Why Quinn Cozens is like a young Albus Dumbledore
Quinn Cozens and Albus Dumbledore may be characters in two completely different genres of fiction. But they have some eerie similarities.
He grew up reading about Albus Dumbledore. But man, little did Quinn know just how alike they were. And he should have, considering the fact Dumbledore was one of Quinn’s favorite Harry Potter characters next to Sirius Black and Severus Snape.
Growing up, Dumbledore craved power. And while Quinn never craved power, he wanted influence. Because Dumbledore craved power, he didn’t mind shoving his family out of the way to attain it. Quinn was no different when it came to influence.
Quinn Cozens couldn’t justify being a normal person
He grew up thinking his family prided themselves on normalcy. Mom and Dad worked “normie jobs,” Quinn lived in a “normie” home, and his younger sister, Jackie, disapproved Quinn’s outspoken and ambitious side. So she wanted to be what Quinn called a normie.
The more he felt like his family was fine with their “down to Earth” persona and sheer happiness despite their middle-class lifestyle, the more pissed off Quinn got as he entered the back half of middle school in the seventh and eighth grade.
They’d go to family functions and enjoy themselves. Meanwhile, Quinn sulked, knowing every cousin of his progressed in life more than he did. Unless, of course, those get-togethers took place at his maternal grandparents’ home. The one home he always found solace in.
To make things worse, Quinn was never the greatest athlete or student. This was before he saw through public school, so watching peers excel in sports and academics was a gut punch. Rage pulsed through him, plus the despair of knowing he wasn’t chosen. If nobody chose him in school, why would anyone choose him later on?
He sat in the stands and watched his middle school team run all over opponents. He lounged in the auditorium, watching other students win stacks of awards, and get recognition. Yet, Quinn watched and waited, biding his time, even if he had no plan.
Quinn’s bitter streak puts him in-league with Albus Dumbledore
In Harry Potter, Dumbledore was arguably the most brilliant student to attend the school. That puts him in a different league than Quinn on the surface. But Dumbledore grew bitter when forced to look after his brother and sister, feeling like he was wasting his talents.
Quinn came from the opposite end of the tracks. But he had talent, and that’s where so much of his anger stemmed. He knew he could write, and after discovering bodybuilding, he knew he could look good.
But tell a public school you wanted to be recognized in sports writing and bodybuilding and they’d laugh. His interests never aligned with school, and he had too many people saying, “you can’t,” as opposed to egging him on.
That said, it’s no excuse to spurn family over. And that’s something Quinn learned the hard way, just like Albus Dumbledore. Now, you already know Dumbledore’s redemption arc, so I won’t go there. But chances are, you don’t know Quinn’s.
But if you’re a fan of dystopian survival fiction that doesn’t bow down to corporate algorithms and forges its own path, you’ll like Quinn’s story. Check out Beyond the Lost Horizon, meet Quinn, and read a different kind of dystopian survival tale. One that bucks a few traditional tropes.
