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Character analysis of the book Harry Potter
Harry potter description essay
Character analysis of the book Harry Potter
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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.
“The thread of truth in his fiction reminds us that heroes can come in any shape, color, ability or size, and friendship can bridge nearly any divide.”(9)
Often heroes in fantasy such as either of the books described, come from humble beginnings. They then provide a quest, journey, or mission that is slowly revealed. It also creates a small microcosm that fosters the evolution of the hero. Often these personal mentors are not all benevolent. One example would be Snape a professor of Harry’s that seeks to chastise a...
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[4]. "Antihero." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Nov. 2011. .
[5]. House, Ellen. "Book Review." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 50.9 (2011). MD Consult. Web. .
[6].[yalsa-bk] Schools for wizards and witches
[8]. Lois R. Kuznets. ""High Fantasy" in America: A Study of Lloyd Alexander, Ursula LeGuin, and Susan Cooper." The Lion and the Unicorn 9 (1985): 19-35. Project MUSE. Web. 21 Jan. 2011. .
[9]. "Young Adult Books." The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - The Washington Post. Web. 2011. .
Since the emergence of literature, thousands upon thousands of characters have graced our imaginations. From trouble maker Bart Simpson of the celebrated cartoon television series The Simpsons to Mr. Darcy of Jane Austen’s renowned novel Pride and Prejudice, the world has witnessed a plethora of characters in literature. Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, and Billy Collins, distinguished American poet, as well as countless other authors, share the utilization of characters in their literary works. The manner in which these authors use the literary element of characters varies immensely.
Perkins, Geroge, and Barbara Perkins. The American Tradition in Literature. 12th ed. Vol. 2. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009. Print
After hearing a brief description of the story you might think that there aren’t many good things about they story. However, this is false, there are many good things in this book that makes it a good read. First being that it is a very intriguing book. This is good for teenage readers because often times they don’t willingly want to read, and this story will force the teenage or any reader to continue the book and continue reading the series. Secondly, this is a “good” book because it has a good balance of violence. This is a good thing because it provides readers with an exciting read. We hear and even see violence in our everyday life and I believe that it is something teenagers should be exposed to. This book gives children an insig...
Readers tend to idolize protagonists of stories. Atticus Finch, Huckleberry Finn, Harry Potter – they are all characters that possess a positive tone from the author. In pieces of writing associated with fantasy, however, it would only be more suitable to call these characters, heroes. Particularly in high fantasy, the hero ventures on an aptly named “hero’s journey.” However, the hero will always discover the “call to adventure” at the beginning of the story. At that point, the protagonist realizes that he or she possesses a unique ability. In high fantasy, that ability generally involves magic. Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea serves as a prime example of this notion. The protagonist, Ged, goes on a journey to quench his thirst for better understanding of wizardry. Another example of fantasy would be L. Frank Baum’s “The Dummy that Lived,” in which a fairy’s mischievous acts lead to a chain of trouble for the victim. Both Le Guin and Baum use magic in high fantasy literature to symbolize the need for maturity in a protagonist, or the creature casting the spell, and therefore promote the importance of responsibility to those who hold great power.
Through reading about these heroes, kids believe that there are good things that happen to good people. These heroes encourage many kids when they’re young, and provide them with right and wrong. For example, many fairy tales and comic stories show kids the kinds of behaviors that need in order to succeed in life, to improve society, and to overcome hard times. They become their example of healthy adult role models who through hard times and many contractions they were able to react positively and overcome hard times. Heroes prove to them that no matter how much suffering and hardships in the world, there are good people, who always do the right thing and provide us with hope in hard times. Heroes do provide courage for us to overcome emotionally, physically, or spiritually
“I wish I could be a hero!” Many adults in today’s society hear small children wishing they could become heroes. Children wish to be more like heroes for the reason that heroes are the type of people who risk their lives to help others. Throughout history, children have had a positive connotation with the word “hero.” The heroes many small children talk about are the fictional ones who protect cities from villains: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and others. However, these are not the only types of heroes in today’s world. Firefighters and policemen are also considered heroes because they save the lives of those in danger. Many adults consider their inspirations to be heroes, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Michelle Obama. Heroes do not always have to be real; for instance, they can also be literary characters such as Atticus Finch, Jonas, and Odysseus. Heroes, fictional or not, only have one purpose, to help people in need. These motivating people are in the rare category of people who willingly spend their whole lives helping people achieve their dreams. Heroes are the people who unselfishly help people live their lives in a peaceful manner. Many children wish they could become heroes, such as Bilbo Baggins. In The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien explores how Bilbo Baggins matures and ultimately becomes a hero.
