Character Growth in the "Harry Potter" Series

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In almost every book the main characters, especially the protagonist, face obstacles and issues throughout the story. These problems can be physical, emotional, spiritual, and educational. As these characters progress throughout the story, they overcome these obstacles and they grow as people. Also, the reader learns about the character and themselves by relating to these experiences. J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, introduces different challenges, personal and physical, to the main character, Harry Potter. Some of these problems are inspired by Rowling's personal experiences in her own life. According to the biography on her website, in 1990, as she was traveling back to London on a train she created the first idea of Harry Potter (JK 2). While composing her manuscript for what was then called, "Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone," several life changing events occurred which were then portrayed into Harry's life as well (2). As she wrote, her life changed, as did Harry's. Harry Potter and I grew physically and mentally throughout the story, but most importantly recognizing humility, rebellion, and desire as the main obstacles to face.

Harry Potter is a modest young boy whose first ten years of his life are spent full of neglect and cruelty from the Dursley family which consist of his aunt, uncle, and cousin. He is forced to stay with the Dursleys after the death of his mother and father when he is a baby. On December 30, 1990, J.K. Rowling's mother died which changed her life and was the reason for Harry to be orphaned in the story (JK 2). I feel that by writing the story of Harry being an orphan, it enabled Rowling to explore her own boundaries of her mother's death. Harr...

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...rry Potter, myself, and other readers grow physically and mentally as a thinker, throughout the story.

Works Cited

Rowling, J.K. "The Keeper of the Keys." Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997. 50.

Rowling, J.K. "The Midnight Duel." Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997. 143.

Rowling, J.K. "The Mirror of Erised." Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997. 202-208.

Rowling, J.K. "The Vanishing Glass." Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997. 21.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997.

Rowling, J.K. J.K. Rowling Official Site. 3 Mar. 2006 http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/biography.cfm

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