The Syntax of Things
is a Harry Potter Epic Length novel written by Arrisha.
Set in 1996's Great Britain, The Syntax of Things begins with Severus Snape's worst memory as portrayed in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The novel follows the Three-Act Structure narrative template (Set Up, Confrontation, Resolution) and explores themes of transience, love, redemption and self-acceptance.
Published in 2013 and translated to Russian, Polish, Chinese and Korean, The Syntax of Things remains the most visited fan written novel of its genre on Archive of Our Own to this day.
The Syntax of Things provides examples of:
- Ad Hominem: A Direct Ad Hominem is used in various Inner Monologues along with Straw Hypocrite and Circumstantial Ad Hominem elements.
- In Vino Veritas: It only takes Severus Snape a few drinks to embody The Cynic or The Fatalist. It is heavily implied that an Alcoholic Parent is to blame for the character's own alcoholism, although depending on interpretation that can be seen as a Freudian Excuse instead.
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: The work is based on the Rotating Protagonist pattern, following two main characters with Switching Points of View. One of them leans towards cynicism and the other towards idealism. As the story progresses, the line between the two ideologies becomes increasingly blurred.
- Environmental Symbolism: Empathic Environment may fit the description too. To reflect the unnerving nature of the plot and the gradual deconstruction of the characters' independence, physical spaces deliberately become smaller as the story progresses. In ACT I, various settings are depicted in detail, both interior and exterior. In the Second Act, the characters' interactions with any exterior environment are still somehow present but significantly downplayed. ACT III is downright claustrophobic, as the entirety of the plot unfolds in a grimy, cramped room with rusted furniture and no exit doors.
- Complete-the-Quote Title: The book's title is ostensibly borrowed by the poem since feeling is first by E.E. Cummings.
- Shout-Out: Multiple literary allusions appear throughout the book, including some direct references to Leo Tolstoy and William Shakespeare.
- Straw Nihilist: As a true nihilist, Severus Snape does not believe in absolutely anything and holds a worldview of deterministic helplessness.
- A Lesson in Defeat: The Mentor (Severus Snape) delivers this twice. Taught by Experience applies here too.
- Belated Love Epiphany: The relationship between the two characters explores multiple themes of Speculative Fiction and Romantic Fiction (beginning with Unrequited Love Switcheroo factors due to Incompatible Orientation, then progressing to the Slap-Slap-Kiss pattern with one character embodying the Love Martyr and the other the Defrosting Ice Queen.) A Belated Love Epiphany is finally triggered by a Despair Event after Severus Snape discovers that Harry Potter must die.
- What If?: The novel explores a world in which Harry Potter was exposed to the Prince's Tale in 1996 instead of 1998. Using the Butterfly Effect to diverge from the original plot, The Syntax of Things pulls a Disaster Domino and follows Harry Potter's Coming of Age journey through a Secret Relationship with Severus Snape.
- Finale Title Drop: Hermione Granger delivers An Aesop with a blatant title drop near the end."It's the syntax of things," she said.Harry looked up. "The what?""The syntax of things. Everything happens when it has to happen. Everything happens in order. Grief comes after loss… but something new comes after grief, too."
- Spoiler Title: Upon reading the entire poem referenced in the title, one can conclude that death, indeed, is no parenthesis.
- Epigraph: The novel begins with a short excerpt from
MuggleNet and a quote by Leo Tolstoy. The Epilogue is accompanied by the poem since feeling is first by E.E. Cummings.
