In each case, this is more or less all that we ever hear about the appearance of these characters. Snape, at the first Hogwarts dinner: “a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin.” Professor McGonagall, meeting the first-years at the castle door: “She had a very stern face and Harry’s first thought was that this was not someone to cross.” Hermione, on the Hogwarts Express: “She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth.” Ron Weasley, at King’s Cross: “tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet and a long nose.” Oh yes, and there was the little black smudge on his nose. Mr Ollivander: “An old man was standing before them, his wide pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.” Now Draco Malfoy, in Madam Malkin’s the first time: “a boy with a pale, pointed face.” He has a large overcoat and a pink umbrella. He’s large, hairy, and has beetle-bright eyes. The following examples are all from PS.Ĭonsider her description of Hagrid when he bursts into the Hut-on-the-Rock. She gives what she wants to describe a name, and leaves the rest up to the reader. I noticed fairly early that her descriptions are slyly non-descriptive. Rowling, apparently, is a master of this form of butling. The reader goes through that door himself or herself. The best descriptions often offer no more than hints, keywords, a trained butler’s unobtrusive opening of a particular door. Most authors expend substantial effort on description, describing scenes, events or characters so that readers will be able to visualise them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |