Published on June 21, 2003, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is one of the fastest
selling books to date. This novel, written by Joanne Kathleen Rowling, sold almost two million copies within the first 24 hours of its worldwide release. Its astounding and unique plot twists thrill readers of all ages. Having won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers in 2003, and the Anthony Award for Best Young Adult Mystery in 2004, the popularity of the Harry Potter books continues to grow. This novel tells the story of Harry James Potter, a boy wizard who has witnessed the return of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. In the novel, Harry’s story is truthful; however, others believe it to be a rather far fetched lie, resulting in only a select group of people
…show more content…
believing him. Multiple conflicts erupt as students and teachers debate over the return of Voldemort, causing Harry to feel alone and frustrated with his peers. This alienation is prevalent throughout the novel and reveals how injustice, frustration, and aggravation can separate one from society.
Harry’s frequently experienced injustice is witnessed since the very beginning of the novel. His alienation from both the wizarding world and muggle (non magical) world cause Harry to long for the acceptance of his truthful story. Since Voldemort’s return occurred at the end of Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts, his summer at Number 4 Privet Drive has been far from enjoyable (Chappell). If anything, it caused Harry anxiety, frustration, and anticipation of the horrible events to come (Chappell). Harry’s alienation first stems from the Ministry of Magic. When two dementors (magical hooded figures who guard the wizard prison, Azkaban) wandered into Harry’s neighborhood, he used magic to defend himself and his cousin, Dudley (Rowling 17). Because of this, the Ministry of Magic accused Harry of breaking the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery (Rowling 27). They made sure to enforce the “illegality” of Harry’s actions when they threatened to confiscate and destroy his wand (Rowling 62, 27). Harry, who had done nothing except defend himself in a life-threatening situation, felt alienated when the Minister of Magic himself would not believe his
story about the dementors, let alone about the return of Voldemort. The minister’s continuous unjust treatment of Harry was just the start of a long road of isolation. Also, among the wizarding community, the Daily Prophet’s newspaper articles and stories spread like wildfire, whether or not they are truthful, biased, or even complete lies altogether. Ever since the return of Voldemort, many stories have been written about Harry without him even giving an interview. Needless to say, the viewpoints of the Daily Prophet are not always in Harry’s favor (Rowling 73). This outrageous newspaper depicted Harry as a joke who just wants to stir up trouble (Rowling 74). This is especially evident in the novel when Hermione says ‘Well, they’re writing about you as though you’re this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he’s a great, tragic hero or something’ (Rowling 74). Harry, whom is infuriated by the Daily Prophet’s tall tales, feels isolated from much of the wizarding community, and feels conflicted by the fact that so few people believe him (Wiener 68). Harry hoped his sense of alienation will be lessened when he returns to Hogwarts, but that was not the case. Upon arrival at the school, he noticed many students pointing at him and whispering among themselves. Some even looked frightened in his presence (Rowling 215). Even though Harry expected this to happen, he had hopes of finally being accepted for telling the truth. In the contradiction of Harry’s wish, his isolation continued to grow as he grew farther apart from the other Hogwarts students. Among these students was Seamus Finnigan, one of Harry’s fellow Gryffindors whom Harry had always gotten along with. But their tolerance of one another ended when Harry learned that Seamus and his mother read and believed all of the preposterous stories the Daily Prophet had written about him. Seamus even told Harry that his mother didn’t want him to return to school because of how dangerous Harry was said to be (Rowling 217). As a result, Harry and Seamus got into a fight over the honesty of the Daily Prophet, and Seamus, who refused to accept the truth, departed Harry’s presence in anger and infuriation (Rowling 218). Harry would ‘have a go at anyone who called [him] a liar.’(Rowling 218). After this fight, and the constant mutterings in the corridors, Harry’s isolation deepened to a personal level. The Hogwarts teachers and staff members are the final source of Harry’s alienation. The strongest sense of injustice and isolation comes from Professor Dolores Umbridge, Harry’s Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Umbridge is the type of teacher whom students would have nightmares about. She gave Harry multiple detentions for telling the truth, and called his story a lie (Rowling 265). His punishment was to write ‘I must not tell lies’ over and over, using a special quill that engraves the words onto the back of Harry’s hand as he continues to write (Chappell). As the school year progresses, Harry begins to feel more distant from the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. Even though Dumbledore fully supports Harry’s story, he never gave him any news on Voldemort’s movements and activities. He also refused to look at Harry, and did not give him any information on what was happening inside of Harry’s head. It was as though “an invisible barrier separated him from the rest of the world” (Rowling 838). Harry’s tolerance of injustice finally ended after his last family member passed away. The deplorable way others treated him over the past few months had come to a point where he “could not stand [it], he could not stand being Harry anymore…” Harry “had never felt more trapped inside his own head and body, never wished that he could be somebody - anybody - else…” (Rowling 822). At this moment, all of the frustration, infuriation, and the long for acceptance built up so much that Harry had to get rid of it all. All of the conflicts he experienced throughout the school year pushed him farther and farther into a pit of isolation in which it is very hard to escape from. Rowling’s effective use of conflict in this novel reveals how alienation can be a result of injustice. The main character, Harry, frequently experienced this injustice throughout his excruciating summer with the Dursleys, as well as his fifth term at Hogwarts. Due to the fact that few people believe Harry’s truthful story of Lord Voldemort’s return, Harry feels separation between himself and the rest of the wizarding world. This alienated sense is a result of the Ministry of Magic, who made a desperate attempt to portray Harry as a dangerous human being. Harry’s isolation also stems from his fellow Hogwarts students, caused by shattering friendships and growing hatred. The staff at Hogwarts, Harry’s final source of alienation, has been consumed by disbelief and niavety, and therefore forces him to endure harsh, yet unnecessary punishment. The countless conflicts in this novel show how capability of making one feel out of place can be used to the advantage of the dark side. Undeniably, repetitive injustice experienced by the people someone once trusted can make them feel even more isolated than ever before. The use of conflict in this novel sheds light on how the incapability to make one believe your factual observation and statement can cause anger, and even frustration, which leads to alienation.
The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller. In the town of Salem, the people’s obsession of trying to provide justice only caused injustice against the accused. The law of Salem was guilty until proven innocent. Their government was also a theocracy, and their obsession with religion also caused the injustice.
Both Cates, in Inherit the Wind by Lee and Lawrence, and Procter, in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, are both subjected to unjust laws. Both demonstrated that , "if the law is of such a nature that it requires one to be an agent of injustice toward another, then I say break the law," as stated by Henry David Thoreau. When a law is put into effect that will convict a person who is a free thinker then it is a unjust law. One might as well break it because if no one stands up for the principle then than law will stay in effect until adverted again.
Over the course of this summer I read four books. The books I read were Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry again. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling was the first book I read this summer and I really liked it. I decided to read the 5th Harry Potter book because I had it and I never really got a chance to read it. The book begins were it had left you of in the 4th book when Harry is just about to enter his 5th year at Hogwarts. He still lives with his aunt and uncle whom he hates because they are mean and evil to him. The letters from his friends are very dull and they have nothing to say, which confuses him and makes him furious. He is also mad because he’s still stuck with the Dursleys all summer long. The story goes with his adventures and challenges throughout his 5th year. The genre is fantasy complete with magic. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes the Harry Potter books. I would also recommend that if you have never read any of the previous books you start from the beginning. I can’t wait ‘till the next book comes out!
In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, justice and injustice is portrayed through the characters of John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams. It is also shown through the minor characters of Mary Warren and Mercy Lewis, followers of Abigail Williams, and through Danforth and various townspeople.
The Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice Thesis Statement: The purpose is to educate and display to the reader the hysteria and injustice that can come from a group of people that thinks it's doing the "right" thing for society in relation to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows the people's fear of what they felt was the Devil's work and shows how a small group of powerful people wrongly accused and killed many people out of this fear and ignorance.
Imagine that someone is accused of doing a crime and went to jail and died there, but then new evidence came up and that person was proven innocent. The people in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, would have the same fate. The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the 1700s, during the witchcraft trials. People were being convicted of being a witch, just like what happened to John Procter during the Salem witch trials. Injustice of the courts is shown in Miller's The Crucible as well as in the unfortunate case of Robert “Bob” Doyle.
Throughout history, there are many influential pieces of literature. They shape the way that human society as a whole view various matters, such as politics, religion, and justice. Still, one book stands apart in the volumes of history, and continues to impact generations of readers to this day. It is an endless source of discussion for scholars, and provides both historical and moral value to students of all ages. This famed work is none other than Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; a timeless story detailing the childhood of tomboy Scout Finch and her adventures in Maycomb county. While the book is fictitious, this does not take away from the very real effects it has on readers. How does Harper Lee accomplish such
Oppression; an extended treatment of cruelty or injustice towards an individual or a group of people. If looked for, it can be found in every society expressed in a number of different ways. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, puts it in a way that is easy to understand. "It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions." This is evident in his play, The Crucible, demonstrating that within a society, oppression will always be present due to personal motives, disputes and misuses of power, as well as distorted religious beliefs.
¨When societies come under stress these kinds of things happen. People start looking around for essentially human sacrifices. They start looking around for somebody they can blame.” Margaret Atwood proposes this in an interview with Bill Moyers. The kinds of things she is speaking of is exactly what we observe in The Crucible by Arthur Miller which tells the story of the Salem witchcraft trials where many were punished and killed. In Arthur Miller’s ¨Why I Wrote The Crucible¨ we witness innocent people being blacklisted for conspiring with communists. All of these defend what Margaret Atwood declared in her interview. When a society comes under stress, we always find someone to blame.
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.
Before the first Harry Potter film came out in 2001, many fans were worried that the unusual and distinctively English charms of JK Rowling's books would be lost in the journey from printed page to the big screen.
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. 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.
Harry Potter is the main character in this novel. “Harry Potter was a wizard…” (Rowling 3) He is a student at Hogwarts School of Wizardry. His physical appearance is much different than what his family, the Dursleys, look like. “Harry, on the other hand, was small and skinny, with brilliant green eyes and jet-black hair that was untidy. He wore round glasses, and on his forehead was thin, lightening-shaped scar.” (Rowling 4) Harry Potter’s scar was the results of the evil Voldemort. The scar appeared when they were defeating each other. Harry appears as a very patient boy in this book. “We’ve come to take you home with us.” (Rowling 25) Harry had to be very patient because he had to wait a long time to leave the Dursleys. The
The word "justice" appears frequently in many of the United States' documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Pledge of Allegiance. According to Wikipedia, “justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, equity and fairness, as well as the administration of the law, taking into account the inalienable and inborn rights of all human beings and citizens, the right of all people and individuals to equal protection of their civil rights, without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, and / or other characteristics" (Wikipedia). Harper Lee expands on the idea of justice in her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird.
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.