Priori Incantatem Part 2: HP and Philosophy

Well, whatever is found out about the anomaly of "the order of James and Lily coming out of Voldy's wand," one happy outcome of Pauli bringing that chapter up is that it gave me occasion to go back and look at it and I noticed something. I think the chapter is very important. I think it is to Goblet of Fire what "The Lightning Struck Tower" is to HBP. Both are primarily narrative chapters (vs the chapters of Dumbledore's explanations that have appeared in every book, even in HBP although there it/they occur before the central climactic action rather than after it.) For this reason both are tempting to skip over in looking for "the big meaning" but upon further reflection they are key passages for development of character with big hints as to what central turns the plot might take in unfolding the meaning of the story ( I think Rowling is probably quite pleased with the amount of speculation that has occurred on "the Lightning Struck Tower" because it means her readers are probing the right places to be on the right path to "get" the meaning of the story when she puts out book 7.) Fred and Harry What I'm about to talk about may or may not completely hold water, I'm not sure. Frederick Nietzsche is most noted for his philosophy and Rowling may not be into using the likes as models for elements in the story. On the other hand, Nietzsche was a classicist by trade originally ... which is what Rowling studied in college. So, it may just be up her alley. I am not thoroughly familiar with Nietzsche's system of thought, so most of what I am about to relate comes from conversations with friends on the 2nd and 3rd Matrix movies. Those movies were very much based in Nietzsche (as well as, I believe, a good bit taken from the thinking/fiction of Frank Herbert's Dune series as regards evolution - even specific motifs are taken from Herbert, such as "the blind prophet who can see" as messianic figure.) There is the part in the second movie where somebody asks Link where in the matrix Neo is and he says "oh, he's doing his superman thing" (ie the "ubermensch" of Nietzsche.) One of the most important instances to the Nietzsche reading of The Matrix trilogy is the Indian child making the beautiful sunrise for - or in memory of - Neo at the very end. Apparently for Nietzche's system the "child" phase of the evolution is the final stage, and the truly creative stage. Many Christian themes play heavily for Nietzsche, such as Messiah and Resurrection, and it is in regards to the latter that the "Priori Incantatem" chapter struck me. This is sort of Voldy's version of "Resurrection." And it is his version of "new life." Notice that when Harry dimly sees Wormtongue walking towards him carrying "something that looked like a baby." I originally thought that there might have been a discrepancy in the fact that Cedric came out of Voldy's wand, when it seems pretty clear that Voldy gives the order but Wormtail does the killing (I think there is something very pointed in the description, "a second voice, which screeched the words to the night", but I don't know exactly what it is.) But then I realized, in the baby form Voldy would not be able to hold his wand so he entrusts it to Wormtail - and Wormtail was wandless since his "death". But if you think about this it is pretty significant. That is a pretty trusting thing for Voldy to do given that he trusts nobody completely and given how much the power rests in wielding a wand in Rowling's world. But then, to one so bent on control as Voldy, the accomplishment of doing so without getting "screwed over" is probably a huge rush. To demonstrate control over people when you have a full-statured body and a wand in your hand is one thing, to do it in the form of a baby and unable to wield a wand is quite another. This is truly to "wield the wills of others." This is what I mean by a perversion the "new life" motif. He takes what is originally the trust of a child, who must trust because he/she is small and defenseless, and turns it into an occasion for demonstrating the ultimate anti-wand sorcery (one wonders if in this moment of "glory" Voldy secretly looks down on even something like the Imperius curse as being weak in comparison with his true power.) Interpretation I realize that this reading of HP would cast a very dim light on Nietzsche in most minds. So I should note that very much so Nietzsche is a mysterious figure. Some of his most "heinous" stuff was published after his death and not necessarily according to his wishes, and were more sort of rambling ponderings. I have heard at least one priest give a very well-studied talk suggesting that Nietzsche is not exactly the "villain" he is painted as by some. But it is still very much a mysterious thing exactly what Nietzsche meant by the things he wrote; whether he was promoting the system he describes or decrying it. He did technically go insane from syphilis and how much physical conditions affected what his state of mind and thinking is probably a question (a good many of his more "aphoristic" writing is pretty biting and arrogant at times.) I simply throw it out that there may be something of this thought of " a questionable/perverse rendering of new life/resurrection" in this chapter of GOF, particularly in the baby/child image. In the end I think it is definitely latent in the images Rowling uses and contributes strongly to the meaning, but I am not sure how conscious it is on her part or how much she takes it from Nietzsche (although I unreservedly give her the credit of being able to know all of these elements and use them in such a subtle way ... I think she's a brilliant woman.)