Trevor as a Symbolic Representation of Neville
I have already written about the Mimbulus mimbletonia as a symbolic representation of Neville; this time it’s Trevor’s turn. Though this has only just occurred to me, I already feel very strongly that it is wonderfully appropriate that Neville’s pet is a toad. More than any other character in the book, Neville undergoes a remarkable change over the years, and a toad is one of the ultimate symbols of transformation.
When Neville is first introduced to us in HP and the SS/PS, Trevor is mentioned again and again. From the very beginning, Rowling uses Trevor to make Neville a memorable character, and the constant references to Trevor serve to strongly link him to Neville. At first, however, I imagine that most of us looked only at the surface symbolism of Neville having a pet toad - for like a toad, Neville is unpopular and appears awkward, ungainly. And why should we have thought any more deeply into it? By the end of the first book, Neville had shown glimpses of his bravery, but he was still largely a 2D character - clumsy, forgetful, anxious - and we knew nothing of his background.
But now, after having read OotP and having witnessed Neville’s remarkable growth and achievements, it should be obvious - upon further thought - that Neville’s toad is a symbol of so much more. The toad was and is a symbol of transformation in cultures spanning the globe. It undergoes a tremendous metamorphosis in its life, from tadpole to adult toad - an almost magical transformation - and thus it truly is a symbol of great change. This is reflected in mythology, or fairly tales, where the toad is eventually transformed back into the handsome prince it once was before being cursed by an evil witch.
Whether or not Neville was cursed directly by the ultimate in evil witches - Bellatrix - he was cursed by her actions. Whether or not you believe in the memory charm theory or the lack-of-talent-because-of-his-father’s-wand theory, it was because of the circumstances under which he grew up that he turned out to be so anxious and awkward. Though Neville’s gran likely had only good intentions, she caused Neville a great deal of harm in the way she raised him, and to grow up with parents who were tortured into insanity by evil wizards is certainly not conducive to a carefree, happy childhood.
And now, in book five - and in future books as well, I am sure - we finally see Neville begin to transform back into the prince he really is. For he certainly is a prince, there is no doubt about that. Of all the characters in the book, Neville (in my opinion, of course) is the one who shows the most personal courage, loyalty, and selflessness. Neville has gone through so much in life, and though he has been cowed, he has not been broken - and he has not become bitter or angry at the world, either.
Interestingly, when we go back and read through the books with this new awareness, there are several references to Trevor take on new meanings. In PoA, Snape feeds Trevor Neville’s potion, turning him into a tadpole temporarily - a subtle reminder that the toad is a symbol of transformation, perhaps? Even more interesting, it is directly after this transformation that Neville manages to face down Boggart!Snape in the wardrobe - undergoing a small transformation of his own. Neville’s first big scene of courage also mentions Trevor. When Neville finds Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneaking out to save the stone in first year, he is holding Trevor, having just been searching for him, and just before he confronts the trio, he drops Trevor - a sign, maybe, that this is where he makes a start at leaving his “toad” persona behind? Perhaps most significant, in OotP, when Neville first comes “on stage” - on the train ride - he is at first holding Trevor, and it is while he is still holding him that he tells Luna “I’m nobody.” But then he hands over the toad to Harry in order to demonstrate what the Mimbulus mimbletonia can do - and throughout the rest of the book, Trevor is never mentioned again. In book five, Neville has begun his transformation to “prince” - just as his toads fades away into the background.
***
As an aside, I find it interesting that Neville so to speak “trades in” his toad for his Mimbulus mimbletonia - both of them given to him by his uncle Algie. I wonder if there is more to Algie than it seems? Will we be hearing more from him, or about him?
While we’re on the subject of Trevor, what is also interesting to speculate about - if very unlikely - is the theory that Trevor himself is actually the Half-blood prince, having been transfigured against his will some time ago and now making every attempt to escape. In a way, I think this would be overusing the animal-who-is-actually-a-person plot device, but hey, with JKR, you never know.
I’d also like to acknowledge due where it is owed: these thoughts occurred to me as a result of some thinking I’ve been doing lately about Transformation in the Harry Potter series, which was inspired by the most recent challenge - Transformation - at hp_gen_ch.
