Character Shifts in Harry Potter Fanfiction

Brottrager, Judith ; Doat, Joël ; Häußler, Julian ; Weitin, Thomas (2025)
Character Shifts in Harry Potter Fanfiction.
In: Zeitschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik, 2023, 53 (3)
doi: 10.26083/tuprints-00028346
Article, Secondary publication, Publisher's Version

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Item Type:

Article

Type of entry:

Secondary publication

Title:

Character Shifts in Harry Potter Fanfiction

Language:

English

Date:

14 January 2025

Place of Publication:

Darmstadt

Year of primary publication:

September 2023

Place of primary publication:

Berlin ; Heidelberg

Publisher:

Springer

Journal or Publication Title:

Zeitschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik

Volume of the journal:

Issue Number:

DOI:

10.26083/tuprints-00028346

Corresponding Links:

Origin:

Secondary publication DeepGreen

Abstract:

In fanfictions, authors can explore the fictitious universe of a fandom without restricting themselves to its canonical rules and orders. These explorations are often linked to diverging character conceptualizations based on readers’ response to omissions and indeterminacies in the source material. Following a three part structure, we examine these character shifts in German Harry Potter fanfictions by (1) comparing basic frequency distributions of character names, (2) analyzing character co-occurrences in order to identify central character pairings as well as collocations surrounding these characters, and (3) using a word embedding-based approach to sentiment analysis to quantify the emotional charging of characters. We identified certain character types predestined for re-conceptualization, such as minor characters or figures from pre- or sequels who generate interest among fanfiction writers, as well as villainous characters whose redesign follows typical fanfiction tropes such as »Enemies to Lovers«.

Alternative Abstract:

Alternative Abstract

Language

Autor:innen von Fanfictions nutzen ihre Texte dafür, kanonische Regeln des Originaluniversums zu umgehen und zu untergraben. Häufig sind Abweichungen von Originalen dabei mit divergierenden Figurenkonzeptualisierung verbunden, mit denen die Autor:innen auf Auslassungen und Unbestimmtheiten im Referenzmaterial reagieren. In »Character Shifts in Harry Potter Fanfictions« werden Abweichungen der Charaktere in Originaltexten und Fanfictions auf drei Ebenen verglichen, die Auskünfte über Verschiebungen von Haupt- und Nebencharakteren, nicht-kanonische Figurenkoppelungen und abweichende semantische Aufladungen der Charaktere geben. Auffallend ist dabei, dass bestimmte Figurengruppen, vor allem Figuren, die nicht unmittelbar in der Haupthandlung der Originalromane vorkommen, und Antagonist:innen, starkes Interesse bei Fanfiction-Autor:innen erzeugen.

German

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Harry Potter, Fanfiction, Characters, Word Embeddings, Contrastive Analysis

Status:

Publisher's Version

URN:

urn:nbn:de:tuda-tuprints-283465

Additional Information:

Issue: Responsibilisierungsdiskurse der Vormoderne (S. 415-589) / Fanforen und Fanfiction (S. 591-796)

Classification DDC:

800 Literature > 800 Literature, rhetoric and criticism
800 Literature > 820 English literature
800 Literature > 830 German literature

Divisions: