J.K. Rowling The famous author Joanne Rowling Known as J.K. Rowling was born on July 31, 1965 in Bristol England. (J.K. Rowling) Her family consisted of her father Peter James Rowling, mother Anne Rowling, and her sister born two years later Dianne Rowling. Her parents were very good parents and took good care of her and her sister. They lived in a very suitable environment. They did move twice as children. Joanne is said to have been a very imaginative young girl, often imagining things and playing fantasy games. Both of her parents were avid readers, and in her early years, Joanne had many books, especially fantasy stories that were read to her. Rowling’s family moved away to a place named Winterbourne. She and her sister made friends with two nearby children, a brother and sister named Ian and Vikki Potter. (Personified) She admits to never having any major difficulties as a kid that affected her, but she does remember being called Rowling pin by her class mates. Extra-curricular activities she participated in had nothing to do with sports because she says she was not very fond of them but loved anything to do with English. Her interest in writing took its start at 5 or 6 years old. While in high school her favorite class was not surprisingly English and that’s when she knew she wanted to further her education and pursue college. Her education started at St. Michaels primary school then attended Wyedean School. Joanne went to Exeter University College at the age of 18 to study French and earn her degrees and even attended Paris for a year. She was pressured by her parents to establish a career as a secretary but that was never met. Towards the end of her school career Rowling became Head Girl. If you’re familiar with Harry Pott... ... middle of paper ... ... Rowling is without a doubt the most influencing person if your account for her life story not just because she put so much of her earnings for her accomplishments into the charities she’s worked with. Not even because she went from a poor women on welfare to one of the wealthiest in her country. It’s because she described herself as “the biggest failure that she knew” before she sat down to write one of the most beloved fantasy worlds on paper. It’s also because she turned the grief from her mother’s suffering into a tale where a love from a mother towards a child ends up bringing great inspiration to the world of readers. Maybe the greatest lesson learned that she brought to the table is work hard and never give up like when she was rejected by many publishers and fought depression over her mother but still came out with one of the greatest book series in history.
Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, Devon, England on September 15th, 1890. She was the daughter of Frederick Alvah Miller and Clarissa Margaret Miller (Agatha Christie). Her father was an American who dwindled in stockbroking, but unfortunately died when Agatha was the age of eleven. (Agatha Christie’s Biography, Luzmore). Her mother “Clara” was the daughter of a British army captain. Agatha was the youngest child and had one elder brother and one elder sister. Her elder brother, Louis Montant Miller, was ten years older and her elder sister Margaret Frary Miller was eleven years older (Agatha Christie’s Biography, Luzmore). Agatha spent her childhood alone while her brother and sister were at school, and this isolation led to her extensive imagination (Agatha Christie’s Biography, Luzmore). She never received a formal education but was taught by her parents and nurse (Magill 94-97). Agatha Christie was able to teach herself the ability of reading by the age of five (Agatha Christie’s Biography, Luzmore). At the age of sixteen, she received her first formal education in Paris. She learned about singing and piano (Agatha Christie’s Biography, Luzmore). Later at the age of twenty five, Christie began contemplating the idea of being an author. She was told by her sister that she was incapable of writing, and this is what inspired her to start writing books (Agatha Christie’s Biography, Luzmore). In the year 1914, Agatha Christie married Archibald Christie whom she met while working as a nurse at the hospital (Agatha Christie). Archie and Agatha went on to have their only child, Rosalind Hicks, who was born on August 5th, 1915 (Agatha Christie’s Biography, Luzmore). This experience in the medical fi...
Hermione Granger is one of the most powerful female characters seen in modern fictitious works. She is an appropriate role model for girls growing up as she possesses important qualities that girls need such as wit, intelligence, confidence, bravery, resourcefulness and she’s a clear thinker. Without Hermione Granger’s Knowledge, Harry Potter and Ron Weasly would never have defeated Voldemort (the villain).
On the other hand, Hermione’s character blossoms beautifully. It is agreeable that her character does not match with one’s typical mythic hero and does she not completely follow the “hero’s journey” that defines a hero. Hermione’s origin is nothing special; she is seen growing up in a very loving and supportive family. This is completely opposite to Harry’s tragic childhood. Although, she isn’t magically gifted like Harry, who can command a broomstick to land in the palm of his hand at ease, Hermione has an unwavering desire and commitment to learn, hence the reason why she is so ridiculously smart. At first, Hermione is depicted as outcast for she is a muggle-born, she did not have a wizard as father or a witch as mother, meaning her parents were absolutely average human beings. Thus, she found comfort in books as she is also depicted as a nerd with a
In Rowling’s series, muggle born witches and wizards are readily assimilated into the Wizarding world with no barriers, only facing hardship once they arrive in the form of the discrimination discussed previously in this essay. This open-door style of immigration encouraged in Rowling’s series is lacking in most nations, which maintain preservationist laws that make immigration difficult for many individuals. However, Rowling makes some of the most talented characters in her series muggle born witches and wizards such as Hermione Granger and Lily Evans Potter. These characters serve to represent the exceptional immigrants which the home nation, in this case the wizarding world, can benefit from accepting.
