Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Analysis Part 2

Children’s Literature – November 30th, 2011

Harry Potter (continued)

Criticism ▪ Thematic o Too dark, complex, adult ▪ Book 1 opens with a double murder ▪ Harry’s link with Voldemort o Censorship ▪ Parallels between banning and not saying Voldemort’s name

▪ How Harry Potter fits in children’s literature o Literary qualities ▪ Textual jokes - Page 15, Rowling didn’t know how popular her novels would become - Diagon Alley, funny, puny names - Albus Dumbledore ( Albus = White in Latin

o Literary value ▪ Inter-textuality - Boarding school story o Stock characters; bully, sneak, enemy, best friend, friendly teachers, vindictive master o Stock events; contract between home and initiation into new school, problems with uniform and equipment, making friends, getting into trouble, being uundeserving unpopular, saving the day - Sword and the Stone (1938), T.H White o Education of young Wart by Merlin; eventual discovery of his parentage; destiny as national hero; King Arthur o Sir Grummore Grummersum, Uther Pendragon - Fairy tales o Cinderella; cruelty from step family, taken away, better off o Common plot of fairy tale ▪ Modest (male) protagonist ▪ Unaware of special qualities ▪ Departs form ▪ Must fulfill taskes (often 3, sometimes 7) - Troll, Fluffy, Devil’s Snare, key, chess game, potions puzzle, Quirrell ▪ Meet animals/friends that help protagonist ▪ Meet older person who gives valuable advice ▪ Overcomes an adversary ▪ Returns home - Romance quest o Search for stone o Search for identity, knowledge o Harry as Christian knight, acts quest in the name of good (God) - Philosopher’s Stone o Myth; alchemy; elixir of life or transform metal into gold o Sought by Isaac Newton and Nicholas Flamel (real people) - Greek myth o Centaurs o Minerva McGonagall; Goddess of Wisdom o Fluffy, three headed dog, guarded gateway to hell; Cerberus, stationed at River Styx o Hercules 12th labour, kidnap dog o Orpheus and Psyche - Books in this course o Anne and Hermione; talking o Anne and Harry; family history, history in general o Harry and Wilbur o Harry/Ron and Tom/Huck; side kicks o Adult characters o Adventures, may link with Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island; sense and quest/task to complete o Animals…?

▪ Literary qualities?

▪ Training for adult reading?

▪ Documents in a cruel history of childhood? o Contemporary views of childhood ▪ Drusley; cruelty ▪ Danger; quidditch ▪ Bullying; Malfoy ▪ Racism; muggle/half-blood/purblood

▪ Didactic and pedagogical o Hard work of learning magic o Mirror of Erised o Magic (used) for good; black and white presentation of usage of magic o Harry’s essential goodness o Dumbledore; 215, 219 o Neville; 221

▪ Rich imaginative world; childhood as a time of freedom and play o Quidditch o Hogwarts o Food o Mythology of wizards/witches ▪ Houses of Hogarts (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin) o Escape from harsh reality

▪ How does the book depart significantly from tradition? o Reality ▪ Realistic, identifiable setting - Not “Once upon a time” ▪ Split between muggle and magic world o Orphan ▪ Parents “get in the way of a good story” (Grumer) ▪ Kimball “their success ultimately becomes ours” o Love ▪ 216; “your mother died to save you…it was agony to touch a person marked by something so good” o Death ▪ 215; “to one as young as you…death is but the next adventure” ▪ Series - Many deaths - Young people die o Through battle against evil - Self-sacrificial cycle; Harry sacrifice for everyone, Lily for Harry

▪ More significantly part of the traditional or departs from it?

▪ Themes o Risk vs. Reward o Family o Love o Friendship, 132; “Hermione Granger become their friend” o Magic

“…and learn until our brains all rot”
Krystal, good luck with all your other finals!