Reading, Writing, Rowling

In imaginative fiction, bridges provide access to magical and dangerous worlds.  During this month’s episode, Katy and Emily talk about bridges in the Harry Potter books and movies. We’ve scoured the books and films for bridge images and references to see where they’re used and how. There are not many bridges in the books - though the Brockdale Bridge’s destruction at the beginning of Book 6 and the bridge in “The Tale of the Three Brothers” have important metaphorical significance. The villainous Dolores Umbridge also acts as a conduit for evil into Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic. The movies make good use of bridge imagery in thoughtfully chosen moments that make us ponder what connections or transformations are made there.  We also talk about how each of the seven books of the Harry Potter series creates a literary bridge from one book to the next, keeping us reading. Looking at beginnings and endings of the books helps us to see how each book provides a sense of conclusion, but also leaves the read