If you take a look at Vladimir Propp's 1928 book "Morphology of the Folk Tale," which lists just about every convention ever used in fairy tales, you can check off, one by one, the devices that Rowling has unabashedly picked up. At the beginning of the story, Propp says, the villain harms someone in the hero's family. (The evil wizard Voldemort murdered Harry's good-wizard parents when the boy was a year old, and tried to kill him, too.) The hero is branded. (Voldemort's attack left Harry with a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead.) The hero is banished. (Harry is forced to go live with his loathsome aunt and uncle, the Dursleys.) The hero is released. (Harry is finally informed that he is a wizard, and goes off to live at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.) The hero must survive ordeals, seek things, acquire a wise helper, all of which Harry does. The villain must change form and leave bloody trails; Voldemort obliges.
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Postado por caio em novembro 19, 2001 6:11 AMbut would u say harry's tale is characterized by villainy or lack, in line with propp's morphology? does it not follow that to overcome this lack, the w function wud involve harry either gaining his parents or vanquishing LV? the former will not happen, as JKR has already specified - the latter is also far from a given. HP certainly does not follow all 31 of Propp's functions.
Postado por: Sahana em junho 28, 2005 8:33 PM