Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Joseph North's Melodrama in Harry Potter

"It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the
bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black
flames licking his body, but couldn’t feel them — for a moment he
could see nothing but dark fire — then he was on the other side, in
the last chamber." (Rowling, 287)

From our first class and assigned reading, I learned that one of melodrama's key characteristics is its emphasis on the classification of good and evil. I consider the "black flames" and "dark fire" mentioned in a passage from the last chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to be symbols similar to the black capes and black hats of "bad" aristocrats. In my opinion, these dark, black symbols aim to add a sinister element to their respective stories. 

My Rewrite:

"It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down, walked forward, and braces himself. After going through a fiery portal, he appeared on the other side, in the last chamber."

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