Jami Walsh (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} jamib) wrote in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} _philologia_,@ 2005-08-06 13:21:00 |
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HP and the HBP-- Minutes
Book 24 – Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince By J.K. Rowling
Meeting:
10:30 AM
Panera
White City Plaza
Shrewsbury, MA
Attendees:
Carol Conti
Amy Marr
Jami Walsh
Sarah Themm
Nick Conti
Alex Haley
Em Darling
Enjoyment of the Book
Carol Conti – Very good
Amy Marr - Yep
Jami Walsh – Liked it, but was annoyed by it.
Sarah Themm – Very good
Nick Conti - Liked it, really good…if had more time would read it again.
Alex Haley - Enjoyable
Em Darling –Liked it well paced
Discussion Questions --Thanks Carol
1. Harry – how has his character changed from Book 5?
N- not as whiny, but it would be hard for him to be more whiny
C – made a huge matrity leap
A – not nearly has hormonal and moody
A – he's had to come of age much sooner….is understanding his place in all of this more. Finally gets people to stop trying to protect him
E – he has a sense of independence forming
H – still clinging to Dumbledore
E – knows that Dumbledore will take care of things when he is with him.
S – last year he seemed so immature, wouldn't let things go. This year, he didn't have any teachers that pressed him.
2. The Unbreakable Vow – what exactly does it entail? Is it a life debt? Has Snape fulfilled it?
A – yes he has fulfilled it. He has done everything that he said he would do.
J - Goes back to if Dumbledore isn't really dead has he really fulfilled the last part of the vow?
N – don't know if Malfoy can effectively use the killing curse, but Snape may not have used the same type of curse, because it occurred in a completely different way than it usually does.
3. New characters – Horace Slughorn, Cormac McLaggen, Romilda Vane, Fenrir Greyback – their development, significance, etc.
J- I don't remember half of them
C- eplains, greyback is werewolf, slughorn is teacher….other two probably come more under the "love question"
S – Greyback is one of the most evil people we've seen to date. Even the Malfoys have some redeeming qualities—or qualities that make them do things for a reason other than malice.
J – Shows the difference between what Lupin could be and what he is.
C – shows contrast and what happens based on the choices that you make in life.
E – Lupin is the gentle extreme and Greyback is the violent extreme of the werewolf spectrum.
C- Slughorn is going to be head of Slytherin. He's pompous, but not evil
A – Dumbledore used him
J- He'll go to the highest bidder, he's A-ROD.
N – The entire purpose of Slughorn is to get the memory.
S – he'll be around but won't play a large role.
4. Draco – How has his character developed?
A - He's screwed now!
C – Interesting, comes across as pompous spoiled, weak, but now he feels as if he has something to prove.
S – work ethic has improved.
N – self preservation and fear are motivating him.
A – he can't face Dumbledore eye to eye and do it, can't do his own dirty work.
N, A, J – He knew he couldn't do it. He isn't pure evil.
A – He's a good wizard, he's not a great wizard.
H - Liked seeing Malfoy's vulnerability
5. “The Half-Blood Prince” – when did you figure it out?
J- as soon as they introduced it in the "potions book"
C – didn't become and issue for her
S – agreed
N - not really about the HBP
A - fleeting thought about Snape…then got thrown by Hermione's theory.
J – JK wen tout of her way to make Tom Riddle seem as if he was the HBP
E - never had a connection between Snape and Harry before this.
S – Title appropriate because the book is very Snape centric.
A – figureing out who the HBP wasn't central to the book., subtle way to explain book was about the Snape and Potter.
6. Voldemort’s back story – what is useful to Harry? Nature v. Nurture – was Voldemort destined to be bad?
N – knowing about the things that V coveted so you can guess at the horcruxes
A – that he didn't have any friends
C – interesting that Dumbledore took him into such deep memories, inbreeding that created instabiltity.
N – his mother couldn't cheat death so that feeds his need to cheat death.
C - goes back to book 5, he needed to understand that he was just like V in terms of parentage.
N – by acting without all of the info then V forced the prophecy to be true.
C – Riddle as a child/young man, if he had been raised in the house with the uncle and grandfather, he wouldn't have been the same child, because he learns to be manipulative.
A – Bigger question is, are people born evil? No, it's your life experiences that form your character.
S – got the feeling that his mother was put upon and wasn't allowed to be anythign other than a dumb girl.
E – tied back to Greyback being the most evil, because all this info about Riddle gives you a little simpathy for Voldemort.
S – a better understanding of his motivation.
A – Harry is more calm, because Harry understands that Voldemort's ambition isn't to kill Harry, it's more a self-preservation thing.
7. DD & Harry – how did their relationship evolve over the course of Book 6, given the circumstances of their last meeting at the end of Book 5?
Covered in previous discussion.
C—Interesting that Dumbledore was getting frustrated.
A – DD feels he's running out of time.
S - harry doesn't feel the same urgency that DD does.
8. Snape & Dumbledore – Why did DD appoint Snape as DADA teacher? Did the two, both skilled at Occlumency and Legilimiency, have a special deal? Is there more to DD’s “trust” of Snape than the fact that Snape overheard part of the prophecy and told Voldemort?
A &J – you'll find out why DD trusts Snape so much.
C – way more to it than Snape ratting out DD.
N – Curious to see what else JK Rowling writes.
A - Is there a curse on the DADA?
J – if there is then it would be broken when Voldemort died.
H – Snape will not be returning for another year of DADA.
9. (For Amy & Nick) – DD: Dead or Alive? Discuss.
A – DD needed Harry to see Snape do it.
E – this is what will catapult Harry to the next stage of development
A – or further on, Harry can figure out that he's not really dead.
J – not dead, because of dumbledore's schpeal to Malfoy.
10. Snape: Good or Evil?
Covered in previous questions
11. The Horcruxes: What we know, what we don’t and the “mystery” of RAB.
RAB- Regulus Black.—Easy solution….meant to be obvious.
Know that Sirius underestimated Regulus.
The ring and diary are gone. There's the locket, Cup, the snake, and an item from raven claw. What is the item from Ravenclaw? The kids from Ravenclaw will have their day.
12. Humor in HBP – what amused you the most (favorite lines, scenes, etc.)
"You don't need to call me sir" – Harry
The kids relationships—junior high/high school love.
"I think the word fiasco would be a good one here" – DD
13. Romance in HBP – Hermione/Ron, Harry/Ginny, etc.
Discussed all of their relationships.
OTHER DISCUSSION
Discussed the obsession on the websites.
Discussed Gini's whoreishness ;^)
Discussed the significance of portraits.
August's Book -- The Teammates by David Halberstam
September's Book -- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Book 24 – Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince By J.K. Rowling
Meeting:
10:30 AM
Panera
White City Plaza
Shrewsbury, MA
Attendees:
Carol Conti
Amy Marr
Jami Walsh
Sarah Themm
Nick Conti
Alex Haley
Em Darling
Enjoyment of the Book
Carol Conti – Very good
Amy Marr - Yep
Jami Walsh – Liked it, but was annoyed by it.
Sarah Themm – Very good
Nick Conti - Liked it, really good…if had more time would read it again.
Alex Haley - Enjoyable
Em Darling –Liked it well paced
Discussion Questions --Thanks Carol
1. Harry – how has his character changed from Book 5?
N- not as whiny, but it would be hard for him to be more whiny
C – made a huge matrity leap
A – not nearly has hormonal and moody
A – he's had to come of age much sooner….is understanding his place in all of this more. Finally gets people to stop trying to protect him
E – he has a sense of independence forming
H – still clinging to Dumbledore
E – knows that Dumbledore will take care of things when he is with him.
S – last year he seemed so immature, wouldn't let things go. This year, he didn't have any teachers that pressed him.
2. The Unbreakable Vow – what exactly does it entail? Is it a life debt? Has Snape fulfilled it?
A – yes he has fulfilled it. He has done everything that he said he would do.
J - Goes back to if Dumbledore isn't really dead has he really fulfilled the last part of the vow?
N – don't know if Malfoy can effectively use the killing curse, but Snape may not have used the same type of curse, because it occurred in a completely different way than it usually does.
3. New characters – Horace Slughorn, Cormac McLaggen, Romilda Vane, Fenrir Greyback – their development, significance, etc.
J- I don't remember half of them
C- eplains, greyback is werewolf, slughorn is teacher….other two probably come more under the "love question"
S – Greyback is one of the most evil people we've seen to date. Even the Malfoys have some redeeming qualities—or qualities that make them do things for a reason other than malice.
J – Shows the difference between what Lupin could be and what he is.
C – shows contrast and what happens based on the choices that you make in life.
E – Lupin is the gentle extreme and Greyback is the violent extreme of the werewolf spectrum.
