84e9ddfe   
   XPost: alt.magick, alt.religion.wicca, talk.religion.course-miracle   
   From: DROPdraco.malfoy@countermail.comCAPITALLETTERS   
      
   On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:41:00 -0700 (PDT), Tom wrote:   
      
   > On Jun 16, 10:06 am, Draco Malfoy   
   >  wrote:   
   >>> On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:45:01 -0400, VD wrote:   
   >>> On Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:11:04 -0700 (PDT), Tom wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>> Mentioning things that actually happened or people that actually   
   >>>> lived has the effect of making the fictional world seem more   
   >>>> realistic, which enhances the suspension of disbelief that allows   
   >>>> the reader to become more fully involved with the story.   
   >>   
   >>> Except in this case, the reader would have to be very detailed in   
   >>> their research or extremely fluent in their 13-14th century alchemy.   
   >>   
   >>> Since The Sorcerer's Stone was written for a target audience of   
   >>> 8-12yos, it can be fairly well assumed that Ms. Rowling's intent was   
   >>> more inline with providing easily copied material lessening her   
   >>> overall imaginative workload.   
   >>   
   >> Which is what she readily admits. Rowling was a teacher turned author.   
   >> This is part of her "teacher's mode".   
   >>   
   >> You couldn't possibly make the case that she is using historical   
   >> figures for loopback reality until much later in her career. I dunno,   
   >> maybe the Nazi like elements of Hallows I?   
   >   
   > Rowling clearly assumed a little more knowledge of history in her   
   > English audience than in her American audience, hence the change of   
   > title from "Philosopher's Stone" (English edition), which she figured   
   > English school children would be familiar with to "Sorcerer's   
   > Stone" (American edition) since it was supposed Americans would not   
   > understand the reference.  In addition, any good writer of children's   
   > fiction inserts information that will stimulate the (presumably) more   
   > informed adults who may be reading the books along with or to their   
   > children.  Usually these insertions are missed by the kids but the   
   > adults catch them and have their attentions held a little more   
   > firmly.  You see this happening in well-constructed children's movies   
   > as well.  It keeps the parents from becoming bored and wandering away,   
   > which is, from the author's point of view, undesirable behavior the   
   > children may imitate.  In addition, it offers the adult an opportunity   
   > to point out the obscure reference to their children in a "teachable   
   > moment".   
   >   
   > As you mentioned, Rowling was a teacher turned author.  Teachers often   
   > create "teachable moments", such as dropping the name of a pretty   
   > famous alchemist (at least to historians) who really lived and sought   
   > the Philosopher's Stone.   
      
   There you go again. Not one fucking thing you said is anything more   
   than an extension of the obvious.   
      
   Meh.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)