In an interview JK Rowling did with Emma Coad for ITV back in 2005 she explains the Patronus as “a kind of spirit guardian in a way. And that's partly because of what it does. It's the protector, and you could protect yourself and other people that you cared about with a Patronus” (Citation). The importance of a Patronus and more than that, the importance of its form is compounded since it is introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry’s Patronus takes the form of a stag, which is the exact animal his father could transform into. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry mentions that the form of Tonks’ Patronus has changed. In Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Snape’s Patronus is a doe, the same as Lily’s. Throughout Rowling’s series she introduces her readers to the Patronus as guardian, but she continues to develop this idea throughout the series into a symbol of an individual’s identity and a symbol of their innermost desire. With a Patronus as a stand-in for the self, Rowling gives into the idea of an individual’s agency because while one craves a protector, ultimately one must act in order to save themselves.
Throughout the series of Harry Potter the significance of the Patronus grows as the reader learns more about the characters. The word Patronus is introduced into the Harry Potter canon in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Rowling quickly establishes the Patronus as a guardian. As Professor Lupin explains it to Harry, a Patronus is, “a kind of anti-dementor – a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the dementor” (237). Rowling presents this new vocabulary term to the readers and gives a bare minimum definition via Professor Lupin. Later in the book Harry discovers what for...
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... plain in the form of his Patronus.
Rowling’s use of the Patronus as a manifestation of an individual’s identity represents the idea that while we crave a protector and seek out someone who will save us, in the end we must rely on ourselves. Harry craved a protector in the form of his father. In the end of Prisoner of Azkaban he waits for his father to appear, to cast the Patronus charm and save him and Sirius. While he waits, he has a moment of realization about his own agency, “no one was coming to help this time – And then it hit him… He hadn’t seen his father – he had seen himself” (411). Although Harry wishes for his father, even tries to rationalize that his savior was his father, he knew he had to act. Rowling in the ends, supports Harry’s agency here, he had to save himself and he goes on throughout this book and the entire series saving others even though
In movies, novels, and life, people are named as heroes. The heroes we establish and the heroes we recognize, however, may not meet the criteria for a mythic hero. A mythic hero ventures forth on his journey, and comes forth from the hero’s path to greatness. Joseph Campbell, a mythologist who studied many of the great human myths and religious tales, realized, in studying these myths and tales, that there were certain steps that every hero went through. Campbell called this “The Hero’s Journey”; it is based on Carl Jung's idea that all human beings have an archetype. After Campbell studied a lot of the great myths and realized this pattern, he published his findings in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Ever since then, authors have used “The Hero’s Journey” as an outline to tell their stories. “It is important to note that not all of these individual steps are present in every hero’s tale, nor is it important that they be in this exact order” (Vogler 20). The Hero with a Thousand Faces gives a sense of significance as it looks into the inner mind and soul. The author, Joseph Campbell, performs two extraordinary accomplishments: compelling his readers that myth and dream, those are the most effective and everlasting forces in life and a unification of mythology and psychoanalysis with a gripping narrative. One well-known example of “The Hero’s Journey” from popular culture is the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. In the novel, Harry Potter, the main character, is the chosen one and “The Hero’s Journey” applies to his life from the moment he is attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby.
This book is titled, The Secrets of Harry Bright by Joseph Wambaugh. It was published in 1985. I have read other novels by Joseph Wambaugh. He is a very intriguing author. He has a way of capturing his audience that is paralleled with few authors. In essence, he relates his writings to everyday life woven into crime, drugs and sex. It appeals to a more mature audience, which can appreciate Wambaugh’s rough portrayal of urban life. My first thought of the book was it lacked historical significance. Upon further thought it became apparent to me that history isn’t simply war or catastrophes; it’s an accumulation of everything that has preceded the time we live now. This novel made many references to Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and even William McKinley. It also viewed America as it was in the 1980’s. A time sometimes forgotten or often neglected to be mentioned. Through this novel you begin to grasp this time period and develop a sense of appreciation for it, because it did take place and is apart of our history. I believe Joseph Wambaugh is one of the forerunners in enlightening the American Public on a period, which deserves more recognition. And I believe strongly that Wambaugh set out to highlight this decade in our history and he most certainly succeeded.
