Sorcerer's Stone Symbolism

Main characters in JK Rowling’s The Sorcerer’s Stone

The characters of the novel possess qualities that symbolize history and have important hidden meanings. Symbolism plays a big role in the novel.

“J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter titles dominated the fiction hardcover and paperback bestsellers lists in 2000 at Barnes & Noble's superstores” (“Potter”). Harry Potter, being the focus of the novel, “represents a new soul force in the seeker who wants to go the Path of Alchemical Transformation resulting in total liberation” (Hans). The novel has many symbolic meanings, “Yet the popularity of the Harry Potter books actually has everything to do with our symbolizing tendency itself” (Siegel). JK Rowling uses many styles of writing, especially with

portraying her characters, “The Potter story is a fairy tale, plus a bildungsroman, plus a murder mystery, plus a cosmic war of good and evil, and there's almost no classic in any of those genres that doesn't reverberate between the lines of Harry's saga (74)” (Pennington). As the main character, “Harry saves himself and others from death….Harry--and the text itself--struggle against Being-toward-death until the boy's acceptance of his symbolic power allows the resolution of the plot to effect the book's demise” (Trites). Harry Potter has many important qualities, “The manifestation of such energies may emerge in the form of a hero, a figure who represents the intense human struggle for both power and wisdom, recognition and introspection, grandeur and honor” (Pharr). Harry defies all human-like qualities to balance the world of magic together with the material world. Harry has an important role in the novel, being the boy who escaped from death, “the boy who lived” (Rowling 13).
Along with Harry, his friends played a significant role in symbolism in the novels. Hermione Granger, the girl who provided wit and knowledge in the three’s endeavors throughout the novel, helped Harry toward the awaited outcome at the end of the novel. Due to her prior knowledge and resourceful personality, Hermione was able to provide Harry with all of the necessary information for success, such as providing them with important information on their discovery of the sorcerer’s stone (Rowling 176). In the novel, “Hermione personifies the renewed mind of the seeker for alchemical transfiguration. In alchemy she is traditionally indicated as Mercury, the Roman equivalent of Hermes” (Hans).
Ron Weasley, the third member of the friend group, “represents the mortal soul that has found faith in his leader, Harry Potter. He accepts Harry, the new soul, as his leader and is willing to sacrifice himself for him, as is shown in the chess game. Ron sacrificed his life in his player for the safety of Harry” (Hans). Ron in the book says, "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me -- that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry” (Rowling 227). In biblical terms, “In the New Testament he is symbolized by John the Baptist, who ‘prepares the way for the (inner) Lord’” (Hans).
Voldemort, along with Harry and Hermione has a strong Greek reference. Lord Voldemort is “characterized by Lucifer, the God of this fallen universe…But when Harry is born, it becomes the enemy: Satan. It tries to kill the new soul, but cannot do so and is considerably weakened by it” (Hans).
All these characters provide significance to the novel from how they have related to real life through symbolism.