But, I mean, when did Dobby even become a character I would cry over? Remember back in the innocent days of the Chamber of Secrets when we were all like 'UGH DOBBY'? Now I just feel bad for ever feeling that way about a hero amongst elves, and I really love the way Harry reacts to his death- a mixture of gratitude and deep pain at another friend he's lost along the way. Digging the grave with his bare hands? Way to make me cry, JK.
(No, but seriously, Dobby is STILL annoying in CoS. I stand by that.)
Oooh, and here's a thing. I think that a really nice touch in this book is the way that saying 'Voldemort' has become a taboo that has actual consequences. Like, before it was just taboo to say, as if saying it was going to bring him back, or meant he was going to listen to you or something, and people just didn't like saying or hearing it. And Dumbledore worked tirelessly to try and make sure that Harry, at least, wasn't scared of a word, and made him feel like saying it gave him extra strength. But then in this book, all of that flips and it becomes LITERALLY dangerous to say it. And I don't know if that's some kind of nod to Dumbledore's foolishness, or if it's just a kind of nifty thing to have done, but DAMN I like it.
Now, before the bullet points, a moment of silence for this week's death list:
Death Count: Too many for an actual number: Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Gornuk the goblin, a family of five unnamed muggles, DOBBY, an unspecified number of Death Eaters, probably countless others.
Death Count Overall: Who can even say?
- I completely forgot that Ron DIDN'T go back to The Burrow in his... hiatus, but I appreciate the implication that the Weasleys (with the probable exception of Molly) wouldn't exactly have welcomed him with open arms. Damn, they're awesome.
- I definitely mentioned this in my post on Beedle the Bard, but I STILL think it's awesome that the three of them each pick a different Hallow as the best, and it's totally indicative of their characters- Ron wants something that will make him better than someone, Harry wants something to give him back the people he's lost, and Hermione wants something to keep them all safe. It's just... Yes.
- But ALSO this time I noticed that in the story of the Three Brothers, it says that the second brother (i.e. Harry's choice) was the most arrogant, and isn't that INTERESTING? Considering that Snape (AUGH, Snape. Sorry, had a flashforward.) has always said that Harry's all arrogant and all? Interesting indeed.
- Are we going to talk about how Harry has Draco's 'wand' now? And about how it works really well for him and sparks come out of the end and stuff? Because... I think that's something we need to be talking about! And did we also see Draco refusing to confirm Harry et al's identities? I know I've been the most reluctant about this Draco-Harry thing, but... Wow. Just, wow.
- I hate Bellatrix so much. YOU CAN'T JUST TORTURE HERMIONE AND KILL DOBBY WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!
Also, I have issues with the bit where Hermione says using Bellatrix's wand feels all gross, and Harry has to restrain himself from saying that the wand is only as good as it's master. Because, how about THAT WAND JUST FUCKING TORTURED HERMIONE YOU IDIOT. God, he's insensitive.
- "Ron said 'Blimey, a baby!' as if he had never heard of such a thing before." Oh Ron. You moron.
- Remember how much I liked the whole SITUATIONESS of the situation in the Ministry? How awesome is the one in Gringotts?! I really just have to take my hat off to JK for these actiony scenes of awesomeness. Really.
- Aberforth has a goat Patronus.
- NEVILLE! Neville has made his first appearance of the book, so obviously everything is going to be fine now! (Shhh, don't tell me anything else.)
So yeah. That's 3/4 of the Deathly Hallows done, then. In a way it feels like loads has happened, but in another way, it feels like NONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS have happened. Which bodes really well for this coming week, except that it's the last week and after this I'm going to have to find a life or something and what am I going to doooooo?!
Ooooooh Dobby. I also kind of hate him in the Chamber of Secrets, although I do still always cheer when Harry frees him at the end :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd Neville is amazing. The film kind of made me really happy about him because it showed that you can totally be a hero while wearing a cardigan.
And that is the limit of my helpful input for this week :-p
Yeah, it's a very weird thing with Dobby- I think it's like, you want him to be ok, but you don't necessarily want to see him all the time? Like some more annoying family members hehe.
DeleteYou can OF COURSE be a hero whilst wearing a cardigan! Also I might need to watch the movie now if Neville is in a CARDIGAN (eeeee!)
Everyone's post next week will be HUGE because there is so much to happen (like the stuff in the room of requirement? That shit is cray!) and it's all emotional and gahhhhh!
ReplyDeleteI love how they twist the taboo - but I don't think it's a statement about Dumbledore being foolish, because I think he's right when he said "fear of the name increases the fear of the thing itself". I think it's just an example of how Voldemort knows how to use people and influence them. He knew that Harry and co were using his name, and he had to reintroduce a reason for them to fear it.
I KNOW! I am going to need about 10 posts and 10 boxes of tissues next week. It's going to be rough.