At first Antonio was wary of Ultima’s owl because he had heard that witches come in disguise in the form of an owl, and their hooting would cause fear. This is not the case for Antonio with Ultima’s owl because when he hears the hooting it is very comforting, similar to a lullaby. The owl’s role in protection is foreshadowed when Antonio says, “Its song seemed to say that it had come to watch over us”. In many religions, angels are used as a form of protection; however in many scenarios Antonio’s views the owl as the form of an angel or spiritual presence, which is very contradictory to the beliefs he has been taught. This is shown immediately in Antonio’s dream when he sees Ultima’s owl lifting La Virgen de Guadalupe to heaven. This passage in particular is very contradictory to the Christian belief because it should really be the angels lifting The Virgen to heaven, because The Virgen is the “patron saint of our town” and angels are good whereas owls are seen as evil. However in Antonio’s dream he says, “The Virgen smiled at the goodness of the owl”, foreshadowing that the owl is good and not
The complex pagan religious system of the Romans mirrored that of the Greeks, but what Ovid sought to create was a solid (nearly Bible-like) account of the formation of the world and the source of the multifarious gods. Essentially, Ovid is seeking to rationalize and dogmatize the dozens of deities. Ovid believed that the relationship between the gods and man was reciprocal; they depended on each other for existence:
Rowling starts off Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with Harry’s past. Of how he got his scar and survived Voldemort’s attack. Harry’s scar not only represents his connection to Voldemort, but the memories from
Harry Potter is a very good story within the media that portrays all four major agents of socialization pretty well. The influence of family in Harry's life was changed because of how Voldemort had heard the prophecy of a child who will be a threat to him. This is a great example of a self-fulfilling prophecy since Voldemort reacts to this by trying to kill Harry. The result of this, of course, only sets-up his own destruction.
Harry Potter’s faith in himself was almost non-existent throughout the whole series until the very end of the Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows. There he faced off Voldemort in the final battle of Hogwarts, ready to sacrifice himself so Voldemort could be defeated. Once Harry realized he was still alive, he knew he had to kill Voldemort. He changed from having no faith in himself to having complete faith in himself to kill the Dark Lord. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Rowling showed the change of the main character from one full of self-doubt to one having confidence in himself as The Chosen One. Rowling used similes to convey his self-doubt, conflict to show his slowly gaining confidence, and tone to express his acceptance of his role
Harry had an issue at home with his parents who did not do what a real parent would do, not experiencing the outside world, having parents who come home late and does not take care of their son. Although my personal life is not exactly the same as his, I can connect to it. My parents are not party members but they
As I said before, Zeus is the father of all gods and humans. He represents the idea of an independent moral code that all humans and immortals must obey. If any god or mortal did not follow this moral code, Zeus would enforce justice and watch over the punishment of the wrongdoers (Cunningham and Reich 33). Although Zeus is known for representing a moral code, Zeus’ behavior was far from moral. “Zeus was subject to pleasure, pain, grief, and anger, but he was most susceptible to the power of Eros – love, which often got the objects of his desire in a lot of trouble with his wife, Hera. Zeus wa...
The story of Harry Potter amazed a whole generation of not only children, but also adults, and still does. Rowling’s series, tells the story of Harry Potter and his fight against Lord Voldemort, which takes place in the world of magic. The difference between Harry Potter and Lord Volde-mort is explained by Dumbledore at the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone using the following words: „’If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realise that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign...to have been loved so deeply [...] will give us some protection for ever.’“ (Rowling 216). This love, which is described by Dumbledore as „’ [...] something
Throughout the history of Rome, from the monarchy to the late empire, religion had played a great role in it's society and was involved in almost every aspect of the life of the Roman citizen. It was common for each house to have it's own patron god/gods and ,on special occasions, the head of the house would make a sacrifice to the personal gods of the family. Also, great festivals were usually held in honor of certain gods and would include spectacles like chariot races and Gladiatorial fights.
An important symbol in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was Harry’s blanket from the day his parents died because it connects Harry to his past, and it proves that light can shine through darkness. An everyday item like a blanket seems insignificant, but yet in Harry’s world it is much more powerful than that. This blanket expresses the little bits of love everyone experiences. Imagine Harry’s mother, wrapping him up in the blanket, protecting him from the cold and other evils. And that’s not the only love Harry ever received. Think of Hagrid being a parent to someone without ones of their own, showing every bit of love he can to make up for it. Picture Dumbledore, advising Harry through different challenges, knowing Harry will find his way
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.
When Harry Potter became an infant Voldemort try to kill him. Voldemort ended up killing Harry Potter’s parents. Voldemort lost all of his power after this event occurred and he tried to find ways to get power.
Of course, it's also possible that Rowling simply finds it entertaining to sneakily implant pieces of classical mythology into her novels and watch as her fans try to find some deep, overarching meaning to all of it.