C- Slughorn is going to be head of Slytherin. He's pompous, but not evil
A – Dumbledore used him
J- He'll go to the highest bidder, he's A-ROD.
N – The entire purpose of Slughorn is to get the memory.
S – he'll be around but won't play a large role.
4. Draco – How has his character developed?
A - He's screwed now!
C – Interesting, comes across as pompous spoiled, weak, but now he feels as if he has something to prove.
S – work ethic has improved.
N – self preservation and fear are motivating him.
A – he can't face Dumbledore eye to eye and do it, can't do his own dirty work.
N, A, J – He knew he couldn't do it. He isn't pure evil.
A – He's a good wizard, he's not a great wizard.
H - Liked seeing Malfoy's vulnerability
5. “The Half-Blood Prince” – when did you figure it out?
J- as soon as they introduced it in the "potions book"
C – didn't become and issue for her
S – agreed
N - not really about the HBP
A - fleeting thought about Snape…then got thrown by Hermione's theory.
J – JK wen tout of her way to make Tom Riddle seem as if he was the HBP
E - never had a connection between Snape and Harry before this.
S – Title appropriate because the book is very Snape centric.
A – figureing out who the HBP wasn't central to the book., subtle way to explain book was about the Snape and Potter.
6. Voldemort’s back story – what is useful to Harry? Nature v. Nurture – was Voldemort destined to be bad?
N – knowing about the things that V coveted so you can guess at the horcruxes
A – that he didn't have any friends
C – interesting that Dumbledore took him into such deep memories, inbreeding that created instabiltity.
N – his mother couldn't cheat death so that feeds his need to cheat death.
C - goes back to book 5, he needed to understand that he was just like V in terms of parentage.
N – by acting without all of the info then V forced the prophecy to be true.
C – Riddle as a child/young man, if he had been raised in the house with the uncle and grandfather, he wouldn't have been the same child, because he learns to be manipulative.
A – Bigger question is, are people born evil? No, it's your life experiences that form your character.
S – got the feeling that his mother was put upon and wasn't allowed to be anythign other than a dumb girl.
E – tied back to Greyback being the most evil, because all this info about Riddle gives you a little simpathy for Voldemort.
S – a better understanding of his motivation.
A – Harry is more calm, because Harry understands that Voldemort's ambition isn't to kill Harry, it's more a self-preservation thing.
7. DD & Harry – how did their relationship evolve over the course of Book 6, given the circumstances of their last meeting at the end of Book 5?
Covered in previous discussion.
C—Interesting that Dumbledore was getting frustrated.
A – DD feels he's running out of time.
S - harry doesn't feel the same urgency that DD does.
8. Snape & Dumbledore – Why did DD appoint Snape as DADA teacher? Did the two, both skilled at Occlumency and Legilimiency, have a special deal? Is there more to DD’s “trust” of Snape than the fact that Snape overheard part of the prophecy and told Voldemort?
A &J – you'll find out why DD trusts Snape so much.
C – way more to it than Snape ratting out DD.
N – Curious to see what else JK Rowling writes.
A - Is there a curse on the DADA?
J – if there is then it would be broken when Voldemort died.
H – Snape will not be returning for another year of DADA.
9. (For Amy & Nick) – DD: Dead or Alive? Discuss.
A – DD needed Harry to see Snape do it.
E – this is what will catapult Harry to the next stage of development
A – or further on, Harry can figure out that he's not really dead.
J – not dead, because of dumbledore's schpeal to Malfoy.
10. Snape: Good or Evil?
Covered in previous questions
11. The Horcruxes: What we know, what we don’t and the “mystery” of RAB.
RAB- Regulus Black.—Easy solution….meant to be obvious.
Know that Sirius underestimated Regulus.
The ring and diary are gone. There's the locket, Cup, the snake, and an item from raven claw. What is the item from Ravenclaw? The kids from Ravenclaw will have their day.
12. Humor in HBP – what amused you the most (favorite lines, scenes, etc.)
"You don't need to call me sir" – Harry
The kids relationships—junior high/high school love.
"I think the word fiasco would be a good one here" – DD
13. Romance in HBP – Hermione/Ron, Harry/Ginny, etc.
Discussed all of their relationships.
OTHER DISCUSSION
Discussed the obsession on the websites.
Discussed Gini's whoreishness ;^)
Discussed the significance of portraits.
August's Book -- The Teammates by David Halberstam
September's Book -- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
