To most, academics are the most important factor in a person’s education. That is, at least, what the majority of parents and teachers with students in high school would state in the modern society Muggle world. As a wizard attending Hogwarts, the statute, “your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor” (Rowling 114) is a code that is constantly observed. There are many factors that go into being an excellent student. Most citizens feel that you go to school only to learn math and science, or magic and spells in the wizard world. However, in the novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K Rowling …show more content…
Her intelligence becomes more important than wizardry when Ron, Harry and her sneak down to save the Sorcerer’s Stone, and are faced with a riddle. “This isn’t magic- it’s logic- a puzzle. A lot of great Wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic, they’d be stuck in here forever,” (Rowling 285). Rowling uses the riddle to show off Hermione’s Muggle world assets. “Logic” is reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity. “Logic” is not something that Hogwarts teaches to its students. Hermione is able to know what logic is because she was naturally gifted with it, and she then later on learned the spell and the academics of warding. Often, Muggle born wizards feel inferior because they did not grow up with magic, however, when Rowling uses the word logic, it is making the full- bloods, and the half- bloods feel inferior. These wizards have no logic or skill that could get them out of this riddle because they spent their whole time focusing on magic. Logic is the last thing someone from the wizard world would think they need when they have magic and spells that should be able to fix everything. Rowling proves to the readers that Hermione is a very well rounded character with her logic, and that she has both wizard academics, logic, and other great behaviors. Hermione is awarded with a full 50 house points for being able to use logic instead of wizardry, which shows the value that is placed on having that
Because the education system does not relate classwork or homework to the lives of students, they do not see how writing essays or solving math problems can help them in everyday life. “By the time Roadville children reach high school they write off school as having nothing to do with what they want in life, and they fear that school success will threaten their social relations with people whose company they value. This is a familiar refrain for working class children” (Attitude 119). As students begin to realize how low their potential is within school, they chose to cut school out of their life and start working. These students do not understand how they can benefit from what they are learning. “One woman talks of the importance of a ‘fitting education’ for her three children so they can ‘do better’, but looks on equanimity as her sixteen-year-old son quits school, goes to work in a garage, and plans to marry his fifteen-year-old girlfriend ‘soon’” (Attitude 118). Students are settling for less than what they can actually achieve to have, just because they see no purpose of being in school, and believe they can do better without the help of the education system. Even parents are not actually supporting and encouraging their child to stay in school. “Although Roadville parents talk about the value of school, they often act as if they don’t believe it”
Although she wasn’t born a witch she still excelled in school and was one of the brightest witches of her age. Her mind is full of knowledge and her speciality is the ability to remember all that she has read. Due to this, Hermione can ace her tests. Although she is smart, she is also brave and has street smarts. She has proven to be extremely helpful towards Harry Potter and Ronald Weasly.
However, she is still able to prove herself worthy of the title. As we follow along with her character in the movie, she is not only intelligent, but often times she takes on the role of a leader, as she guides Ron and Harry in the right direction. Also, she has an admirable character development. This can be seen throughout the series as she evolves into a brave, selfless and strong-willed woman. As previously mentioned, most of Hermione's characteristic traits go against the common beliefs that are tied to women as she proves to everyone that she is intelligent, loyal, courageous and is just as good as boys.
I have always valued school and enlarging my intelligence; I receive a sense of pride from earning a decent grade on a paper or on a particular assignment. Alfie Kohn wrote an essay titled “From Degrading to De-grading”; in it he suggests a different view on the current education system. Even though students expect marks and even seem dependent on them, grading should spur on a love of studying not deter it. Grades tend to reduce a student’s inclination for stimulating tasks, and lessen students’ interest in erudition.
The novels of Harry Potter, written by J. K. Rowling are constantly in debate among Christians whether Harry Potter is preaching sorcery and paganism or that the books have a spiritual meaning deeper than most care to look at. It is easy to look through the books and find sources of witchcraft but one could say the same for sources of the gospel. Author, J.K. Rowland has stated that her own Christian faith has in fact informed her writing of the popular series. Many Christians say Harry Potter is incomparable to Christ, being far from perfection while Voldemort seems to strike a different chord of response as far as his character representing The Devil himself.
...hether or not street smarts or books smarts is best can not be fully answered. To have every student pleased and working without any interruption is a bit of a far fetched idea, because not everyone will be happy with changes and adjustments. We can though, work towards a system that allows both sides of the educational field to succeed, no matter how they learn. By looking over Graff’s claim, it can be conclude that how a student learns may need to be reevaluated and changed into something new that can adapt and grow with every type of student in order to enrich the standard idea of an education really is for everyone.