So - what’s the consensus? Is Trevor meant to be symbolic of Neville? Any other connections I’ve missed? Thoughts, comments, etc. are all very welcome.
When Neville is first introduced to us in HP and the SS/PS, Trevor is mentioned again and again. From the very beginning, Rowling uses Trevor to make Neville a memorable character, and the constant references to Trevor serve to strongly link him to Neville. At first, however, I imagine that most of us looked only at the surface symbolism of Neville having a pet toad - for like a toad, Neville is unpopular and appears awkward, ungainly. And why should we have thought any more deeply into it? By the end of the first book, Neville had shown glimpses of his bravery, but he was still largely a 2D character - clumsy, forgetful, anxious - and we knew nothing of his background.
But now, after having read OotP and having witnessed Neville’s remarkable growth and achievements, it should be obvious - upon further thought - that Neville’s toad is a symbol of so much more. The toad was and is a symbol of transformation in cultures spanning the globe. It undergoes a tremendous metamorphosis in its life, from tadpole to adult toad - an almost magical transformation - and thus it truly is a symbol of great change. This is reflected in mythology, or fairly tales, where the toad is eventually transformed back into the handsome prince it once was before being cursed by an evil witch.
Whether or not Neville was cursed directly by the ultimate in evil witches - Bellatrix - he was cursed by her actions. Whether or not you believe in the memory charm theory or the lack-of-talent-because-of-his-father’s-wand theory, it was because of the circumstances under which he grew up that he turned out to be so anxious and awkward. Though Neville’s gran likely had only good intentions, she caused Neville a great deal of harm in the way she raised him, and to grow up with parents who were tortured into insanity by evil wizards is certainly not conducive to a carefree, happy childhood.
And now, in book five - and in future books as well, I am sure - we finally see Neville begin to transform back into the prince he really is. For he certainly is a prince, there is no doubt about that. Of all the characters in the book, Neville (in my opinion, of course) is the one who shows the most personal courage, loyalty, and selflessness. Neville has gone through so much in life, and though he has been cowed, he has not been broken - and he has not become bitter or angry at the world, either.
Interestingly, when we go back and read through the books with this new awareness, there are several references to Trevor take on new meanings. In PoA, Snape feeds Trevor Neville’s potion, turning him into a tadpole temporarily - a subtle reminder that the toad is a symbol of transformation, perhaps? Even more interesting, it is directly after this transformation that Neville manages to face down Boggart!Snape in the wardrobe - undergoing a small transformation of his own. Neville’s first big scene of courage also mentions Trevor. When Neville finds Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneaking out to save the stone in first year, he is holding Trevor, having just been searching for him, and just before he confronts the trio, he drops Trevor - a sign, maybe, that this is where he makes a start at leaving his “toad” persona behind? Perhaps most significant, in OotP, when Neville first comes “on stage” - on the train ride - he is at first holding Trevor, and it is while he is still holding him that he tells Luna “I’m nobody.” But then he hands over the toad to Harry in order to demonstrate what the Mimbulus mimbletonia can do - and throughout the rest of the book, Trevor is never mentioned again. In book five, Neville has begun his transformation to “prince” - just as his toads fades away into the background.
***
As an aside, I find it interesting that Neville so to speak “trades in” his toad for his Mimbulus mimbletonia - both of them given to him by his uncle Algie. I wonder if there is more to Algie than it seems? Will we be hearing more from him, or about him?
While we’re on the subject of Trevor, what is also interesting to speculate about - if very unlikely - is the theory that Trevor himself is actually the Half-blood prince, having been transfigured against his will some time ago and now making every attempt to escape. In a way, I think this would be overusing the animal-who-is-actually-a-person plot device, but hey, with JKR, you never know.
I’d also like to acknowledge due where it is owed: these thoughts occurred to me as a result of some thinking I’ve been doing lately about Transformation in the Harry Potter series, which was inspired by the most recent challenge - Transformation - at hp_gen_ch.
So - what’s the consensus? Is Trevor meant to be symbolic of Neville? Any other connections I’ve missed? Thoughts, comments, etc. are all very welcome.