I have often wondered why J.K Rowling used a Chinese name for her. Cho in Chinese means butterfly and that would be the last description that I would think of for a girl like her. To me, she was the typical teenage girl, testing out different guys to see which really liked her. Personally, I'm a bit like Hermione the book wormy type and rebellious sort but I know that there are girls out there like Cho. What really struck me as being strange was that she played too much on Harry's feelings and maybe that was part of her flirtation with him. Harry liked her and that proved that he was a typical teenage kid with growing pains. The date that she had with him reminded me somewhat of a date that I had with this guy that was friends with the man that I killed accidentally in a car wreck (That's why I had to skip that part immediately. Anyway, I wonder what J.K was hinting at when she gave Cho a Chinese name? Was Cho Chinese?
quote:
'Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo'- H.G Wells
Maybe Cho like a butterfly hasn't broken out of her cocoon yet. Maybe right now she's just an ugly looking wormy caterpillar, and later on in the series she will spread her wings. Or maybe the butterfly reference has to do with how well she flies on a broomstick. I don't remember how good JKR said she was, it's been a long time since I've been able to read the third book.
Oliphaunt said this in post #6 : Maybe it's just a name........
Maybe it is just a name, or maybe JKR does almost everything for a reason. There is not one sentence or paragraph in that book, that is just thrown in there for absolutely no reason at all. People only write because they have something important to say. In JKR's case, she writes, you just have to figure out what she is saying.
Oliphaunt said this in post #6 : Maybe it's just a name........
Maybe it is just a name, or maybe JKR does almost everything for a reason. There is not one sentence or paragraph in that book, that is just thrown in there for absolutely no reason at all. People only write because they have something important to say. In JKR's case, she writes, you just have to figure out what she is saying.
Ok, I don't know if this has been mentioned before... however, I did come across something interesting about Cho. It has nothing to do with the fact that her name means butterfly, but it does offer us some insight to her personality.
Patronuses have been discussed in these forums. I think everyone can agree that a person's patronus represents something that's very deep and personal in their lives. For instance Harry = Stag, his father, the stag also represents numerous other things, which we could talk about forever, however, this thread is about Cho.
If I can remember correctly Cho's patronus was a swan. I looked a few things up and found that swans mate for life, and when their mate dies they grieve deeply. Wow does that not just scream Cho? The part that struck me the most interesting was that swans mate for life. It is quite obvious that Cho can't get over Cedric even when she has tried to move on. If Cedric really was Cho's mate for life, will she ever be able to get over her grieving? And if she does eventually reach the point where she can stop mourning, will she ever be able to move on and find someone else? Was JKR showing us something important when Harry's relationship with Cho blew up in his face?
daemon17 said this in post #9 :
If I can remember correctly Cho's patronus was a swan. I looked a few things up and found that swans mate for life, and when their mate dies they grieve deeply. Wow does that not just scream Cho? The part that struck me the most interesting was that swans mate for life. It is quite obvious that Cho can't get over Cedric even when she has tried to move on. If Cedric really was Cho's mate for life, will she ever be able to get over her grieving? And if she does eventually reach the point where she can stop mourning, will she ever be able to move on and find someone else? Was JKR showing us something important when Harry's relationship with Cho blew up in his face?
That is an interesting way to look at it; however, I have different thoughts. Cho's patronus is a swan, and Rowling uses many references to classic children's literature. I can't help but think of "The Ugly Duckling" that grew into a beautiful swan. With Cho's name meaning "butterfly" I instantly am reminded of one of my favorite children's books, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". In both "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" the main character goes through a transformation to become something beautiful. My guess is that is the idea Rowling was trying to convey with Cho.
Interesting Heather, and very cool that you like "the Very Hungry Catepillar- my daughter's favorite book . I think that Cho is outwardly beautiful, but she is fragile like a swan or butterfly. That could be a meaning too. Take a look at her emotional state. Very fragile.
the book wormy type and rebellious sort but I know that there are girls out there like Cho. What really struck me as being strange was that she played too much on Harry's feelings and maybe that was part of her flirtation with him. Harry liked her and that proved that he was a typical teenage kid with growing pains. The date that she had with him reminded me somewhat of a date that I had with this guy that was friends with the man that I killed accidentally in a car wreck (That's why I had to skip that part immediately. Anyway, I wonder what J.K was hinting at when she gave Cho a Chinese name? Was Cho Chinese?
. I think that Cho is outwardly beautiful, but she is fragile like a swan or butterfly. That could be a meaning too. Take a look at her emotional state. Very fragile.