HARRY POTTER—MORE THAN A CONTEMPORARY PHENOMENON
What makes a book a classic? What is it about a book that will have
generation after generation reading it? English Literature majors
could spend hours theorizing the answers to this question. One series of
texts that has received publicity and wide-spread acclaim over the past
seven years is the Harry Potter collection. J.K. Rowling could never have
possibly imagined how her little book about a boy with broken glasses and
a scar on his forehead would impact world culture. Yet today, we all discuss
the “Harry Potter phenomenon” and how adults and children alike can
enjoy the books. But my question is this: Will Harry Potter become a
beloved classic like The Chronicles of Narnia or Great Expectations? Does
Harry Potter have what it takes to be worthwhile to teach in schools, or is
it just a temporary fad that individuals will look back on and remark: “Oh
yeah, I remember when those books were popular?”
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “classic” as “a work of
enduring excellence.” Harry Potter’s popularity has lasted since 1998, when
the first book came out. Granted Harry Potter is a series, but seven years is
a long time for a book or literary piece to hold an entire world’s attention.
American citizens become tired of a television series after only a few
months. Though popularity doesn’t equal classic, it doesn’t mean that the
Harry Potter series lacks the serious literary elements to be a classic. Shaun
Johnson comments: “I dismissed the validity of said literature based on its
resounding popularity. I had also grown cynical about popular culture; it
was my understanding that most things therein could only be trusted for
false sensationalism and no...
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... Marketing and the Translation of J.K.
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In movies, novels, and life, people are named as heroes. The heroes we establish and the heroes we recognize, however, may not meet the criteria for a mythic hero. A mythic hero ventures forth on his journey, and comes forth from the hero’s path to greatness. Joseph Campbell, a mythologist who studied many of the great human myths and religious tales, realized, in studying these myths and tales, that there were certain steps that every hero went through. Campbell called this “The Hero’s Journey”; it is based on Carl Jung's idea that all human beings have an archetype. After Campbell studied a lot of the great myths and realized this pattern, he published his findings in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Ever since then, authors have used “The Hero’s Journey” as an outline to tell their stories. “It is important to note that not all of these individual steps are present in every hero’s tale, nor is it important that they be in this exact order” (Vogler 20). The Hero with a Thousand Faces gives a sense of significance as it looks into the inner mind and soul. The author, Joseph Campbell, performs two extraordinary accomplishments: compelling his readers that myth and dream, those are the most effective and everlasting forces in life and a unification of mythology and psychoanalysis with a gripping narrative. One well-known example of “The Hero’s Journey” from popular culture is the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. In the novel, Harry Potter, the main character, is the chosen one and “The Hero’s Journey” applies to his life from the moment he is attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby.
Chopin, Kate. ?The Story of an Hour.? Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. 2nd ed. Ed. John Schlib and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin?s, 2003. 862-63.
The film I chose to view for this Romantic Comedy paper was When Harry met Sally. I enjoyed this movie. The two main characters were Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally Allbright (Meg Ryan). When first introduced to these characters, Sally is driving to New York, and Harry, who is the boyfriend of Sally's friend, is catching a ride with her.
Many have come to know and love the stories of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, but what most may not realize is that Harry Potter can have a bad influence on young children and adults. Though the Harry Potter series is a children’s book that is meant to enlighten the imagination of young viewers, it can be misguiding to those cannot comprehend the difference between imagination and real life. The beloved story of Harry Potter can have a negative influence on young children and adults for a variety of reasons.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is the third book in the trilogy of J. K. Rowlings other Harry Potter books, though she is coming out with four more books in the coming years.
What is a classic? One definition given by the dictionary is: having lasting significance or worth; enduring. When examined closely we can discover what makes the novel unique and memorable. There are many important messages in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, which make it memorable to the reader. The main message in this novel is about racism, how people around you, not just parents have a strong influence on you when you are growing up, and how rumors and misjudging can make a person look bad. Judging other people without knowledge of the facts is also a common occurrence.
classic, a novel must have one or more qualities that place it above the rest.
