84e9ddfe   
   XPost: alt.magick, alt.religion.wicca, talk.religion.course-miracle   
   From: zayton@newwavecomm.net   
      
   "Tom"  wrote in message   
   news:3dfcf3df-90d8-4580-b3ce-a82680c249c1@l2g2000prg.googlegroups.com...   
   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.   
      
   *****   
   The title change was required by the American publishers.   
   *****   
      
      
   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.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)