Episode #66: Introducing Patterns in Potter
It’s finally time. It’s been several months since Deathly Hallows came out, we’ve discussed most of what there is to discuss relating to the characters, the themes, the news that came out after the book was released. It’s time to move on. But don’t worry, by move on, we don’t mean stop talking about Harry Potter! No, it’s time to go back, back to the beginning…where it all…began. It’s time to start talking about, what I humbly have dubbed (and have been hinting at for a while): Patterns in Potter (can you hear the echo of ominousness?). In this episode, we introduce the Patterns in Potter theory, and give some examples. For the next few weeks we’re going to be discussing the books, in order, using the Patterns in Potter pattern. So make sure to listen, because this stuff will be on the final exam.
If you want to cheat (or can’t listen to the show), check out the original blog post.
And: we want your help! For each episode, we want your thoughts, comments and ideas. Either email them to us (harrypotterprogs AT yahoo DOT com) or record your thoughts on an mp3 and email them to us. We’ll incorporate them into the show.
In the News:
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix nominated for 2 BAFTA awards.
- Will Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie be split into 2?
- JK Rowling and WB have filed a full injunction against RDR Publishers and Steve Vander Ark to stop the HP-Lexicon from being published.
- First set of all seven signed Harry Potter books was auctioned off in Scotland to support a rugby club.
- The Vatican is stirring up the anti-Potter waters again.
You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.
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Tags: Books, dumbledore, Harry Potter, literature, philosophy, snape
January 18th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I left this comment on the Washington Post page you linked too.
I think the Catholic Church should worry more about what evils its own priest have been doing rather than try to get publicity bashing childrens books. I have read Harry Potter as have my children and it is nothing more than a good against evil battle where good wins. There are so many other questionable things our children are exposed too that go unaddressed so this doesn’t hold water at all. The Catholic church hss a history of twisting pagan holidays and reinventing them to suit their needs and views. Given the past history of this church and it’s currentsins it is guilty of against children I think that it’s role in establishing any guidelines in morality is now worth as much as a wooden nickle. Perhaps they will use the money obtained from the faithful to continue to buy the silence of it’s victims and distract us by attacking a popular story that has done much more good than the Catholic Church can remember.When faith in God and Jesus is strong and parents do what they can and care anyone can see that it is the leaders of the church that are the true danger to our kids and not a fictional boy wizard in a popular story.
January 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Great podcast, and I’m looking forward to this Patterns in Potter series.
I think a clarification is needed about the Catholic discussion on Harry Potter. The media is reporting this in a sensational way, as usual, spilling copious amounts of ink on the Catholics who are against Potter and very little on balanced reporting. The Washington Post article is a good example. The Vatican newspaper didn’t come out unequivocally against Potter. It published two essays, one for, one against. The WP reports this, but only reports the content of the “against” article, making it look like Catholics are involved in a unified anti-Potter crusade for silly reasons.
Granger wrote a few years back that even the reporting on the Pope’s concerns with Potter was not fair or accurate.
That said, if you do manage to get B16 on your podcast, I want to be a guest again for that one
January 18th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Will do, Travis. I can promise you that.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Hey, I’ve been a long time listener who has never commented before but I’m loving your plan to break down the series book by book and look at it as a cohesive whole with patterns rather than separate entities. I’ve also noticed very apparent connections that unify the series, but I look at a different overlying pattern that you might want to include.
The series has seven books that are essentially organized into two trilogies (the first three books and the last three books) hinged together by the fourth book. The first three are lighter and juvenile without any understanding of a “greater plan”. The transition from the first trilogy to the second trilogy is the resurrection of Voldemort which arouses a more complex intertwined plot that the reader soon learns has been brewing all along. Books 1 through 3 continue to raise questions while books 5 through 6 answer questions.
Another important note on this is that the seven books have a parallel structure. That is to say, book 1 mirrors book 7, book 2 with book 6, and book 3 with book 5. I won’t go into detail about how this is done because many of the comparisons are obvious.
The Harry Potter story as a whole follows a traditional story line, with the first trilogy rising out of the introduction towards the fourth book which is the climax, followed by the second trilogy which descends to the conclusion.
Anyway, I’m not sure if this was the right place to post this but I’m new to your website and I just wanted to throw my thoughts into this topic. I wish I could read along as you go through the books but unfortunately I didn’t bring any of mine to college with me.
Can’t wait to see what you have in store!
Kira
January 18th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I was just too excited to listen to this podcast to wait to get it on my iPod. I’m really looking foward to listen to these as I reread the books! You usually cover all of my thoughts in the podcast, but if I think of anything else interesting, I’ll let you know.
One of my favorite parts in all of the books is the time Harry spends with the Dursleys. It’s nice to have that lighter, comical time at the beginning instead of diving headfirst into the complex wizarding world. As I reread I’m looking to see how, from those summers Harry spends with the Dursleys, the Dursleys change, because I mainly read that part for the entertainment aspect instead of really analyzing and thinking about it. (mainly in the first few books, because there are some very obvious changes in the last few.)
I like Kira’s thinking on the overall structure of the books. That’s how I’ve always viewed the books: 1-3 the first trilogy, 4 the connector, and 5-7 the second trilogy. The part about 1 & 7, 2 & 6, and 3 & 5 mirroring each other is especially interesting; I don’t think I’ve thought of that before! Great thinking, Kira! It’ll be nice to hear other people’s opinion on the show — not that I’m getting bored of hearing Greg and Penny talk, by any means.
And I have to add that I love Greg’s quote: “Bad PR move on Voldemort’s part.”
January 18th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
I’ve been thinking about what Kira said, and I agree about the books mirroring each other. It seems so obvious now that you mention it. I’m curious to see if your reasons (or anyone else’s reasons) match up to the ones I’m thinking of, though.
January 18th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
By the way, I really like your idea of having other people send mp3 files and featuring them on the show. I might steal your idea for my own.
January 19th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
It won’t let me post anything nice.
January 21st, 2008 at 5:31 am
Very interesting and thought provoking idea. Count me in for the discussion.
I think the pattern may also be able to include a – reinforcement of the theme – in a ‘Dumbledore heart-to-heart’ scene following the major confrontation. (of course the nature of the DD scene is very different in books six and seven…)
January 21st, 2008 at 9:44 am
and to all the Patriot fans – watch out we’ve got Grawp!!!
January 21st, 2008 at 11:37 am
I want to echo Travis on the Vatican thing. C’mon folks, do a little googling and leave your biases at the door
January 21st, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Great podcast once again. Just one thing. Greg, Mythbusters disproved that whole if you sneeze with your eyes open, you’ll blow your eyes out of your head. Sorry.
January 22nd, 2008 at 7:25 pm
its a bummer about the guy who was going to play joker how he’s died
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:55 pm
yea i saw that one
January 24th, 2008 at 9:37 am
[...] « Episode #66: Introducing Patterns in Potter [...]
January 26th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
I think that there are definitly patterns in the HP books, but not so much that they are repetetive. For instance, the books usually start slowly, and pick up towards the end. It is usually quite a few chapters in that Harry actually does anything very important or gets to Hogwarts. These lenghs do vary year to year, and that stops it from becoming one plot with different additional characters and objects.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:45 am
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