Another limitation of fantasy as a narrative mode in Harry Potter is that while Rowling uses the world of magic as a parallel for the real world in order to explore relevant issues, these parallels can result in a loss of meaning and can be difficult for young readers to identify. Rowling uses the fantasy world of Harry Potter to explore a number of social and political issues, but many scholars argue that these themes are not likely to be recognised by child readers of the Harry Potter books, and that only adults would be able to draw these parallels and recognise the importance of these aspects of the book. In "The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: perspectives on a literary phenomenom", Pinsent, Pharr & Lacoss discuss a number of these themes …show more content…
They argue that such themes are not relevant for child readers, who "may be more preoccupied with Harry's use of the Top-Secret Marauders Map to sneak into Hogsmeade, Hermione's use of the Time-Turner to rescue the Hippogriff Buckbeak, the details of the various tests Harry faces as Hogwarts champion, and (for teen readers) Harry's and his friends' preliminary interest in members of the opposite sex." (-----). One such theme which is explored in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the question of the desirability of immortality. A central aspect of the first Harry Potter book is Voldemort's desire to be immortal at all costs, attempting to obtain the philosopher's stone and drinking unicorn blood, even if it means killing pure, innocent creatures and as a result living "a half life, a cursed life" (----). This is contrasted with Nicolas Flamel's decision to destroy the stone as a safety precaution, even though it means he will die, as he willingly accepts his own mortality and embraces death when it is time for him to die. The discourse about whether such themes are relevant to young readers is certainly understandable, as the acceptance of mortality seems to be a theme which would have much more relevance to older …show more content…
There is also an exploration of the theme of prejudice through wizarding bloodlines and the way in which those who are not 'pureblood' are discriminated against, even called derogatory terms such as 'mudblood'. There are strong historical influences in the themes which Rowling explores, having stated herself that Voldemort and his followers, the 'Death Eaters', are meant to parallel the Nazi regime during the Second World War. This can be seen through their notions of blood purity and desire to kill those with 'impure' blood, mirroring Nazi ideals and the notion of blood purity. "I wanted Harry to leave our world and find exactly the same problems in the wizarding world. So you have the intent to impose a hierarchy, you have bigotry, and this notion of purity, which is a great fallacy, but it crops up all over the world...so yeah that follows a parallel [to Nazism]." (p.
Thomas S. Hibbs’ expository essay “Memento Harry” (2011) examines the recurring notion of memento mori in Rowling’s Harry Potter. Hibbs affirms that the Harry Potter series is a tribute to memento mori, “the virtuous cultivation of the memory of death.” Hibbs utilizes parallelism by presenting that the awareness of mortality is the assertion of “life over death, love over hate, and community over isolation,” incorporates logos by analyzing that “remembering and preparing for death are central virtues”, and relates Harry Potter to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe in order to demonstrate that death is only conquered through selflessness. Hibbs perspective on the concept of memento mori is certainly penetrating and he persuasively
The controversy surrounding Black’s imprisonment and escape reveals the issues within the criminal justice system of the Wizarding World that is mirrored in reality as well. As Harry Potter and his peers continue through their third year at Hogwarts, several
Harry Potter was forced to endure many hardships of death and still needed to face the killer of his loved ones, who was known as the embodiment of evil. These three individuals had to endure many hardships to reach their goal.
Compared to the ideas of nature, solitude, and self-reliance that famous Transcendentalist authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau express in their many writings and essays, a children’s book such as the Harry Potter series seems like it doesn’t have much to offer in comparison. A 12 year old boy wizard facing magical homework and new, oddball friends and teachers frankly seems a little superficial when put next to Civil Disobedience, an essay exploring the purpose of government and the role of the citizens of that government through the time Thoreau spent in jail for not paying his taxes. However, while on a surface level, Harry Potter may seem like it offers little value outside of children’s entertainment, when examined
Harry Potter lives a balanced life in accordance with his values and teachings, which allows him to surpass Voldemort in strength. Harry grows as a character through his hardships and perseverance and works hard to become the person he believes he needs to be. On the contrary, Voldemort’s beliefs are rooted solely in power and domination; he values strength over morality and seeks only to impose fear upon those who oppose him. This dichotomy between lex orandi and lex credendi creates a moral divide between the two characters, making it clear that Harry’s values are based on an ethical code while Voldemort’s are rooted in selfishness and
To point out elements of witchcraft in Harry Potter and series. 2. To investigate the impact of witchcraft on child psychology. 3. There are some power dominant elements in the series of Harry Potter, so the purpose of this study is also to analyze it in detail.
