MANY FACES OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN THE SETTING OF FAN WRITING: THE TRANSFORMATION OF READERS INTO “READER-WRITERS” AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR PRESENCE IN THE AGE OF ONLINE FANDOM by Midori Fujita A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Children’s Literature) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) October 2014 © Midori Fujita, 2014 ii Abstract This thesis examines the dynamic and changing nature of reader response in the time of online fandom by examining fan reception of, and response to, the character Dumbledore in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Using the framework of reader reception theory established by Wolfgang Iser, in particular Iser’s conception of textual indeterminacies, to construct my critical framework, this work examines Professor Albus Dumbledore as a case study in order to illuminate and explore how both the text and readers may contribute to the identity formation of a single character. The research examines twenty-one selected Internet-based works of fan writing. These writings are both analytical and imaginative, and compose a selection that illuminates what aspect of Dumbledore’s characters inspired readers’ critical reflection and inspired their creative re-construction of the original story. This thesis further examines what the flourishing presence of Harry Potter fan community tells us about the role technological progress has played and is playing in reshaping the dynamics of reader response. Additionally, this research explores the blurring boundaries between authors and readers in light of the blooming culture of fan fiction writing. The themes that Harry Potter fan writers have addressed imply that subjects of morality, sexuality, failures, amend-making, and questions of individual agency versus societal constraints are important issues with which contemporary readers of Harry Potter stories are drawn to explore. Harry Potter, by virtue of being one of the most fervently read text in the last decade provides a valuable insight what reading and literature may mean to ordinary people in their everyday lives. iii Preface This Master’s thesis is original, unpublished, independent work by the author, M. Fujita. iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Preface............................................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... vii 1. Origin of Research Interest, Rationale and Significance .......................................................... 1 2. Research Statement ................................................................................................................... 3 3. Literature Review...................................................................................................................... 5 3. 1. Iserʼs Reader Response Theory .......................................................................................... 6 3. 2. The Rise of Social Media and its Implication to Reader Response Theory ..................... 15 3. 3. Dumbledore the Philosopher-King ................................................................................... 20 3. 4. Dumbledore’s Fall from the Pedestal ............................................................................... 22 3. 5. Dumbledore’s Sexuality ................................................................................................... 27 3. 6. Reader-reception and the Question of Authorial Ownership ........................................... 33 3. 7. Reader-reception Observed through Henry Jenkins’ Study on Fan Fiction Writing ....... 35 4. Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 43 4. 1. Dataset and Analysis ........................................................................................................ 45 4. 2. Fan Sites Under Discussion .............................................................................................. 47 5. Examination of Selected Analytical Writings by Fans ........................................................... 50 5. 1. Omnipotent and Benevolent, God-like Dumbledore ........................................................ 52 5. 2. Dumbledore as a Moral Icon ............................................................................................ 53 5. 3. Secrets and Lies, Authority and Control—Dumbledore’s Moral Ambiguity .................. 56 5. 4. Dumbledore For the Greater Good ................................................................................... 60 5. 5. Concluding Thoughts on Fans’ Analytical Writing ......................................................... 65 6. Examination of Selected Creative Writings Posted by Fans .................................................. 67 6. 1. Dumbledore—A Friend and a Protector .......................................................................... 71 6. 2. Dumbledore – the Young and the Restless ...................................................................... 74 6. 3. Dumbledore and the Price of his Love ............................................................................. 76 6. 4. The Gay Dumbledore ....................................................................................................... 81 6. 5. Concluding Thoughts on Fans’ Creative Writing ............................................................ 82 7. Conclusions and Opportunities for Further Studies ................................................................ 85 7.1 Implications of the Study: The Controversy of Authorship and Authority ........................86 7. 2. Concluding Thoughts ....................................................................................................... 96 Works Cited .................................................................................................................................. 99 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................... 111 v List of Tables Table 1 .......................................................................................................................................... 52 Table 2. ......................................................................................................................................... 70 vi Acknowledgements I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Teresa Dobson, for her inspiration, support, guidance and meticulous editorial suggestions. I would also like to thank the other member of my committee, Dr. Eric Meyers, for his insight and support. I am also grateful to my primary peer reviewers, PhD candidate Claire Ahn and M.A. candidate Roberta Loo, as well as my copy editors at The Writing Room for their editorial reviews and suggestions. Special gratitude is owed to my parents; their support throughout my years of education has provided me with courage and opportunity to pursue my academic passion. My final word of thanks is owed to my partner, who asked me the fundamental question that is at the core of this thesis: “Why do you study literature?” vii Dedication I dedicate this work in the memory of my grandfather, Sho-ichiro Baba, a dedicated railway man, an avid reader and passionate mountaineer from Hokkaido, Japan, whose greatest regret in life was not having had the chance to gain a University education. 1 1. Origin of Research Interest, Rationale and Significance The story of Harry Potter has captured the hearts of many readers worldwide, creating strong emotional connections between the story, the characters, and its readers in the process. Magic begins to flow into Harry Potter’s ordinary and mistreated life with the arrival of a (single unexpected) letter, and this magic also flowed for millions of readers. As Harry delights in learning all things magical, readers of the book may share in the same great sense of joy, freedom, and exhilaration Harry feels at discovering this strange and fantastical world. The humour and imagination J. K. Rowling employs in creating this magical world give the story a loving and playful quality. In her MA thesis, The Harry Potter Phenomenon and its Implications for Literacy Education, Jadranka Novosel argues that the readers’ love for Harry Potter has been made visible, communicable and shared through the expansion of the Internet and the emergence of online communities such as various Harry Potter fan websites (Novosel 1, 64-65; Grossman n.pag.). Readers do not only enjoy Harry Potter books in the solitary act of reading, but also break out of that isolation and share their love and passion for the story in participatory online spaces. My initial research focus was to examine morality