From the beginning of time, mythology has appeared to be one key method of understanding life’s confusions and battles. Within these myths lies a hero. From myth to myth and story to story, heroes experience what may be called a struggle or a journey, which lays down their plot line. Bearing tremendous strength, talent, and significant admiration, a hero holds what is precious to their audience, heroism. Over time however, no matter the hero, the hero’s role remains indistinguishable and identical to the position of every other hero.
Heroes are often described as physically attractive, strong, intelligent figures with a flair for grand gestures,and an eloquent knack for stringing words together. The fundamental aspects of what defines a hero are conveniently glazed over. People forget that heroes often lead lives of quiet determination. When they have an idea, a goal they want to accomplish, they ignite a spark within themselves that burns into an uncontrollable blaze, which that can only be tamed by success. The fabricated image of a hero has been so deeply rooted into society that the quiet heroes in literature, such as Jefferson from A Lesson Before Dying, are often forgotten, or the misdeeds of cowards such as Frankenstein are overlooked. Jefferson is the literary foil for Victor Frankenstein, because he has strongly built morals that enable him to become a hero, whereas Victor Frankenstein is a weak willed and indecisive character. A hero is defined by their ability to go through with a task despite the obstacles that lie in their way, along with their courage and ultimately, they accept any responsibility that may befall them.
In The Fairy Tale Hero, author Max Lüthi stated that “The fairytale hero, or heroine, to be sure, is sometimes a rollicking daredevil and sometimes a silent sufferer; at times a lazy bones and at times a diligent helper, often sly and willy but just as open and honest” (316). Within this statement, the author reveals that heroes pertain to numerous archetypes, not just to the warrior, but rather, they can be the fools or caregiver who save the day
Heroism. Heroism is “heroic conduct” or “courageous action”(“Heroism”). People throughout America’s history, and the world’s history, for more than hundreds of years, have satisfied the standards of heroism, rising above and doing what is right. Heroism doesn’t have to mean saving somebody’s life. To be a hero, one does not need a cape or a villain to fight. Exhibiting acts of heroism can be as small helping retrieve a cat from a tree or as large as helping put out the fire of a burning building. Whether one’s acts of heroism are miniscule or major, they occur every day by ordinary people, proving their extraordinary abilities. After World War II ended, many acts of heroism were displayed that are still remembered today, specifically involving Operation Little Vittles. Over two million citizens living in West Berlin were doomed, cut off from the outside world by the Russians, praying for a miracle. Their wish came true when a handful of pilots agreed to drop thousands of tons of food and fuel from the air in Berlin. One of these esteemed pilots goes by the name of Gail Halvorsen, who changed the situation of the Russian blockade for the better. Halvorsen made the daring decision to drop thousands of individual packages of candy to all of the sweet deprived citizens of West Berlin. Pilot Gail Halvorsen contributed a daring effort by flying day in and day out dropping candy all with the hopes of trying to improve the awful conditions for those involved in the blockade, putting smiles on people’s faces and living up to the standards of heroism.
Kahn, Ada P., and Jan Fawcett. The Encyclopedia of Mental Health. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2001.
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.
Heroism can show itself in many shapes and forms from ordinary people to heroic and courageous people something to think about is that anyone can show heroism. A lot of people have shown heroism just by doing the right thing such as just helping someone or not acting mean towards others. heroism can show itself in many different forms but sadly some ordinary people don’t get recognized for the heroic acts that they do. Many different people just don’t recognize heroism from ordinary people as they just think of superheroes and supervillains. In reality anyone can achieve heroism as long as they strive for it. While ordinary people can sometimes not be recognized for acts of heroism, these heroes are courageous and can defeat all of the challenges
A person can be a hero for saving the life of one or of millions. Heroes are not only real people, but they are also fantasy figures. Children are extremely interested with legendary and fantasy figures because they take on such tasks as: difficult journeys, challenges with dragons, discovering lost treasure, and changing the nature of the world through their singular acts of courage and selflessness. They also endure much resistance, hardship, and danger. Often the hero learns valuable lessons about survival and self-reliance. Not only do heroes teach valuable lessons they give a child a sense of belonging. To a child, a hero is an invincible person who will change the world.
Wedding, D., & Corsini, R. J. (Eds.). (2014). Current psychotherapies (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage