Throughout the first two Harry
Potter books (and the entire rest of the series) there are an extraordinary
amount of twists and turns that take the reader on an exciting adventure.
Twists are nothing new in literature, and they serve many common purposes in a
variety of books. J.K. Rowling mastered the ability to keep her readers
guessing throughout her novels. The first two books let us know very early on
in the series that things are almost never what they seem in the wizarding
world.
In Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Rowling develops Snape’s character in a
way that convinces most readers that he must be the one after the Sorcerer’s
Stone. Not only that, but she makes the real villain, Professor Quirrel, seem
like the most unlikely suspect. The same thing happens in Chamber of
Secrets when it seems that Draco Malfoy is the clear Heir of Slytherin, and
then the focus turns somewhat to Hagrid, until SURPRISE! The true “culprit” is
sweet little Ginny Weasley (and a reincarnation of Lord Voldemort, of course). This
combination of expectations causes a number of reactions in the reader when
these expectations are not fulfilled. For one thing, these twists keep the
reader intrigued and excited, which is absolutely essential to the series—who would
continue on reading thousands of pages if you could predict the ending every
time? Also, it indicates that people and things are much more complex than they
may seem at the surface level. Snape is undoubtedly horrible to Harry, which
makes us believe him to be a villain in the first novel, which he still is to
some degree. There is no denying that he is a difficult character to like or understand.
However, the fact that he was the one trying to save Harry’s life and protect
the Sorcerer’s Stone throws a small wrench in our original feelings about him.
Ginny Weasley is the sweet innocent girl that we originally thought her to be,
but that doesn’t mean that she is immune to evil. It emphasizes one of the main
themes throughout the series that you cannot “judge a book by its cover,” or
anticipate things about people without knowing their true motivations.
These twists not only
keep the reader interested, but they also allow for wonderful character
development. J.K. Rowling manages to make so many of her characters dynamic and
complex, yet keeps them extremely consistent through seven lengthy and complex
novels. I think this shows her brilliance as a storyteller, and takes both
talent and skill. The only thing that you can truly expect in her novels is
that good will battle evil, but sometimes “good” and “evil” are more difficult
to identify than they seem.
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