Harry Potter Chamber Of Secrets Research Paper
Self-preservation is the protection of oneself from harm or death; it is regarded as a basic instinct in human beings and animals. In Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling, Harry frequently finds himself entangled in dangerous adventures but he always lives to tell the tale. Although Harry Potter risks his life to fight the forces endangering Hogwarts, he succeeds through a mixture of his own skill and help from his friends. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets demonstrates self-preservation through three main themes: fear, principles and perseverance. In The Chamber of Secrets, there are many examples of people fearing others who are different from themselves. The Dursley family is a Muggle family, meaning, they are a non-magical family and are incapable of performing magic. The Dursleys are aware of Harry Potter’s
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magical abilities, however they fear him for his magic because they feel that he is dangerous and can cause harm. For example, when Dudley says, “Pass the frying pan.” and Harry says, “You’ve forgotten the magic word.” The family becomes horrified: “Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen; Mrs. Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands to her mouth; Mr. Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 1). This quotation is a perfect example of the Dursley's fear of Harry is magic, even if he simply states the word “magic”. The Dursley’s locked Harry in small room and treated him unfairly which they felt was critical to their self-preservation. Similarly at Hogwarts, a basilisk attacks Hogwarts causing a panic amongst the students and teachers. Many students begin to fear that Harry Potter is behind the attacks since he can speak Parseltongue, the language of serpents, which is considered a dark gift. By blaming Harry Potter for the attacks, the students have someone to avoid to protect themselves against future attacks. Both the Dursleys and the students of Hogwarts are motivated by fear and self-preservation and as a result Harry suffers the consequences.
In terms of principles, by going down into the Chamber of Secrets, Harry proves that he is both loyal to his friends and courageous in the face of danger.
Harry knew the dangers of entering the Chamber of Secrets, but he chooses to risk his life fighting against Tom Riddle and the basilisk to save his friends and the future of Hogwarts. He puts principles ahead his own self-preservation. Soon after Tom Riddle begins ranting about how great he is, Harry says, “Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so. Even when you were strong, you didn’t dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you’re hiding these days” (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 232). This quotation proves that Harry is loyal to his friends and cares about the future of Hogwarts. Harry is not a typical hero, but he lives up to his fame by bravely entering situations with the inborn faith that he will get through any situation alive. For Harry, self-preservation is never at the expense of
principles.
Perseverance is a good thing: the ability to keep going when things seem difficult or even impossible. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny’s long resistance to Voldemort and Harry’s willingness to keep living his life at Hogwarts, both show perseverance. These two examples do not necessarily show self-preservation, but the characters are protecting their fellow students by resisting negative influences. Rather than allowing themselves to be exploited, they stay positive to protect Hogwarts. On the other hand, there are characters in The Chamber of Secrets who willingly endure hardship to achieve evil goals. For example, the Dursleys have spent twelve years trying to repress and remove the magic in Harry. Because the Dursleys fear Harry for his magical abilities, they persist in their cruelty towards Harry because they believe their actions are critical for their self-preservation.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling discusses fear, principles and perseverance. These are real issues for all people, and we can take a lesson from The Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter is, of course, a positive role model, and through his character, Rowling teaches her reader appropriate responses to fear. She also teaches us that principles are important and that self-preservation must not happen at the expense of principles like loyalty and courage. In many ways, the Harry Potter series is more than a fantasy. There is always a moral message, and I believe, like Aesop's Fable, they will stand the test of time.
magical abilities, however they fear him for his magic because they feel that he is dangerous and can cause harm. For example, when Dudley says, “Pass the frying pan.” and Harry says, “You’ve forgotten the magic word.” The family becomes horrified: “Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen; Mrs. Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands to her mouth; Mr. Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 1). This quotation is a perfect example of the Dursley's fear of Harry is magic, even if he simply states the word “magic”. The Dursley’s locked Harry in small room and treated him unfairly which they felt was critical to their self-preservation. Similarly at Hogwarts, a basilisk attacks Hogwarts causing a panic amongst the students and teachers. Many students begin to fear that Harry Potter is behind the attacks since he can speak Parseltongue, the language of serpents, which is considered a dark gift. By blaming Harry Potter for the attacks, the students have someone to avoid to protect themselves against future attacks. Both the Dursleys and the students of Hogwarts are motivated by fear and self-preservation and as a result Harry suffers the consequences.
In terms of principles, by going down into the Chamber of Secrets, Harry proves that he is both loyal to his friends and courageous in the face of danger.
Harry knew the dangers of entering the Chamber of Secrets, but he chooses to risk his life fighting against Tom Riddle and the basilisk to save his friends and the future of Hogwarts. He puts principles ahead his own self-preservation. Soon after Tom Riddle begins ranting about how great he is, Harry says, “Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so. Even when you were strong, you didn’t dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you’re hiding these days” (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 232). This quotation proves that Harry is loyal to his friends and cares about the future of Hogwarts. Harry is not a typical hero, but he lives up to his fame by bravely entering situations with the inborn faith that he will get through any situation alive. For Harry, self-preservation is never at the expense of
principles.
Perseverance is a good thing: the ability to keep going when things seem difficult or even impossible. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny’s long resistance to Voldemort and Harry’s willingness to keep living his life at Hogwarts, both show perseverance. These two examples do not necessarily show self-preservation, but the characters are protecting their fellow students by resisting negative influences. Rather than allowing themselves to be exploited, they stay positive to protect Hogwarts. On the other hand, there are characters in The Chamber of Secrets who willingly endure hardship to achieve evil goals. For example, the Dursleys have spent twelve years trying to repress and remove the magic in Harry. Because the Dursleys fear Harry for his magical abilities, they persist in their cruelty towards Harry because they believe their actions are critical for their self-preservation.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling discusses fear, principles and perseverance. These are real issues for all people, and we can take a lesson from The Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter is, of course, a positive role model, and through his character, Rowling teaches her reader appropriate responses to fear. She also teaches us that principles are important and that self-preservation must not happen at the expense of principles like loyalty and courage. In many ways, the Harry Potter series is more than a fantasy. There is always a moral message, and I believe, like Aesop's Fable, they will stand the test of time.