The concept of creating a better future is often perceived as an immense task that is beyond the average human’s ability however, in reality, it is an individual’s understanding of others which influences contributions towards a wider project, subsequently resulting in great changes in society. Speeches such as J.K Rowling’s The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination and President Barack Obama’s Remarks to the People of Israel promote timeless ideas which reinforces the enduring power of these speeches to inspire individuals to pursue change. Society often underestimates the potential of normal people to hold power but by just envisioning lives of others, one can discover the ability for their power to ultimately make a difference.
Harry Potter has become one of the biggest franchises in literature and film. It has enabled millions of people to live in the wizarding world and experience hatty’s destiny to defeat Voldemort. J.K. Rowling brings a whole slew of magnificent character alive in the pages, and creates villains that instill fear in adults. Although Voldemort killed and tortured hundreds in his quest for power, he is not seen as the evilest person of the series, for that we turn to a toad-like woman in pink. Dolores Umbridge has managed to take the throne as one of the most hatted Harry Potter villain through her manipulation of power, delusional righteousness, and deepest prejudices.
In the article “Doubling, Transfiguring, and Haunting: The Art of Adapting Harry Potter for Film” by Michael K Johnson the focus is on the third Harry Potter Movie, Prisoner of Azkaban. The question posed throughout the article is how do adaptions from books to film allow us to move beyond our one way of viewing and understanding the story? Johnson answers this question through discussing the use of time throughout the Harry Potter book and the different filming techniques used to create time changing in the film and comparing the film to the the movie The 400 Blows.
From poverty to stardom Louisa May Alcott has thrived through many trials and tribulations, but with her unremitting passion and determination, Alcott became a well-known author and role model. Alcott experienced many setbacks in her life. With these setbacks, she was able to create stories that portrayed her life experiences. Alcott’s writings captured the hearts of young children to grown adults. Although she lived for only fifty-five years, she showed her audacity to be support herself and her family.
Jane Austen, author of Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and many other well-known books, was born on December 16th, 1775, in England. Her parents, George and Cassandra Austen, came from lower middle-class English families. When Austen was a child, her home had an open and intellectual atmosphere, and her family frequently discussed politics and social issues. This influenced her writing as an adult, which explored themes of social class and the treatment of women. As a teenager, Austen was sent to Oxford to be educated, but she contracted typhus and nearly died. She was then educated at home, learning what girls were normally taught during that time, such as French, needlework, and music. Austen was also a enthusiastic reader,
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.
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.
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).
Rowling failures made her the writer she exemplifies today. Without her struggles, she would have not posed as a role model for women and neither would her characters. Beyond that, her generous outlook on living would not have inspired the rich to lend a hand to the unfortunate. Perhaps maybe failure equals success after
Not only has J.K. Rowling influenced many women around the world, but she also has impacted many peoples’ lives. J.K. Rowling was a single mother trying to support her only daughter. She proved to single women that she doesn’t need a man to survive. J.K. Rowling shows females that they are just as capable as men. An editor of Good Housekeeping said “Everyone felt J.K. Rowling was the one with the most influence across the widest audience. As a single parent who managed to cope and pull herself out of poverty and create a massive entertainment empire on the way, she is very inspiring” (Nicholson). Rowling shows women that they don’t have to have super-model looks, or a wonderful voice to be noticed by society; they don’t need that to be an inspiration to people of all ages. Those important words to keep in mind underscore one of J.K. Rowling’s characters sayings, “Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure” (Rowling). Rowling believes that people need to use their brains and a hop in their step to make it in this world. Rowling is such an inspiration for people everywhere, not only women- “Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve” (Rowling). In 2010, J.K. Rowling was voted Britain’s most influential woman. She topped the list of over 100 women who have the most influence in the lives of the Briti...
In the novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K Rowling introduces her main character, a 11-year old British wizarding student, Harry Potter. Harry is described to have jet-black hair, green eyes, and to be pale, skinny, and bespectacled. While Harry was still and infant, he was responsible for the downfall of a dark and powerful wizard, as a result his name is known to everyone wizarding world. In the novel, despite all the fame and admiration he has, Harry only recently finds out he is a wizard, and that he is famous. Therefore Harry feels burdened and insecure with all the attention he is receiving, and at the end of the novel, he proves himself to be an incredible wizard. Throughout the novel we learn Harry is brave, curious and modest.