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the sociological analysis of harry potter
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The Magic of Magic and Imagination in Fantasy Literature: A Study Based on JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series
Abstract: Fantasy has the longest and richest literary heritage of all of the forms of genre fiction. Indeed, fantasy could be said to be the progenitor of other forms of literature. Fantasy has been distinguished from other forms of literature by its style, its constituents, and its freedom of expression when an author has the ability to use any story telling element to strengthen the narrative. Different writers, scholars and critics have defined fantasy in different ways and manners. Fantasy is an amalgam of different genres of literature which gives an immediate delight to its readers. Fantasy has a deep relation with imagination and magic. J.K. Rowling has created a sensation in the literary world by writing Harry Potter novels series which has attracted people of all age stations. Rowling’s creation
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It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature….It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. That power took you to save Sirius tonight. That power also saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he could not bear to reside in a body so full of the force he detests. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you. (Rowling, Phoenix 743) The story of Harry Potter is set in the world of sorcery, witches, and wizard where magic plays an important role in every day reality. There are two types of people in Harry Potter novels – muggle and wizard. Muggles are those who do not have magical power and can not practice sorcery. Wizards are those who have magical backgrounds and can practice sorcery. Harry encounters with the both muggle and wizard in an immense
Faris, Wendy B. "Scherazade's Children: Magical Realism and Postmodern Fiction." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP, 1995.
She had to have put in an abundance of time and research in order find and make these allusions, but she did so in order to create a further depth and meaning to her characters. J.K Rowling stated, “I love freakish names and I have always been interested in folklore and I think it was a logical thing for me to end up writing” (“What Jo Says About”). Through Rowling’s interest in mythological folklore, she ingeniously links her characters to those of classical mythology, which only proves to add complexity and strength to her characters. Readers who are educated on these classical counterparts will be entranced by their similarities and will have a further connection to these particular characters due to the new depth they hold. Through comparing and contrasting the similar roles, readers will be able to have a stronger background and sense of who this wizarding character is with the groundbreaking resemblances to the classical figures. J.K. Rowling does a remarkable job with creating the etymology of her characters’ names and does amazing work by extending her allusions so that their portrayals closely resemble the traits and behaviors of their classical namesake. Although this can often be found in fiction, the extent and detail that Rowling puts into her etymological work is scarcely found in modern literature. Through her characters’ names and classical folklore background, Rowling continues and modernizes these Greek/Roman mythological figures, grounds her wizarding characters, and adds even more magic into her
How did Harry Potter effect children in a positive way? What elements found within the series could be factors of this influence? Are there Christian elements to be found within Harry Potter? In order to answer these questions, I plan to research interviews with the author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, the views of the church, and those of Harry’s supporters. The two central sources that I plan to use are The Bible and Harry Potter itself. The Bible will mainly be used in order to portray the views of the church, while Harry Potter will provide the basis of the entire argument. Some other sources that I plan to utilize include books by John Granger such as “Looking for God in Harry Potter” and “The Hidden Key to Harry Potter,” which analyze Harry Potter, and interviews and articles from several different viewpoints. I also plan to research how literacy rates have changed since the release in the series, and teachers’ views on the influence of Harry Potter on their students’ reading. The only problem that I can foresee is the fact that the Bible states that witchcraft is of Satan, but with logic and research on the subject, I should be able to dispute this
The use and misuse of magic has an important role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As a reoccurring theme, Puck’s use of magic creates humor, conflict and balance in the play.
Abanes, Richard. "Harry Potter: Harmless Christian Novel or Doorway to the Occult?" Interview. The Christian Broadcasting Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015. In this interview, Author Richard Abanes provides information to parents about Harry Potter and the concerns and dangers with modern day fantasy literature. Supplying a priest’s expert opinion, this interview discusses children’s susceptibleness to outside influences and the different types of fantasy literature. Its unyielding, yet respectable position, including references to other Christian fantasy series such as The Chronicles of Narnia, will be advantageous for my argument in that it provides an alternative viewpoint from my own. Being a counterargument, this source can be used to help shape an argument in rebuttal of the points made in this argument. Sources that argue that Harry Potter does indeed contain Christian aspects will be helpful in a rebuttal of this source.
The first main controversy of the Harry Potter series is the argument that Rowling’s stories promote paganism, which is against Christian beliefs. The Bible specifically states in Leviticus 20:26, “You shall not practice augury or witchcraft” (“Reading Matters”). Furthermore, the Bible supports the resentment towards paganism in Deuteronomy 18:10-12, stating that those found practicing witchcraft, casting spells, or contacting spirits are a disgrace to the Lord and will be driven out (qtd. in Mahoney). In Rowling’s book, witchcraft is an alluring practice. For instance, Hogwarts is described as a magical place one might wish to visit if the school existed. Consequently, many parents fear children who read these books will become intrigued by wizardry and attempt to learn these practices (Wilder Gish). Even J. K. Rowling has admitted that some readers are so convinced by the books that they believe the wizard world is real. These readers have sent...
The work of C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling is of grave vital on the grounds that their work portrays actuality as well as adds to it. Yes, their work is not just a portrayal of actuality; it is somewhat a quality expansion. Their meeting expectations are depictions of the reasoning examples and social standards pervasive commonly. They are a delineation of the diverse features of regular man's existence. Their works serves as a something worth mulling over and a tonic for creative energy and innovativeness. Lying open a single person to great artistic lives up to expectations, is proportional to giving him/her the finest of instructive chances.
