Could you explain why each chapter in “A tale of light and dark” is titled that?
I’m curious and some of them I can’t figure out.
Oh, that’s an interesting question!
The reasons are actually pretty varied, and I can’t blame you for not figuring it out because it’s not always very straightforward. I usually aim for chapter titles that carry several meanings, titles that reflect important parts of the chapter but they don't have to some it up perfectly.
One aspect is almost always intertextuality, even if it’s only through vague association. I’ve always liked using song titles that fit the chapter, whether because of the mood, the lyrics, or simply because I like the song and the title feels applicable. I’ve been doing that a bit less frequently in ATOLAD, though.
Sometimes the connection is fairly loose, like ch. 4 Night Owl by Gerry Rafferty. I associate that song strongly with Sirius (late 70s London), but a central part of the chapter is him reconnecting with his family in the quiet of the night, coming home and finding them asleep, or staying up with Harry after a nightmare.
Others are more lyric-based, like ch. 10 Riders on the Storm by The Doors (“there’s a killer on the road…”). I was thinking of Peter there - first with Lily and James, and now literally on a ride with Ron and Harry 🫠
Then there are more literary references. Ch. 9 The Metamorphosis is a reference to Kafka's Metamorphosis, tied to Reg’s first transformation, but also to the fact that something fundamental shifts within their family dynamic.
A lot of the other titles are meant to refer to multiple aspects of the chapter at once. Ch. 1 The Prisoner could refer to Sirius or Peter. Ch. 6 Guards is about the Dementors, but also about Sirius and Reg in their roles as protectors. Ch. 11 Two Lines, Failed refers both to the parenting approaches they’re trying and to the fact that, at that point, both of them are failing Harry in different ways.
Some titles are perhaps a bit more cryptic. Ch. 2 Aquarium uses the inflatable pool that becomes a metaphor in the chapter, but also to the feeling of being trapped in an enclosed space, being kept inside behind windows (and even those windows have to stay locked) when it would feel natural to be outside and free.
Ch. 5 Turtle Shell is about Sirius wearing this impenetrable emotional armor that reminds Reg of a turtle skeleton he once saw. And ch. 3 Twelve Plus One is the birthday chapter: Sirius accidentally refers to Harry as still being twelve, but that’s also the emotional core of the chapter, Harry leaving childhood behind and crossing into adolescence.
And finally, ch. 8 The Shadow of the Past refers to the secrets Reg and Sirius have kept from Harry, especially surrounding Sirius’ time in Azkaban. They finally reveal those secrets at the end, but until then the “shadow” manifests in all sorts of ways: the Dementors, the whispering students, his parents' profound worrying - all the things Harry can sense but can’t really understand until the truth is finally brought into the open.
Thanks for the ask! I’m curious now, what were your thoughts? Which titles gave you the hardest time trying to figure out?