Harry Potter Parallels

1859 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Harry Potter comparison

Introduction

In this study, I set out to find how freshmen UT Engineering students’ battles correlated to the struggles of first-year students at Hogwarts and how that proved J.K. Rowling’s characters were relatable and that the fantastical themes presented in the Harry Potter series were realistic. This is a qualitative study focused on paralleling a fantastical series to normal life. Many scholars are curious about the millennial generation’s behaviors and attitudes, and by having representative people of the age group compare a work of literature to their lives, these questions can be dissected. This study clearly complements current discussions of the fantasy genre. Many people believe that fans of fantasy read (or watch) the genre to escape into an exotic new world. This research question helps ask why people want to run away to the made-up worlds created by fantasy authors by comparing struggles and characters to actual, real life situations. This can aid scholars in “figuring out” the millennial generation.

Methods

Participants
To qualify as an interviewee for this study, it is essential to be a freshman in the College of Engineering at UT that has read or watched …show more content…

The participants related what they believed the message of Harry Potter was to a challenge they had to face while coming to college. These struggles ranged from realizing that “it’s okay to seek help from your friends” as Darner explained to figuring out that “it doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from, you can still be great” like Myatt explained. There are many themes and motifs in the Harry Potter series, and I think it is interesting that the friendship and courage motifs are the ones that the participants in this study focused on, when the themes stretch from death to the

Show More
Related

  • College Admissions Essay: The Value Of Picture Books

    475 Words  | 1 Pages

    My grandmother introduced me to reading before I’d even entered school. She babysat me while my parents were at work, and spent hours reading to me from picture books as my wide eyes drank in the colorful illustrations. As a result, I entered my first year of school with an early passion for reading. Throughout elementary and middle school, I was captivated by tales of fire-breathing dragons, mystical wizards, and spirited foreign gods. A book accompanied me nearly everywhere I went, smuggled into my backpack or tucked safely under my arm. I was often the child who sat alone at lunch, not because she didn’t have friends, but because she was more interested in a wizards’ duel than the petty dramas of middle school girls. I was the child who passed every history test because she was the only kid who didn’t mind reading the textbook in her spare time, and the child who the school librarian knew by name. Reading provided a

    Read More

  • Harry Potter Controversy

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ever since J.K. Rowling first introduced Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 1997, children and adults have read and loved the series. It has gained such popularity that all of the books have been made into major motion pictures, and a Harry Potter attraction has been opened in Universal Studios, Florida. Though the readers love Rowling’s intricate and exciting story lines, many controversies have arisen from these stories, not only in the United States, but also in various countries around the world. Perhaps the biggest controversy is the religious implications perceived by some critics. Although these critics believe that the series promotes paganism and encourages evil actions, these theories should not be taken so seriously.

    Read More

  • Allen Stein's Adults Should Read Adult Books?

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    Recently publishing companies have focused efforts to release books that are intended for the large teenage audiences. However these books have unintentionally become popular with adult readers who have been drawn into these book franchises, such as The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Twilight. The argument within the article, Adults Should Read Adult Books, focuses on the growing number of adults reading young adult fiction and the consequences of this trend. While many people would argue that the genre of a book should not dictate readership, the author of the article, Joel Stein disagrees. In his article, Stein argues that adults should be ashamed for reading a YA book. Additionally, he argues in for adult reader to gain knowledge from a

    Read More

  • Harry Potter Influence

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of CS Lewis's Works and JK Rowling's Works

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Harry Potter, one of the premier topics is love, in the feeling of tribute, familial ties, and companionship. The spectator sees this in the adoring generosity of Harry Potter's guardians for a newborn child Harry; Harry, Ron, and Hermione (The Trio) bear much adore for one another and showcase this in their activities towards each one in turn; Harry shows extraordinary cherish for his Godfather, Sirius Black, and Sirius gives back this adore from various perspectives, incorporating altruism;...

    Read More

  • Symbolism, Imagery, and Motif of Harry Potter

    2328 Words  | 5 Pages

    Harry Potter is a fascinating tale of sorcerers, wands, broomsticks, dragons, and magic. The story begins with a young boy named Harry Potter who lives at number four Privit Drive, Surray, England. His journey begins after the death of his parents at the hands of the evil Lord Voldemort. Harry learns of his past and his future as a wizard from Hagrid, the keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He travels to Hogwarts where he learns spells and enchantments, makes new friends, finds enemies, and discovers fantastic secretes. J.K. Rowling weaves a web of impeccable storytelling with this critically acclaimed novel. In the tale of Harry Potter imagery, symbolism, and motif take central focus.

    Read More

  • Harry Potter a World War II Allegory

    1564 Words  | 4 Pages

    Harry Potter is a world renowned book series and movie franchise. When most people watch the movies or read the books, not many people realize some of the hidden plot elements behind the story itself. While there are many proclaimed allegories in the Harry Potter series that people think are references to politics and influential people, among many others. One of them, however, stands out prominently from the rest. There are several reasons to believe that the plot line for Harry Potter is, in many ways, a metaphor of World War II. Ranging from characters, political issues, and beliefs, many things in Harry Potter could be references to World War II.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K Rowling, Harry Potter has a miserable childhood. At the beginning of the book, Harry is an orphan boy who born and grows up in a relative family call the Dursley. The Dursley’s family always being mean to him because Harry is different than anyone else, he is a wizard. He receives all the negligence and child abuse from them. A little boy who lives in a difficult condition can easily give up himself and may treat others with the same experienced that he learned. However, Harry wants to live his life different than the Dursley’s family so he stands up not only for himself but for others. He uses his internal strengths to pass through all struggles and become a hero.

    Read More

  • Becoming a World-Class Engineering Student

    3206 Words  | 7 Pages

    Landis, Raymond B. Studying Engineering: A Road Map to a Rewarding Career. Los Angeles, CA: Discovery, 2013. Print.

    Read More

  • Heroism in Young Adult Fiction

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Abstract—The “hero” from Harry Potter: The Philosopher’s Stone, is a young book taken from his dull and tedious life and swept off to the fantastical boarding school of Hogwarts. In the Black Cauldron Taran the pig keeper shares a similar situation, he is taken from his life of drudgery and whisked off on an epic journey. Each of these characters goes through similar developments on their quests, and each draws from seemingly mundane beginnings. This type of heroism seems coherent across the two books as well as similar books such as the Lord of the Rings where Hobbits become the most unlikely hero. This provides something that the reader can latch on to particularly in more fantastic books, it allows readers to identify and relate concepts of the hero to their own life, creating an immersive experience. Hero’s are not unique to young adult books, but books with strong archetypes are more popular in young audiences as it gives simplified characters as opposed to more gray writing that might include a Byronic or anti-hero characters. Comparing two similar books from two very different time periods that maintain a similar message of heroism I believe validates the purpose and impact of a hero in young adult fiction.

    Read More

  • Albus Dumbledore's The Chamber Of Secrets By J. K. Rowling

    1337 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rowling’s writing sparks controversy with readers. Rowling has dealt with criticism about how her books teach children about witchcraft and evil powers (Kirk 103). To shield children from these teachings, schools and libraries across the world banned the books and occasionally, a book burning. “It conflicts with the values I’m trying to teach my children,” reports Ken McCormick, a father (qtd in Cannon and Cataldo). Evidently, the series’ plot teaches children revenge, and parents and teachers across the globe agree that banning the books will protect them from harmful lessons. However, her works have encouraged children read more. Today, fewer children and teens read for pleasure, causing a great drop in test scores, vocabulary, and imagination (Hallet). According to U.K.-based Federation of Children’s Book Groups, fifty nine percent of kids believe that Harry Potter enhanced their reading skills, and forty eight percent say that the books turned them in to bookworms (Hallet). In other words, Rowling’s books became children’s, in this day of age, video games. She published Harry Potter at a time where children, teens, and young adults were starting to consume their time with technology instead of reading. Without these books, generations across the spectrum would diminish in terms of reading skill. Rowling not only helps children improve their skills, she gives back to them through her

    Read More

  • Identity And Self-Realization In The Fantasy World Of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this domestic conflict, Harry fights Uncle Vernon to see the letters, which may provide some answers as to the identity of his parents. This is the initial quest for Harry’s self-identity, which reveals the potential for self-realization as a wizard. This aspect of the “real world” certainly defines a motive for “escapism” for Harry, as he seeks to find his true self, but his identity is far more complex than what the real has to offer him. In this manner, Rowling then creates the “fantasy world” of Hogwarts’s School to achieve the goal of self-realization in Harry’s quest for a true identity.

    Read More

  • A Critical Assessment of the Harry Potter Phenomenon in Contemporary British Culture

    1784 Words  | 4 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Social Issues In Harry Potter

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    Perhaps one of the most illustrious authors of modern day, JK Rowling has woven a land of awe inspiring magic and complex storytelling in her Harry Potter series. Rowling uses this highly influential series to subtly educate her readers on problems faced in modern society and their far reaching consequences. Some particular political, social, and economical subtext exhibited in the Harry Potter series deals with racism, discrimination, and abuse of power by the government and various authority figures.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Harry Potter Series

    1341 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Harry Potter Parallels

Open Document