This week, we begin our discussion of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with chapters one and two! For the slides associated with this session, click here; to see the Point North broadcast schedule, click here!
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Dear Mr. Potter is a Point North Media production by Alastair Stephens, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license.
Thanks for listening!
Alastair,
During my most recent read through the Potter books I noticed a kind of chiastic structure across the series [Philosopher’s (A1), Chamber (B1), Prisoner (C1), Goblet (D), Order (C2), Half-Blood (B2), Hallows (A2)]. Each pair of books (A1-A2, etc.) is driven by a similar plot mechanic and often contains similar themes, characters, and mood. In the case of Prisoner of Azkaban/Order of the Phoenix, Harry’s relationship with Sirius features centrally (especially as a motivator of the climactic action) as does mysterious prophecy and the further unfolding of how/why Harry’s parents were murdered. A few other smaller similarities worth noting just from what we’ve read so far: Both begin with Harry illegally engaging in magic – in Azkaban, the act is clearly wrong and yet brushed under the rug by the ministry, whereas in Order, the act is clearly defensible and yet maliciously prosecuted. In Azkaban Dementors are introduced as a necessary evil that ministry is using whereas in Order, we see the first signs that they may just be plain evil and not actually be under the ministry’s control. As we go along, many more comparisons could be added. By considering these points of comparison and noting not only what is similar but also what is different, I wonder if further insight could be gained into the decisive was in which the wizarding world has been changed by the pivotal events of Goblet that stand at the center of the chiasm.