Calantha
Gryffindor Alumni
My name is Luck, this is my song, I happened by when you were gone
Posts: 4,493
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Mar 26, 2003 20:39:21 GMT -5
Post by Calantha on Mar 26, 2003 20:39:21 GMT -5
I have never read the Chronicles of Narnia...maybe I should? Haha, that's great. I don't know, I have more things that are blue than any other color. It isn't that it is my favourite color, I'm just oddly drawn to it... Hmm...I don't know, although I like the one version the best, I'll buy whatever is easiest to find. I'm pretty easily pleased. edit~ No, I take back the never reading them, well, I read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was in third grade. I totally forgot about it until I looked back through my bookcase. Copyright 1950 .
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Mar 27, 2003 11:11:05 GMT -5
Post by En on Mar 27, 2003 11:11:05 GMT -5
Heh. I worked in a used book store when I was in college, and I developed an unfortunate (for my wallet) taste for particular editions of books I'm not big into collecting stuff, but I do like to be choosy about what things I do acquire. And I tend to acquire more books than anything else -- when I moved this past November, I noticed that by volume, books constitute 2/3 of my possessions
Hey, yeah, you should read the rest of the Chronicles. They're quick and there are seven of them, and they're good for filling reading time between here and June, and then you could come talk with us in the Narnia thread in the RS *thinks Calantha is very Lucylike*
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Mar 27, 2003 16:45:17 GMT -5
Post by Sphi on Mar 27, 2003 16:45:17 GMT -5
I've only read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as well, and of what I remember, I liked it. I've been meaning to read the whole series, but then there's my whole problem with actually doing things... I like Izzy's and En's reasoning about the US cover (the blue one). It does have a mysterious quality to it, and it really makes me wonder, like where exactly Harry is and who is else in there. Plus it doesn't give away too much directly; it's more subtle. (I'm really relieved that the cover isn't as straightforward as the Goblet of Fire cover. That just seemed like too much for a cover). The blue color is also a great part of it. Not only is it a great color, but it also symbolizes so many different things. It can be tranquility and peace, but also sadness, memories, and mystery. The blue-ness really is a good way to capture a lot of emotions in just one picture. The UK versions are good, too. Like Cal and En were saying, the adult one has very good effects with the gothic architecture and blending at the bottom. It does seem more mature, but that's not always a bad thing. The only problem is the black-and-white phoenix almost seems as if it's a statue; at least the color one actually looks like it's alive.
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Mar 28, 2003 12:36:36 GMT -5
Post by En on Mar 28, 2003 12:36:36 GMT -5
Yeah, that bothered me too -- the statue-ness of the phoenix. Because Fawkes is so very not a statue, you know? He's not only bright red and very much alive, he's also integral to the plot of the story somehow. It's his tail that Voldemort's and Harry's wand cores came from. *adds that to the list of Top 5 Questions En Wants Answered... why is it significant that Fawkes is linked to them in this way?*
Good point about blue, too. Blue is a colour with a lot of personality, and a varied personality at that -- you're right that it is both happy and sad, and also, it's a symbol for nature (sky, water) as well as a symbol for the unnatural (ghostliness as well as Muggle smog).
I always did wonder why adults thought that kids are attracted to bright colours. I never was. I was always a blue and brown type of person
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Mar 28, 2003 18:10:15 GMT -5
Post by Sphi on Mar 28, 2003 18:10:15 GMT -5
...It's his tail that Voldemort's and Harry's wand cores came from. *adds that to the list of Top 5 Questions En Wants Answered... why is it significant that Fawkes is linked to them in this way?*
...it's a symbol for nature (sky, water) as well as a symbol for the unnatural (ghostliness as well as Muggle smog).
I always did wonder why adults thought that kids are attracted to bright colours. I never was. I was always a blue and brown type of person So you're wondering why it's important that Fawkes, in particular, is the one who connects Harry and Voldemort? Well, might it have something to do with the fact that Fawkes is Dumbledore's pet? I don't know why, but it seems weird, doesn't it? Maybe Fawkes is more important than we think. I sorta doubt/dislike the idea that Fawkes is an animagi. It just doesn't work for me. *wonders what else is on En's special list* Yep, you bring up some more good points about the color blue, which just adds to the fact that I love it, as well as so many other people. It has so much depth. And I agree; blue is usually much prettier than all those bright, gaudy colors.
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Calantha
Gryffindor Alumni
My name is Luck, this is my song, I happened by when you were gone
Posts: 4,493
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Mar 28, 2003 18:25:11 GMT -5
Post by Calantha on Mar 28, 2003 18:25:11 GMT -5
Two...wait...maybe like...three...years ago I took this course on ads and they were talking about colors. They said that yellow is a color which makes people angry (interestinly enough half of my school is yellow...). But red attracks the most people, and the color you should never use is brown. I thought that was pretty crazy, because red makes me sort of shy away from it a little, but earthy tones attract me a lot.
