Sycophant Hex Forum Index
Author Message

<  The Library  ~  Symbols in HBP

Two Methyloctane
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:51 am Reply with quote
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 96 Location: Calgary, Canada
Did anyone else notice how often trophies popped up into the story? Dumbledore mentioned how important trophies are to Voldemort, maybe they represent something a little bigger?

Voldemort collected trophies his entire life, as Dumbledore found at the orphanage. Voldemort uses his trophies as proof of his superiority. If he has something stolen from another child, he is obviously smarter and more clever than the other children. If he has his family's heirlooms, Slytherin's heirlooms, that proves he is from a proud, successful, Pureblood line, ensuring his superiority as a member of a powerful line. Having trophies of the other Founders artifacts proves he, and Slytherin, are stronger and better than the other houses. Voldemort uses them in place of true friends: his trophies remind him that he is great and powerful and superior.

Harry has trophies too, such as the Quidditch Cup, which proves he is good at something, his friends, which prove he is valued, and his scar, which proves that he is loved. Harry uses his trophies to give him confidence, to strengthen him, and to break free of the abuse he suffered at the hands of the Dursleys.

Did anyone else notice any other symbols in the book? Any comments on the trophies?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail MSN Messenger
Celeste
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 12:35 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 5
Dunno... maybe I've seen too many of those damn documentaries on Serial Killers, but the first thought that popped into my head was "Trophy Killer" rather literally. I wouldn't really compare that to Harry's winning the cup. Lil Tom seems to just want souveniers for the memories. *shudder*
View user's profile Send private message
Pace
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 3:41 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 43 Location: Cologne (Germany)
That might not be entirely symbolism, but the fact that Sybil Trelawney has indeed read the cards correct, yet Dumbledore refuses to believe her, strikes me as the beginning of his... well you can hardly say downfall, can you? Even IF the card 'The Tower' shows usually a high tower hit by lightning and 1 or 2 persons falling off it, which incidentally did happen: lightning struck (the Dark Mark) and someone fell off the tower (Dumbledore, or maybe only his body?).

Reminds me oddly of Cassandra - no one payed any mind to her warnings, either.

_________________
If it's not chocolate I'm not interested.
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Pace
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:22 am Reply with quote
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 43 Location: Cologne (Germany)
What about the number 7?

7 Horcruxes - 7 deadly sins, 7 virtues, 7 good years followed by 7 bad ones, 7 plagues... Bible, anyone?

_________________
If it's not chocolate I'm not interested.
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
undertheumbrella
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:15 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Canada
7 years at Hogwarts.. 7 books.. Ahh, 7.

Lucky number 7.

Speaking of luck.. the concept seems to have come up a lot in HBP.

Hermione did not follow Snape downstairs during the attack, when she could have had Luna look out for Flitwick (or the other way around). I think there's something missing there.. considering that both of them had a dose of the lucky potion, Felix Felicis. Did the potion think it was luckier for her to stay up there, or was it just pure naïvete on Hermione's part?

I might be pressing too much on something that doesn't exist, but hey, luck is a mighty complicated matter.
View user's profile Send private message
Pace
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:57 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 43 Location: Cologne (Germany)
I find the concept of the luck-potion hard to comprehend (maybe it becomes clear once HBP is released in German and I can force myself to read my mother's book), but in another post about the horcruxes someone mentioned their theory that the word 'horcrux' comes from the egyptian god Horus and the 'crux of the south' (?), which happens to be comprised of 5 to 7 stars, depending on where you are.

I'd also like to note again that the tarot (which originated in ancient Egypt as a game if I recall correctly) seems to come into play nicely, too. Not only because of Trelawney's prediction but because of the items representing the four houses. The sword for Gryffindor and the cup(or chalice) for Hufflepuff are both elements in the tarot. The other two elements would be the coins (substituted: the locket; a symbol of wealth?) and the staffs/wands/something wooden...

_________________
If it's not chocolate I'm not interested.
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger

Display posts from previous:  

All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1
Post new topic

Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum