On wizarding justice and the extent to which the WW's conception of "human rights" matches our own
A Fourth Man Avery defense, and the possibility of a Fourth Man Nott. Younger Nott's plot potential. And a little bit on how Crouch Jr. would likely have killed his father.
Objections to the theory that Crouch/Moody put Neville under the Imperius Curse during their post-DADA class tea session in GoF.
Extremely testy objection to the characterization of polemic as an intellectually dishonest or in some other way inappropriate form of criticism.
Testy-as-all-get-out meta-discussion about the types of arguments "permissable" on the list and the problems inherent in a list culture in which any negative comment about a well-liked character immediately causes the thread to get diverted into accusastions of rhetorical dishonestly, "unfairness," "trashing" and so forth. (Can you say "Elkins is made cranky as all hell by this sort of thing?" I knew you could!) This is what I sound like when something is dancing on my last nerve.
*Exceptionally* testy explanation of the various valid forms literary criticism can and does take - polemic being one of these - followed by a plea for listmembers to keep dat ole factional/fictional divide in mind and not draw conclusions about other listmembers' character or intellectual honesty from how they talk about the fictional characters, or from which critical styles they favor. This is what I sound like when I'm about to snap.
Has the use of polemic really risen within the fandom as the wait for OotP has dragged on? And if so, then why might this be the case?
And this is what I sound like when I've snapped. So-Far-Past-Had-Enough-That-"Testy"-Isn't-Even-In-Range-Of-Vision-Anymore explanation of precisely the list etiquette problems that I think the conflation of fiction and reality can create. With examples from the, uh, canon, so to speak, of the list itself. (I composed a resignation letter to the Mods team shortly after writing this post, btw, and had to be talked out of it by well-meaning - if perhaps, in retrospect, misguided - friends.)
Pettigrew's silver hand: what it is made of (Wizarding Silvery Soul Stuff (tm)), and the possibility that it might in the end prove a very serious threat to Voldemort himself
Discussion of whether people noticed SHIPping "evidence" in the early volumes on first read, or only through hindsight. Evidence for Draco having a "nasty twisted little crush" on Hermione. Suggests that the Malfoy family has been established as both Ron's and Hermione's nemesis, and that this may indicate that Hermione will have some role to play in Draco's future development in canon.
On Crouch's inability to remember Percy's name, viewed thematically, in terms of authorial technique, and in terms of the plot. Reiterates my pet theory that Voldemort's return to corporeal form was the cause of Barty Jr.'s growing ability to resist the Imperius.
On the Ever So Contentious House Cup victory scene at the end of PS/SS (commonly known on the list as the "Dissing the Slyths" scene), and on the arbitrary nature of the point system itself.
"If you don't want to be exposed to other people's readings of the text, then why on earth are you HERE?" Phrased only marginally more politely than that.
More discussion of the PS/SS point award scene and the likelihood that it taught a bad lesson to the Slyth kids. Argues that since Dumbledore has been shown in canon to be fallible, a reading of this scene as one in which he chooses the wrong tactic in regard to House Slytherin is perfectly canonically defensible, followed by an explanation of why such a reading can still have value even if it is not believed to be the author's intent. Concludes by drawing a parallel between the PS/SS point award scene and the "Train Stomp" at the end of GoF, and asks how reader response to these two scenes differs - and if it does, then what this might say about the series' maturing perspective.
More on Crouch's not knowing Percy's name. And how did Percy come to be Crouch's assistant, anyway? Wasn't he rather young
What does it mean to "hate" a character? On those characters you just don't like to read (in my case, the Dursleys).
Ways in which Harry does not really seem to take after his father at all (but might more strongly resemble his mother) and evidence that Lily was the dominant partner in the marriage.
Thematic defense for the speculation that Peter was the one who tipped off James to Sirius' "Prank.
Ethics, morality, vengeance and "cynicism" in the series.
