treatment of Harry once Harry is able to leave them. When he answered I realized I'd been looking at it much less from a literary vantage point than one of realism, when I should have been doing the former. What he said about it was, essentially, what you've said here, that it is because Harry has never identified with the Muggle world. There is less realism there than in the WW for him, so it stands that it is able to affect him less.

You or someone who commented mentioned how OotP shows this all turning on its head; Harry wants to go back to his "reality," but it turns out being worse than the limbo he lives in at the Dursleys. A desegregation b/w the WW and the Muggle world was also brought up. I haven't been able to reread OotP since it was released; I'd be interested in going back and seeing exactly how the Dursleys are portrayed (though I do seem to recall Dudley seeming much more like a real bully than a caricature of a bully). But I do remember that there seems to be a breakdown in the separation between the two worlds. Actually, throughout all the books, magic in the Muggele world has steadily more frightening and potentially permanent effects (all on the Dursleys, you'll notice): PS/SS, the Dursleys' home is invaded by letters and owls, Dudley gets trapped in the empty snake tank; CoS, Dobby ruins Vernon's business deal (and is it book canon that Vernon falls out of the window?); PoA, Marge is blown up; GoF, Dudley almost chokes to death on a Ton-Tongue Toffee; and the grand finale, OotP, in which Dudley is nearly Kissed by a dementor. In OotP, there's also the appearance of Arabella Figg, a woman whom Harry believed to be firmly entrenched in the Muggle world who turns out to have ties to both. So I think your observation is of particular notice and importance.

[pauraque]

Good points here, particularly:

When he answered I realized I'd been looking at it much less from a literary vantage point than one of realism, when I should have been doing the former.

and

A desegregation b/w the WW and the Muggle world was also brought up. I haven't been able to reread OotP since it was released; I'd be interested in going back and seeing exactly how the Dursleys are portrayed (though I do seem to recall Dudley seeming much more like a real bully than a caricature of a bully). But I do remember that there seems to be a breakdown in the separation between the two worlds.

The Dursleys did seem more nuanced in OotP. And don't forget the revelation of the connection between Petunia and Dumbledore. Harry's worlds are colliding.