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Mar 28, 2003 22:49:49 GMT -5
Post by Sphi on Mar 28, 2003 22:49:49 GMT -5
That's interesting - I wouldn't think yellow is an angry color...but then again, bees are yellow. I also learned about colors in connection to advertising in art class during middle school. If I can remember correctly from what I learned, bright colors (like red and yellow) are supposed to attract people. Aren't they supposed to be happy colors? And then colors like green and blue are more soothing, although some greens are supposedly nauseating. I'm not sure about neutral tones...I guess you just shouldn't use them too much. (Mind you, these aren't my opinions, just the ones that my art teacher has tried to instill in all our little brains. )
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Isbister15
Gryffindor Alumni
Mmmm...chocolate
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Mar 29, 2003 3:49:18 GMT -5
Post by Isbister15 on Mar 29, 2003 3:49:18 GMT -5
Funny you should say that about your school, Cal, because I remember some time ago there was a report that said the color yellow stimulates brain activity and enhances awareness in the classrooms. So many schools in my area decided to paint the rooms yellow, too. I don't think they received the desired effect. Light Blue seems to be the most popular classroom color at this point, I think. Which is cool with me because I certainly prefer it to yellow. I can kinda see yellow being an angry color, especially bright yellow, because it can be a shocking hue for the eye to take in and can therefore incite anger or defensiveness in the brain. Then again, it is 3:41 in the morning and I'm not quite sure what I'm talking about or if I'm speaking (typing?) in complete sentences anyway. I don't think Fawkes is an animagi, per se. But he might be some sort of reincarnation of someone...?
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Mar 30, 2003 13:03:47 GMT -5
Post by Sphi on Mar 30, 2003 13:03:47 GMT -5
Blue-painted classrooms are nice, but my classrooms are usually light yellow or light green. Do those colors tend to send a certain message to the brain?
Hmm, I guess Fawkes could be a reincarnation. Possibly of Godric Gryffindor, although that does seem a bit predictable. After all, it was Fawkes who brought down the Sorting Hat with the sword inside it, both of which once belonged to Gryffindor. But I guess that would be a good guess. How might that play into the story later?
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Mar 31, 2003 15:49:51 GMT -5
Post by En on Mar 31, 2003 15:49:51 GMT -5
I very much doubt that Fawkes is merely Dumbledore's pet. There is definitely something up with him. Between his saving Harry at the end of CoS and his tailfeathers acting up in GoF, and the mere fact that this next book is called the "Order of the Phoenix"....
I think different people react to colours differently, so it's kind of silly to paint classrooms one colour instead of another. Or offices, or whatever. I mean, I really notice red things, but that's because I grew up practically Puritan and red was essentially forbidden But like Cal, I'm most drawn to earth tones. Nothing repels me like pastels and nothing makes me feel more relaxed than brown, green and blue.
If you've ever read The Andromeda Strain, there are some amusing remarks in there about how the military had painted the five levels of a research installation in colours that were supposed to reflect the degree of security and seriousness at each level, and everyone who worked there was super-annoyed by it.
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Apr 1, 2003 12:06:58 GMT -5
Post by Sphi on Apr 1, 2003 12:06:58 GMT -5
Oooh, that reminds of The Giver!! The whole deal with the colors evoking emotions, that is. It's a great book, if anyone hasn't read it yet.
I agree with you, En, that colors have different effects for different people. But wouldn't you have to agree that certain colors just have a general effect? Like yellows tend to make people cheerful (or angry, for that matter), and blues tend to make people calm?
I guess I'll stick with the Godric Gryffindor reincarnation idea for now. It really does seem to make sense, but is it too predictable?
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Apr 1, 2003 15:06:13 GMT -5
Post by En on Apr 1, 2003 15:06:13 GMT -5
But in some cultures, bright yellow is the colour of nobility, or the sacred colour. Maybe colours have the same effect on all Western people, or maybe not even; bright yellow just makes me feel old
Well, if Fawkes is a phoenix like the Greek phoenices (is that the right plural? ) he might have known Godric Gryffindor; phoenices are immortal, aren't they?
I just don't think that (if I were JKR) I'd make anyone a reincarnation of anything, because the religious nuts are already up in arms against HP and that would be just one straw too much for the fundamentalist camel
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Apr 1, 2003 17:12:26 GMT -5
Post by Sphi on Apr 1, 2003 17:12:26 GMT -5
You bring up a good point. I didn't consider the religious fanatics. So maybe Fawkes was Godric Gryffindor's pet? Phoenixes (or however it's written in the plural form) are constantly reborn from their ashes, so I guess that would be like immortality. I also read that there can only be one phoenix alive at any given time...has anyone else heard this anywhere? I know details about mythology differ from place to place, so I wasn't sure if anyone else heard that.
I guess the effect of colors depend on where (and how) you were raised then. In lots of places people relate pastels to childhood and cute stuff, but that's obviously not true with all people. Like yourself. How very interesting.
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Calantha
Gryffindor Alumni
My name is Luck, this is my song, I happened by when you were gone
Posts: 4,493
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Apr 1, 2003 20:01:30 GMT -5
Post by Calantha on Apr 1, 2003 20:01:30 GMT -5
I totally agree with the phoenix thing, but I'm not sure about the "only one alive" since I haven't studied mythology in a while...
Well, also, you have to keep in mind that this is a children's book (although it appeals to all ages) so I can understand why JKR would keep out reincarnation...and well, I'm sure she doesn't want to step on anyone's toes likewise.
I'm sure moods depending on colors change for each culture, really. Although, you'd suspect red would draw in the most attention...take bullfighting for example, with the red cloth... Yellow though, well, I think that's questionable as an "angry" color...hmmm... And I think in the class it said blue calms and saddens... And green is related to money, so if you go with another color choice other than white, you're suppose to do it in green. Although light green sooths. Who knows? Pastel colors always reminded me of my sister and Easter, both of which have fairly bad memories connected with them...
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Apr 1, 2003 20:22:39 GMT -5
Post by Sphi on Apr 1, 2003 20:22:39 GMT -5
Does reincarnation really have to have a religious connotation? Would being "reborn" be the same case? I wouldn't think JK Rowling would have a problem with writing about Gryffindor being reborn, but I guess I don't know much about religious semantics.
I'll look up the phoenix thing. I'm still not sure about it.
That's another good point, Cal, about moods and memories, I guess.
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