Harry and his Foil-- A "foil" is a character with both similarities and differences with the protagonist.

Harry’s Foil

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Harry’s Foil

One thing to understand is that Rowling was consciously writing for children, and so her plotting is more DIRECTIVE than most. She’s actually teaching children how to read stories— what to watch out for, what to notice, what to anticipate, what to dread….

This is good for us. She’s not subtle in her plotting (though her prose style is more subtle, and her themes are quite deep). That means we can see as we read what she’s doing to set up events and developments and emotions that will come later.

For example, the moniker “The Boy Who Lived” sets up the oppositional aspect, that in every book, Harry faces death. (He does, of course, live, but it’s always a chance-run thing.) Opposition and juxtaposition are wonderful ways to underscore and emphasize deeper ideas— because they allow more complicated and nuanced themes.

So watch for interesting pairings— both “twins” and “opposites”— throughout the story. I noticed, for example, that Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom are twinned in the story. They meet first year/first day on the Hogwarts Express, and as awkward and naive as Harry—well, even more awkward than Harry. He becomes an “adjunct” to Harry— a roommate, a friend but not a best friend, the clumsy forgetful boy who needs to be protected— that is, the unHarry.

In the third book , though, Rowling starts “twinning” Harry and Neville. Writers must always remember that if it’s not somewhere on the page as “text”, the reader can’t “spin off” the questions and answers needed to create the “subtext”. So there’s a moment on the Night Bus when Harry has to use a fake name, and he says the first thing that comes to mind, “I’m Neville Longbottom.” So that whole scene, people call him Neville.

This sets up that however unprepossessing Neville is, there’s something about him which is like Harry. And here in the beginning of the middle of the series (third book), he’s definitely starting to be Harry’s “foil”— or the character who is like the protagonist in some ways, but unlike in others, and comes to a different fate because of the differences. (So Ron or Hermione would not be Harry’s foil, because neither of them have the most important similarity, as they both have functioning families. Harry and Neville, importantly, are both orphans.)

No spoilers here, except to say, of course, Harry and Neville turn out to have MANY similarities, and in fact Harry’s uniqueness might turn out to be something of an illusion.

Okay, spoiler… :) Come on, these books have been out for a generation now. It’s like the students who get upset when I talk about Casablanca and reveal, “Ilsa goes with Laszlo in the end.” Seriously, after almost 80 years, if you don’t know this greatest film… oh, btw, spoiler warning… the Allies beat the Nazis.

Anyway, re: Nevile and Harry, the prophecy that seems to point only to Harry:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...."— Sybill Trelawney's prophecy made to Albus Dumbledore

…. could just as well point to Neville, for all those elements are true of him too (except that the Voldemort underestimates Neville, as does everyone else).

So… point is, this revelation— that Neville could also be the chosen one— comes near the end of the series, but is set up when Harry accidentally chooses Neville’s name as his fake name.

More about the Sybil Trelawney’s prophecy.

Another odd Harry/Neville echo— in Goblet, when Harry is sneaking back to his room with the golden egg, he trips on exactly the stair Neville always trips on. This is mentioned specifically. It’s an important moment in the plot, because Harry interrupts Snape conspiring with Filch, and also gets an ally in Prof. Moody. Both of these events happen because Harry trips on Neville’s stair.

We can learn a lot from this children’s series! And it does repay re-reading. :) More later.

Alicia

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I'm re-reading the Harry Potter books, and taking notes on the plotting lessons.

Alas, I didn’t start keeping notes till Book 3, so I might have to re-read AGAIN.

Anyway, Rowling plots really well. It’s impressive. She sets up the character journey and all sorts of motifs in the opening of Book 1, and develops them over the next seven books. I’ll just note when I see something interesting that could teach us poorer writers something. :)

One thing to understand is that Rowling was consciously writing for children, and so her plotting is more DIRECTIVE than most. She’s actually teaching children how to read stories— what to watch out for, what to notice, what to anticipate, what to dread….

This is good for us. She’s not subtle in her plotting (though her prose style is more subtle, and her themes are quite deep). That means we can see as we read what she’s doing to set up events and developments and emotions that will come later.

For example, the moniker “The Boy Who Lived” sets up the oppositional aspect, that in every book, Harry faces death. (He does, of course, live, but it’s always a chance-run thing.) Opposition and juxtaposition are wonderful ways to underscore and emphasize deeper ideas— because they allow more complicated and nuanced themes.

So watch for interesting pairings— both “twins” and “opposites”— throughout the story. I noticed, for example, that Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom are twinned in the story. They meet first year/first day on the Hogwarts Express, and as awkward and naive as Harry—well, even more awkward than Harry. He becomes an “adjunct” to Harry— a roommate, a friend but not a best friend, the clumsy forgetful boy who needs to be protected— that is, the unHarry.

More coming!

Here is a link to a list and summary of the Potter books.