ibn Harm

Category: Literature

  • Language and encryption

    I am not sure that encryption is still needed in the 21st or 15th (AH) century since language is so convoluted that there might not be a single text which is free from abiguity. Milan Kundera noted the same phenomenon in his The unbearable lightness of being which describes a romantic failure as a lack of patience regarding “learning each other’s idiosyncratic language.”

    Kundera wrote that each person has her own language, and that a succesfull romantic relationship consists of learning the language of the other, of having the patience of learning the “code” of the other.

    If this is not ambiguous enough for you consider one of my projects https://encryption.zoam.nl/1 which uses obfuscation and a Roman cipher. I created it a while ago but I remember sending it to a friend who has a masters in computer science and who could not crack it.

    1. It needs a password but if you know my background it should not be too difficult to crack. ↩︎

  • Literature studies: Harry Potter II (Harry potter and philosophy)

    The second part in the series. Philosophy from the title does not refer to the first part of the series (Harry potter and the philosophers stone). Likewise “II” does not refer to book two but refers to the second part in this online series on Harry Potter and companions.

    There are a lot of intertextual references in the HP series. This study will consider the situations from “HP and the prisoner of azkaban” and “HP and the order of the phoenix.”

    In the prisoner of azkaban Harry at first has trouble conjuring a “patronus” which has to protect him from certain magical creatures. The trouble in his performance of magic arises from his lack of certitude vis-a-vis intention.

    When performed correctly the “patronus charm” should protect Harry from “dementors,” which are creatures which make their subjects relive their worst experiences. Since Harry Potter’s parents were murdered by “Voldemort,” who embodies “literal evil” Dementors make Harry reexperience the death of his parents.

    However since Harry has no real memory of them (they died when Harry was a baby) the attack of the Dementors is in this stage of his life the only thing that at least can make Harry remember his parents (albeit their last moments). For this reason his intention to succesfully perform the “charm” which protects him from a dementor-attack is not fully there.

    This same inability to perform “magic” recurs in Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix when Harry has difficulty with the performence of “occlumency,” a certain practice which should shield the mind of external influences. In this particular example Harry does not fully want to master occlumency since he is curious to certain dreams that he has, which again disrupts his complete intention to correctly perform a “mode of magic.”

    In philosophical speak these examples are interesting because there is a dilemma. Should Harry learn/remember the death of his parents? Is ignorance bliss? In the books Harry’s coming to knowledge of the details of his parents death is not “punished” by a change of fortune rather for the first time in seven years his “house” wins the annual quidditch competition.

    However in the order of the Phoenix Harry’s curiosity is punished since ultimately he losses his godfather, which can causually be traced back to Harry’s choice of dismissing occlumency for a (at the moment) gratifying continuation of his dream.

    There are two caveats to this interpretation:

    1. The events that follow his inability of performing occlumency also reveal to the wizarding world that “the dark lord” has indeed returned, so from a cold utilitarian standpoint the consequences are positive.
    2. If Harry does not know what are the positives of learning “occlumency” it is not illogical that he neglects it over a certain “knowledge” that he finds through his dreams. Continue below.

    As Harry gets lessons in occlumency by Professor Snape, who is fated to be Harry’s non-evil enemy it is possible to understand that Harry does not have an easy time to find meaning in the lessons.

  • Literature review: the harry potter saga

    Spoilers ahead for both the movies and the novels.

    To the reader that has been reading some of the posts on this blog it has become clear that I have made some allusions to series which I wanted to continue but could not or as of today have not. I am confident that this study is the first in a series that I hopefully can continue.

    The harry potter saga, i am including both the movies and the books has ammased massive space. The popularity of the world as described by J. K. Rowling1 is such that I believe now the castle and village have been recreated for the most persistent fans.

    There are a multitude of ways which one can follow if one wants to analyse the h.p. universe. It is possible to start with the characters. Another approach could be to analyse the “magic system,” which is difficult since I believe most adults would immideately associate “magic” with harry potter et al. so it might be difficult to say anything meaningful about it.

    Another approach would be a themes approach. Very clearly the theme of slavery is present, another “immortality,” or longevity. The theme of evil is pushed but is to my opinion not convicingly portrayed. In the first of the series I want to analyse the political mechanations.

    Politics is discussed in the novels. For example in the part in which the order of the phoenix fights in the department of mystifications the prime minister is said to be afraid that Dumbledore, the “high priest” so to speak is after his job. But more interestingly is the mechanics of how Voldemort “lord of the death” achieves his political goal of running the “ministry of magic.”

    When “voldemort” achieves his goal it is through the control of the new prime minister. However it should be clear to “wizards” with the ability of independent observation that this new prime minister is indeed the puppet of “he who must not be named.” As a result the only way in which this truly is a victory for the “dark lord” is if the populus or the “real wizards” are ambivalent enough to the new forerunner of the wizarding community.

    In other words “voldemort” can only come to power if enough of the population does not care enough to protest. Since we are dealing with a magical universe it is difficult to make one-to-one parallels.

    I think this is enough for the first part. The second part will perhaps analyse the motivations and goals of “voldemort” or other inspiration may arise d.v.

    1. I am aware of her trackrecord of bigotry. This state of mind that she displays was not apparent when she wrote the novels. I think it best to continue as if she has never said anything. ↩︎