DeleteYeah, I read Sarah's post and her thing about the taboo was way smarter and made more sense than mine (as in, by not saying his name, they handed Voldy a weapon because he can weed out the ones who defy him the most.) But I still think it's an awesome thing!
Definitely awesome.
DeletePoor, poor Dobby. See this is why even in CoS I'm all "But he's so great!" cause in the end he's totally the bestest.
ReplyDeleteYou guys all have dirty, filthy minds when it comes to this wand business. Somehow I always COMPLETELY miss these things, and then ya'll point them out, and it makes me laugh.
I saw your comment on my blog about the Taboo thing :) and I like how you point out that saying Voldemort before was taboo b/c people we just all superstitious but now it has actual dangerous consequences! Yes! JK is a genius, sometimes.
Aw, he is. But that doesn't stop him from being annoying earlier! He's a fully rounded annoying and then not-annoying character. It's awesome.
DeleteSARAH! The wand stuff is so the funniest! We are totally dirty though :)
Ah, I enjoy that we both love the taboo, and you definitely explained it better than me! But I do love that they have to get used to being afraid of the name FOR ACTUAL REASONS, as opposed to before when it was just, you know, symbolically scary.
No, Dobby is annoying in COS. It's undeniable. I did not really hop all the way onto the Dobby train until the fifth book, because that's when he gets to do fun stuff like fight with Kreacher and help Harry figure out what Malfoy's doing.
ReplyDeleteAw, yes, Dobby and Kreacher are awesome together, but I also quite like him when he tries to help out Winky and she's just not having it in GoF! Bless him.
DeleteThe way Harry and even the others react to Dobby's death gets me so more than Dobby's death itself.
ReplyDeleteI also included a clapping gif for the whole Voldie's name is taboo thing because that was clever.
Bahahahahaha Harry having Draco's wand and those implications. Yes, thank you for that. I think I made zero wand jokes in my post, which is unacceptable.
I'm afraid for the next week's reading...
Yeahhh- I think I just generally cried at the actual moment of his death, and THEN when Luna was cute, and THEN when it was all like 'he couldn't have left Dobby in a more beautiful place but it made his heart ache to leave him' or whatever. UGH.
DeleteALL THE WAND JOKES!! That's all I ever wanted from this readalong (apparently!) hahaha.
I am not going to be able to COPE with this weeks reading. I think I'm going to do it tomorrow. I'm preparing for the sadness already.
I need to rethink my normal plan of listening to the chapters during my commute. I can't be crying on the train. Besides I think I'll need to be drinking while I read.
DeleteI so agree about Dobby. I don't retract anything I said about his annoyingness, because he was. But in Book 6 and Book 7, he actually becomes a *character* and not a *caricature*, which makes all the difference.
ReplyDeleteI am ALL ABOUT the Drarry wand innuendos in this book. And they always seemed to come (see what I did there?) at the most dire moments so that I could laugh even when I was sad or when my heart was in my throat.
Aberforth. I feel like there could be an entire book of backstory about him. But how cool is it that JKR probably knew he had a goat patronus back in book one? She plays a long game, that one.
You are so so right. Ugh, Dobby.
DeleteHAHAHAHAHA, I do see what you did there! And they are remarkably well entered into (See what I did there) the text. Juuust when you think you might die of sadness, everything is ok because Harry is touching Draco's wand.
Indeed she does. I would love to read an Aberforth backstory, but I kind of wish all the Dumbledore stuff wasn't in this book? I don't know, it's kind of the least interesting to me out of everything, I think. But only in THIS context.
Oh, you TWO. You make me laaaaugh and laugh, you do.
DeleteThank you, Laura, for following JK's lead and giving us a penis joke to bolster our spirits.
ReplyDeleteYES, HRH's Hallows choices are so fantastic. And I didn't catch that Harry chooses the Hallow that belonged to the most arrogant brother! Innnteresting.
You are so welcome. I like to think I can always be relied upon for a penis joke.
DeleteI will love their choices forever! I never realised before this reading that Harry's was the most arrogant choice (in, I guess, going directly up against death and what he does) but I totally get it, and I'm like, hmmmmmm. HMMMMMM!
"Oh Ron. You moron." -- my reaction to Ron ALL THE TIME.
ReplyDeleteAw, I feel bad saying that but he is kind of a moron. A (mostly) loveable moron, but still a moron.
Ugh, I am feeling so despondent that the book is almost over. I mean, I obviously know how it ends, but I don't want the readalong to end! Sad...
"a hero amongst elves" - LOVE IT.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the taboo is meant to imply that Dumbledore was foolish but that the Death Eaters are more clever than we give them credit for, to use their enemies' strength to their own advantage.
Is the 'gross wand' bit where it's all, He considered being like, But what about EARLIER when you told me MY borrowed wand should work just FINE, Hermione? What about THAT? But then decided not to antagonize her on the eve of their big bank rob? At which point I am like, GOOD THOUGHT.
ReplyDelete