Even if there's not, there's always an opportunity to "turn to page 394." Harry Potter promotes literature education while also providing media entertainment. Did you know that two out of three people that read Harry Potter and are extremist Harry Potter fans hate Star Wars? Furthermore, the word "muggle" was added to the dictionary. Some people may see it was already there, but if you had looked at the origins, you see "Harry Potter?" The verdict is, when reading Harry Potter, you seriously learn while having fun, and being
The wildly popular Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling has caused controversy for many families over the past five years. These novels according to some critics are harmless, adventurous, children's tales. Others choose to portray them as stories that inspire children to become involved in the occult and serious witchcraft. The Harry Potter novels chronicle the life of a young wizard whose wizard parents were killed by the evil Lord Voldermort. On his eleventh birthday he receives invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each of the five books represents a year of his life there (Walker). This essay will discuss whether the Harry Potter novels are a suitable read for children and why despite what some critics portray, Harry Potter can be a positive role model for youth.
The Harry Potter book series is well known by many adults and children all around the world. Harry Potter is about a young boy named Harry who lives with his abusive Uncle, rude Aunt, and spoiled cousin. He lives with them because his parents were killed when he was younger. Harry eventually finds out that he is a wizard which leads to him going to Hogwarts. At Hogwarts he learns about his powers, his parents, and he faces many tough situations that could cost him his life. It has been said that the author J.K. Rowling has changed the world in many ways with these books. Some of the outcomes of these books include new music genres such as wizard rock and even words from the books, Muggle being one of them, are now in the dictionary. Many children have read the series and they say that the books have changed their lives. One of the greatest ways Harry Potter has changed the world is how it has changed children’s literature. The Harry Potter series has changed children’s literature because it has helped improve their literacy skills and changed their attitudes towards reading.
Two of the best things in the world, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “Harry Potter,” have a good deal in common. Other than the vast amount of space reserved in my brain for storing quotes and random facts from these two stories, both tales share many similar objects, plot devices, character attributes, and themes. Even though Python's “Holy Grail” is an exact historical representation of the Arthurian Grail legend, some might argue that the “Harry Potter” story is more reflective of the actual ancient texts than the 1974 film.
In the summer of 1997, the world became captivated by a young wizard named Harry Potter (About JK, 2007). The series of Harry Potter books that follows Harry Potter’s evolution from an awkward and shy child to a confident and talented wizard. This series has been printed in over 65 languages and sold around 375 million copies. In total seven Harry Potter books were printed and each one takes its readers deeper into the magical world that Harry Potter has created. One of the reasons that the Potter books have been so successful is because they are able to captivate both child and adult readers alike (Garner, 2008). Both audiences are able to relate to the books because Harry Potter has deals with real world issues such as those concerning family problems, friendship, romance, and more. These problems are present for Potter when he living in the abusive home of his relatives, The Dursleys and even into his time at Hogwarts, a boarding school for witches and wizards
One of the most read series in all literature is Harry Potter. The seven-book succession has sold over 400 million copies and has been translated into over sixty languages. What is it that makes this series so wildly famous? What is it about the boy who lived that makes frenzied readers flock to their local bookstore at midnight on the day of the release to buy the latest installment? How is a story set in a world that doesn’t exist about wizards, witches, magic, and mystical creatures so popular? The series has been able to earn its spot on the New York Times Bestseller list and has granted author J.K. Rowling multiple awards because it is relatable. It is not the setting or the events in the plot of the story that we relate to. We relate to what Harry, his friends, mentors, teachers, caretakers, and even enemies feel. Harry is in a lot of ways exactly like us. He represents some of the good characteristics that all of us have as well as the bad. The series as a whole, is about one thing that is stressed over and over again in the novels, love. The Harry Potter series is one of the most read sequences of novels because the central theme is love and self-sacrifice, and readers are looking for a novel that shows them just that.
Harry Potter starts off slow, but gets very interesting near the end. In the beginning, you meet the Dursleys, Harry’s aunt, uncle, and their son Dudley. Then you learn that Harry’s parents were witches, and that they were destroyed by a evil wizard. A good witch, Albus Dumbeldoor, sends Harry to the Dursleys, because they’re his only remaining family. The Dursleys however, hated Harry and his family, so Harry was mistreated for years. He was forced to live in a cuborrod under the stairs. He had to watch as the fat, stuck up Dudley got whatever he wanted, and then usually broke whatever it was he got. Then one day Harry got a letter.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was written by J. K. Rowling and is the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series. The book is about a seventeen-year-old wizard, named Harry Potter, who has to travel all over England to find things that will help him defeat the evil wizard, Lord Voldomort. The main theme/moral of the entire series is good will always triumphs over evil. In every book, even when it looks like evil is going to win, good always triumphs in the end.