Keeping It Simple You would be hard pressed to find anyone who does not live under a rock that has not at least heard of Harry Potter, if not read a book or seen a movie. The series has become a cultural phenomenon that has people of all ages as loyal fans worldwide. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first book in the series by J. K. Rowling that had to have some qualities to capture audiences. Sure, it is a book about magic and adventures, but there are plenty of books about magic in the fantasy genre that never will have the following that Harry Potter does, so what did Rowling do to make this a meaningful story?
Rhetorical Analysis – J.K. Rowling “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” The author of the famous Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling held this speech during a graduation ceremony at Harvard University. The speech was to the Harvard graduates from June 5, 2008 and was held outside in the famous ‘Old Harvard Yard’ as a tradition. The purpose of the speech was to celebrate and congratulate the graduating class.
Harry is a master of virtue according to everything from scripture to business ethics. The focus of harry becomes many symposia such as Nimbus and Prophecy and an expected session topic at scholarly gatherings such as The International Conference on the fantastic in the Arts and Meetings of the pop culture Association. While newspaper and magazine critics tented to focus on the social aspects of the Potter phenomenon scholars looked as well as literary person’s ancestors and social background, structures and theme. Rowling’s books are both praised and criticized as fairy tale, which deals with someone’s formative years and schooldays series with their author justly laude for her gift at creating charming details that sweeps readers through a range of literary
Harry Potter and the philosiphers stone by J.k Rowling, portrays many themes during Harry’s years at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. For example, the power of choice and its impact on our wellbeing, on our lives, and on the lives of others. The vital importance of friendship, and family. Family is a very important theme throughout Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Harry only wishes for the family he never knew – his parents – and hates the one he's stuck with – the Dursleys.
literary analysis: Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets I’ve read Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets, a book written by J.K. Rowling. It’s the second book in a series of 7. The book is about Harry Potter, a 12-year-old wizard going to Hogwarts. This year, people are getting stupefied without anyone knowing the reason behind it.
Harry Potter is a modern-day character that infuses the historical importance of epic heroism with contemporary
It has been said within certain circles that J.K. Rowling has defined a generation with her Harry Potter series. As a series based totally around the life of a young boy developing through the ages of eleven to eighteen within a magical world rife with bigotry, war, and a deep underlining of comradery, I cannot honestly think of a better series to represent my generation. A singularity that all eight books within the series touch on, however, is the idea of friendship and its power to manipulate us in different ways. Friendship, then, can be seen as both a gratifying experience and the most potent of controls over who we are and who we become as individuals.
In the novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone the author J.K. Rowling creates a world full of magic spells and trickery. With this setting she allows the reader to empathize with the main characters of the story. Rowling illustrates that fate can sometimes be overruled by the choice of one's own human will, but she also firmly warns and displays the consequences and risks of becoming too reliant upon human will. The main character Harry Potter, casts his strong courage within his decision making. It tends to begin before his destined journey to Hogwarts, in his raising by his relatives, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.
The Harry Potter series have been an interesting series for me ever since I have enrolled in Professor Fox’s class. I personally have not read any of the Harry Potter series during my childhood, but once I have enrolled in Professor Fox’s class I have recently just finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Throughout my readings of these two books I have had many observations on certain aspects of the story that I would not have noticed when I was younger. These three aspects that I can’t imagine as a child noticing is how the Dursleys abused Harry, the stance on gender, and prejudgement based on appearance.