Character Analysis

I see a connection between Malfoy and Captain Ahab. Harry is Malfoys white whale. Harry is alot more powerful than Malfoy. In this way he's almost symbolic of a force of nature and the white whale. And one message of Moby Dick was that when you try to control or destroy nature you will only destroy yourself. Malfoy has proven this on the Hogwarts train at the end of GoF and at the end of OoP. I think this maybe the reason that Dumbledore didn't try to kill Voldy at the ministry. JKR said that Dumbledore said that he wasn't trying to kill Voldy because "there are other ways of destroying a man..." but there was also another reason that DD didn't try to kill Voldy. Even Dumbledore said, at the beginning of book one, that Voldy was more powerful than he was. He probably knew that he would only get himself killed by trying to kill Voldy.

Do you guys see a similarity between Malfoy and Captain Ahab, or anyone else and another character from a different story?

Draco Malfoy has never suffered a day in his life. The same cannot be said for Ahab. Being a sea captain means that physical discomfort is a way of life. Suffering has a way of marking people that makes them more introspective.

Draco is a bully. Bullies are cowards. Ahab wasn't a coward but he wasn't right-thinking either. After surviving Nature for so many years, he believed that Nature respected him and he would always survive. He was wrong.

Draco is a pampered brat who believes that if he isn't the strongest wizard, it doesn't matter. With his dad's money, he can hire any number of thugs to do
his diry work. To Draco, quantity is better than quality any day. I think he would
make a great politician. He's two-faced when he's around people who "count." He'll throw money at anything before he'll get his hands dirty and he'd sell his best "friend" down the river if it was to his advantage.

Literary comparisons? The whole Harry Potter series reminds me of David Copperfield, The Old Curiosity Shop etc. Charles Dickens' books are tough to chew through unfortunately. It's like sitting through a never-ending Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. Arrrgh!

Happily, Harry Potter books are incredibly interesting.

Yeah I see your point, but Malfoy is similar to Ahab in hatred for something they both cannot control or destroy.

What do you think of Ginny Weasly? I think she's an unregistered animagus. J.K. talks of her at one point in the book being "curled up in her chair..." or "her eyes glowing in the reflected light..." I think she's an unregistered animagus and is a cat. The only time JKR ever ascribes animal like movements or mannerisms to a charcter is when that character is an animagus registered or otherwise.[b]

Do you think Ginny could be an unregistered animagus? She has been in school long enough.

At least I think that J.K. talked of her eyes glowing with reflected light.

it could be possible but she would need alot of practic

By the time OoP takes place, Ginny would be a fourth year, which gives her three years to practice. As I recall, in book three, either Sirius or Lupin said it took the marauders about three years to do it. And Ginny is definitely sneaky. She trashed the Gryffindor common room in her first year without anyone finding out. And she's been using the twins broomsticks without their knowledge. And she lied very well to her mother about all those dungbombs got all over the kitchen door at OoP headquarters. She strikes me as someone the sorting hat probably strongly considered putting into slytherin. She kind of just goes unnoticed mostly and she doesn't seem to mind that.

[quote]...Malfoy is similar to Ahab in hatred for something they both cannot control or destroy. forgottenrealmsfan

I see how Draco and Ahad share the same frustration. That's a great comparison.
With a nasty character like Draco, I sometimes forget that he isn't just a single dimension jerk. Since he is both a bully and a coward, I would guess his father scares the goat stones out of him. 'Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Good point. Ginny could very well be an animagus. She does sneaky things because she can. With Fred and George driving everyone crazy, no one pays her much attention. Actually, I'd classify her as an opportunist. It's a good survival technique for the youngest kid in any family.

...who's Ahab?...

Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. If you have to read the book, try to find the Marvel Comics edition. It's easier reading.

Don't know much 'bout Ahab I'm afraid but Harry's tanties and hormone rushes in the 5th do justify the"force of nature" comparisons.

I've mentioned/ranted this little Dumbledore qualm of mine before somewhere but I think it bears repeating here. Dumbledore's apparent unwillingness to kill Voldemort whilst duelling in the 5th, irks me. D is meant to love Harry and his priority is, supposedly, to save him. Added to this, D knows that Harry must kill or be killed by V. Why doesn't D kill V? Why does he seem determined to deliver Harry into the gladiator ring and simply hope he'll be OK? Offering up a human sacrifice (AND a Harry one at that) just because of something some bleary-eyed bit said in a pub once??!!

I find it hard to believe that D can't kill V. We are told that D is the most powerful wiz. Though V might know dark magic D does not, it is inferred (by McGonagall(sp?) particularly) that that is D's choice but that these powers are not out of his reach; his moral superiority makes him 'above' such dark powers but not necessarily unable to grasp them.

D has got the ability, the justification and has had the opportunity to kill V and save Harry and the world yet he chooses to sit in his ivory tower seeing all, knowing all and doing nothing.

I know that the 'HP/ Star Wars' comparison is old by now but it'll be interesting to see if D can make the same kind of sacrifice that what's his name/the Alec Guiness character in Star Wars, made for Luke. I'm beginning to wonder if D thinks himself a smidgen too important to be thrown to the lions himself. Ohhh Dumbledore.... do you believe all your own hype??