Before World War II, attending college was a privilege, usually reserved for the upper class, but, in today’s society scholarships, grants, and loans are available to the average student which has made pursuing a college education a social norm. Norms are usually good, they help keep society run in an organized manner by sharing common rules and values. But, when pursuing a college education becomes a norm, it does more destruction than good. For a lot of students, a major reason for attending college is because their parents tell them it’s the thing to do to become successful in life.
When Gerald Graff was younger he and his friends would have various debates about sports including what team had the best pitcher in baseball. Graff pointed out that while having these arguments with his friends, they would have evidence to support their thoughts whether it be using statistics to find batting averages or using their argumentative abilities in general to support their opinion. This proves that even people who do not do the best in school are capable of brilliant things, the school system just needs to encourage students to use their hobbies to enhance their academics. Instead of dividing the different forms of intelligence, book and street smarts could merge and grow into a more detailed educational system that can help not just with academics, but with life itself. While it is good to know proper grammar, knowing about dating, sports, or cars can actually get people farther than anticipated in life. Graff thought that in the school system, street smarts is perceived as less than compared to “book smarts” which are encouraged in school. If the two forms of intelligence were to merge instead of separate, the educational system can transform into something
The portrayal of female characters in British literature has most often reflected the larger perception of women by society during the time of a work’s publication. In this regard, the immensely popular Harry Potter series written by author J.K. Rowling is certainly no exception. The circumstances for women in late 20th century Britain have improved and in many ways are nearing equality with men, yet a notable upper barrier to success still remains. Rowling captures this gender dynamic throughout the Harry Potter series by including a diverse cast of resilient female characters who are not allowed to take on the same leadership roles dominated by the men at Hogwarts, at the Ministry of Magic, in quidditch, and during the Triwizard tournament. The novels also center on an important theme of motherly love that Rowling uses to explore the sacrifices women must make in order to raise their children well. Such issues have been present in British literature for well over a century, with each generation seeing steps toward equality, both for the fictitious characters and the women of a given time period. The Harry Potter series, therefore, constitutes a reflection of female status in modern Britain that has advanced, but remains perpetually flawed.
An important rhetorical device that appears throughout the entire Harry Potter series is symbolism. There are many names and items that stand for something else and many are introduced in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. First, Harry’s scar represents the true love parents have for their children and how they are willing to do anything, including being killed, in order to save them. Next, the Mirror of Erised shows a person their truest desires and everything he or she would want in life. Thirdly, each wizard’s wand is representative of his or her character and personality and if the improper one is used, terrible events will occur. Finally, the names of the founders of the four Hogwarts Houses are symbols of the core beliefs and values of each.
Harry Potter is a fascinating tale of sorcerers, wands, broomsticks, dragons, and magic. The story begins with a young boy named Harry Potter who lives at number four Privit Drive, Surray, England. His journey begins after the death of his parents at the hands of the evil Lord Voldemort. Harry learns of his past and his future as a wizard from Hagrid, the keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He travels to Hogwarts where he learns spells and enchantments, makes new friends, finds enemies, and discovers fantastic secretes. J.K. Rowling weaves a web of impeccable storytelling with this critically acclaimed novel. In the tale of Harry Potter imagery, symbolism, and motif take central focus.
A Literary Analysis of the Themes of Identity and Self-Realization in the Fantasy World of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Mikhail Bakhtin has provided an intricate insight to what a novel entails. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone fits into the form that Bakhtin has created. Using laughter, plot, setting, and character development, Harry Potter is able to connect with its audiences in the way that Bakhtin feels a novel should. Mikhail Bakhtin’s study of the novel’s form allows readers to better understand the world and characters that are constructed in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
After twelve years of school, it took me until now to figure out exactly why I had been there all those years. It was not to torture me by making me learn how to spell but to make sure that my classmates and I got the opportunity to make the most of ourselves. Opportunity that would come from learning as much as possible from books and beginning to see that the world focuses on more than just history and English . I owe my success in life and school to teachers who taught me to spell and to be respectful and responsible. Those quick to argue with me say that school's usefulness is shallow: deeper-real-life experiences truly educate a person. School should be seen not only as a place to study, but also as a place to learn about real life. People cannot depend on experience alone for education just as they cannot solely rely on information from school books to prepare them for life. The lessons, whether from a book or not, learned in school transcend the classroom to real life situations.
Modern-day high school students live in a society driven by quantitative values. Grading systems, test scores, and awards determine the success of our youth in today’s public education system. Millions of American scholars devote their lives to their studies, motivated