Comments on: Mail Bag: GB Shaw Hat Tip in ‘Deathly Hallows’?

By: Remus Lonno

Remus Lonno — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:35:08 +0000

I might have implied that Jo Rowling was making a homage to My Fair Lady in Deathly Hallows, but this is precious! Someone actually went to the trouble of doing researching to debunk an idle fancy. Idle fancies are the primary content of my posts on Leaky.

That’s one dangerous theory put to rest, at least. I wonder what you would have thought of my much more carefully thought out and precisely worded theses on the improbability of Snape being a vampire, and of the equal unlikelihood of Harry dying — also posted on Leaky.

By: inked

inked — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:03:07 +0000

To be a theme or trope, shouldn’t the concept alluded to have a pattern or trail of presentation in the main story? I find that when I read a short story or novel at depth and let my conscious mind free associate during that process, I often get transient flashes or connections which fail to hold up under careful consideration. It’s not that they could not have significance, but let’s face it, as big as London is, it still has a finite series of points in this universe. It is not unlikely therefore that many authors will utilize places in dissimilar works which have only the location in common but not a thematic identity. What I should like to see to gather that one is to make such identifications is a multiple usage or strongly anchored use and series of references that make it more than itself.

The road mentioned is unknown to me sufficiently that I made no connection even to the other authors’ uses. What I did gather from reading was that it was a most clogged and busy place, a wonderful location to become lost in the crowd. Should JKR have said Picadilly Circus would it have worked as well? Yes, for me at least.

In contradistinction, the persistent usage of Kings Cross as a location does bear up to deeper meaning because of its pattern and trail through the books. So I would have to say this suggested relationship focused solely on the one time usage is NOT indicative of a hat tip to Shaw. It is a coincidence of locational usage crowded with authors who needed to convey the settings’ useful stage properties only but not indicating a deeper meme.

By: Arabella Figg

Arabella Figg — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:28:39 +0000

Re the Tottenham Court Road reference. I agree with you, John. Why you might have to then also consider Goodge Street staion. Folksinger Donovan wrote a song called “Sunny Goodge Street,” an “acidic” flight of gibberish in the vein of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Why, is “firefly platform of Sunny Goodge street” a parallel to Platform 9 3/4?

If you seek to find some kind of meaning in the most common place names, you’ll be so into “pointless” needles, you’ll never see the trees. Rowling is clever enough with her own place names, such as the Dursleys’ Little Whinging (petty whining/complaint).

Speaking of complaint, some kitties need fed…