Skip to content

MuggleNet

  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Features / The Daily Prophet

The Second of Seven: “Chamber of Secrets” and “The Silkworm”

by Eleanor Harrison · June 6, 2015

Last week I compared Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with The Cuckoo’s Calling in preparation for Robert Galbraith’s new novel Career of Evil, which will be released later this year.

This week I am examining the second in each series: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The Silkworm.

In summary, The Silkworm is set in London’s publishing industry – it follows Strike on another case brought to him by the distraught wife of a novelist who had gone to seed – Owen Quine. The book follows Strike’s analysis of the (seven, strangely enough) characters in Quine’s last book and their counterparts in Quine’s real life.

cormoran

***SPOILERS***

Critical Analysis:

The most obvious comparison between Chamber of Secrets and The Silkworm is that they are both about the power of the written word, and the importance of critical examination.

“Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain,” stated Arthur Weasley in Chamber of Secrets. Do not trust a book or any piece of writing, in other words, if you don’t know its author’s motivations. An important lesson for all of us in this world riddled with media.

tom-riddle-diary

In Chamber of Secrets we didn’t know the motivations behind Tom Riddle’s writing in the diary; the only thing we learned was what Tom himself told us, which was heavily manipulated to induce Harry’s trust.

The Silkworm takes this further – the author’s intent becomes the “key” to the mystery – a critical analysis of Bombyx Mori (the book within the book) and its (true) author’s motivations is what ultimately cracks the case.

Both books within books are written to mislead, to cause dissension and confusion, and ultimately to serve a destructive purpose.

fan-art

Source

Characters:

Ginny and Owen Quine are both manipulated and murdered/almost murdered by the author of a book.

Here we can see that The Silkworm is the inverse of the narrative of Chamber of Secrets. Chamber of Secrets was about a book being the overt weapon of its author – planted at the beginning; the attempted murder occurring at the end. The Silkworm was about the reverse – the murder occurring at the beginning; the book being revealed as a cover at the end.

Both Ginny and Owen became unknowing accomplices in their own (attempted) murders. Ginny became possessed due to her trust in the diary and was forced to write her own farewell. Owen believed he was posing for a publicity shoot rather than his death portrait.

pottermore-chamber-of-secrets

There are equivalents throughout the book of characters from Chamber of Secrets: there’s a character like Hagrid who stands falsely accused; both villains are highly dangerous and had killed young women before. There’s even a Gilderoy Lockhart-type character in Michael Fancourt.

And let’s not forget this rather pointed reference to Harry Potter on the last page of the book where Robin asks:

“Doesn’t anyone ever call you that?”

“Call me what?”

“Lightning Strike”

J.K. Rowling has once again written about what she knows: in Harry Potter she drew on her experiences as a teacher; in this she draws on her experiences as a writer. Overall, The Silkworm is one of my favorites because there is so much fodder for literary analysis; there are many marvelous allusions and theories to be drawn – not the least of which is using the Strike books as “keys” to further understand Harry Potter. But the most important parallel between Chamber of Secrets and The Silkworm is the reminder of the manipulative power a book taken at face value has.

For a more thorough literary analysis, stay tuned next week for The Silkworm: A Critical Analysis.

Social:

  • Next story Social Roundup: Rowling on a Roll
  • Previous story Gruellingly Nauseating and Onerous MuggleNet Exercise: History of Magic

MuggleNet Archive

Important Dates

May 2025

Fri, May 9

Charlie's friends take Norbert(a)
Recurs yearly

1992
Approximate. Exact date unknown.

Sat, May 10

Gryffindor wins Quidditch Cup; Harry and Ginny first kiss
Recurs yearly

1997

Harry, Hermione, and Neville lose 150 house points
Recurs yearly

1992
Approximate. Exact date unknown.

Mon, May 12

Domhnall Gleeson's birthday
Recurs yearly

Bill Weasley (DH1, DH2)

Tue, May 13

Robert Pattinson's birthday
Recurs yearly

Cedric Diggory

Samantha Morton's birthday
Recurs yearly

Mary Lou Barebone

Zoë Wanamaker's birthday
Recurs yearly

Madam Hooch

Thu, May 15

Pomona Sprout's birthday
Recurs yearly

MuggleNet podcasts are sponsored in part by Secretlab.

Thanks to its research-backed ergonomic design, including a proprietary 4-way adaptive lumbar support system, the Secretlab TITAN Evo Harry Potter Edition will comfortably support you even when you’re up to no good.

Did You Know

The Golden Snitch was invented to replace the Golden Snidget, a golden bird with fully rotational wings that became endangered after they were used as targets in numerous Quidditch matches.

Potter History

October 25, 2004 – John Williams officially out; Patrick Doyle and Jarvis Cocker to write the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film score.

Potter Quote

“I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort’s name.”

MuggleNet is an unofficial Harry Potter fansite.
Please email us if you have any questions or concerns.
© 1999–2025 MuggleNet.com. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | COPPA Policy | Terms of Use | Feedback


MuggleNet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Bookshop.org's affiliate program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and bookshop.org.