Just to quickly run through the two previous books; Harry Potter is a wizard, who’s parents were killed by the worst dark wizard ever known. The reason why Harry Potter is still around, is because Lord Voldemort failed to kill Harry. His spell hit Harry, but then backfired on Voldemort taking all of his powers with him. Harry is so famous for two things. Withstanding the powers of Lord Voldemort, and, taking him back in to the underworld in hiding. In the first book, Harry receives a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He’s eventually allowed to go, and spends the next six months there learning magic, getting into trouble, and trying to solve mysteries of his past, and the school. In the second book, Harry goes back to his second year at Hogwarts, and gets into more trouble, figures out many astonishing mysteries and learns loads more magic. His best friends in the two books consist of Ron and Hermione (two of his fellow wizard students) and Hagrid the gamekeeper who was expelled from Hogwarts but allowed a job as the gamekeeper.
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” (Rowling 333). This quote, from the beloved character Albus Dumbledore in the book The Chamber of Secrets by author J.K. Rowling, counsels young wizard, Harry Potter, about the importance of true character. Throughout the Harry Potter series, Harry struggles with internal conflict about whether his powers are meant for good or evil. Dumbledore assures Harry his powers are intended for good because of the choices he makes. Harry learns who he truly is through the challenges he faces and the decisions that follow.
The Harry Potter series, written by J. K. Rowling, is about a young boy who finds out he is a wizard and uses his magic powers to vanquish evil. The series is currently the target of many protestors, as they scrutinize and penalize the books for their creative and imaginative topics. Ranging from education to religion, protestors' reasoning's behind theses attacks have sparked nationwide debates. Everything from censorship to book burning, protesting and pulling theses books from school shelves, have been done to outlaw the Potter series. Elizabeth D. Schafer, author of "Harry and History", summarizes how these controversies stem forth and how she disagrees with the protests against the Potter series. Censorship of the Harry Potter books is a vain attempt to maintain control and power over citizens as their rights and freedom of choice is being severely violated by forbidding the viewing of certain sources of entertainment.
The Harry Potter phenomenon had its humble beginning all the way back in the 1990s, when the first book, written by J. K. Rowling, came out in the shops. The main protagonist, a scrawny, young child wizard, who wore round glasses, had an immediate appeal to the readers, but no one at that time knew that the young boy would turn out to be the literary icon of the last decade. The popularity of the book resulted in it being translated into various language...
In William Shakespeare’s book, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, magic is a powerful and useful tool for the characters that have the capability to use it. Some of the characters abuse the power of magic, while others are more responsible in how they use it. Oberon is one the characters that abuses the power of magic. Oberon’s magic has an immense impact on the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. More specifically, Oberon’s magic affects his own life, the lives of other characters, and all the characters in the story experience his magic differently. We will see that even the person who has power to use the magic can become surprised by it. Magic, the ultimate supernatural power, is often unpredictable and inexplicable.
The most famous work in the epic fantasy genre is The Lord of the Rings, written by J. R. R. Tolkien over the course of ten years and published in 1954. Over the last few decades, there has been a lot of controversy over whether or not a story in this genre could be considered a valuable literary work. It was suggested that fantasy was clichéd and too unrealistic to be in touch with the daily life. However, when one reads between the lines, one can find a different interpretation within the same story; an interpretation that might not be as clichéd and farfetched as one might think. While it is often claimed that literary works in the genre fantasy cannot have any literary value, the The Lord of the Rings-trilogy contains the beautiful, the true and the good (Flood) and therefore is original, is historical or ethical relevant and has human truth value, which are necessary qualities for a literary work to be valuable.
A fantasy is an imaginary world where all things imaginable can be brought to life. J.R.R Tolkien portrayed fantasy through his use of skilled craftsmanship and a vivid imagination, which was presented in each piece of literature he wrote. In Tolkien's two stories The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings we see the theme of fantasy brought to life through three essential elements, heroism, magic and retribution. Heroism is shown through the character's courage and bravery in situations where conflict arises and this enables them to be seen in a new light. Magic is a form of extraordinary power seemingly through a supernatural force; it is used in a combination of combat and mystical items to aid the companions on their journey. Retribution is paid to the evil forces for the wrongs society had to endure while they were allowed to dominate. This system allows opportunity for physical and mental development in the characters and the aspect of fantasy to come to life.
Creator of the most famous and best loved character in contemporary fiction, J.K Rowling is also the author of her own escape from a depressing existence on the verge of destitution. On the one hand, there is J.K Rowling who wrote the ‘Harry Potter’ novels, ‘The Casual Vacancy’ and ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’; the literary phenomenon of the nineties and present day. On the other, there is Joanne Rowling (the ‘J.K’ was her agent’s marketing notch), a dreamy, rather shy, but passionate woman whose brilliance in translating her dreams into prose changed her life. In January 1994, she was broke and jobless, struggling to bring up a young child in a small rented flat in Edinburgh. Just six years later, with her first book transformed into a major Hollywood film, she was reportedly worth £65 million (Smith 2001).