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Importance of Witchcraft
Importance of Witchcraft
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The wizardry and witchcraft of the Harry Potter series is precisely what makes them so enchanting in the eyes’ of J.K. Rowling’s readers. The other worldly aspects provide both children and adults with an escape from the real world through its text, allowing for a break from reality without any repercussions or extreme measures necessary. In the eyes of renowned astronomer and scholar Marcia Montenegro, however, this other worldly theme in Harry Potter is what makes the books dangerous to its readers and those around them in society. Rather than believing that the elements of witchcraft are harmless, Montenegro firmly believes that Harry Potter opens the eyes of its readers to the horrors of the occult and the dark elements of sorcery. The …show more content…
Although she does not argue that Harry Potter is a poor excuse for a children’s novel, giving her graces in agreeing that it holds good storytelling elements, her belief of the occult and its implications in the story leave her unsettled with the books’ wide scale presence in today’s society. Acknowledging J.K. Rowling’s creative genius in the construction of Harry Potter, Montenegro writes that “however clever or imaginative the stories are, they do center on a character who is learning the arts of sorcery and witchcraft” (Montenegro). While the common understanding of this instruction of wizardry is seen as Harry maturing into a strong individual capable of battling the struggles of his past, many argue that Harry’s education in witchcraft could lead to the desire for children to take interest in learning the ways of sorcery and occult …show more content…
It is these events, mostly confronted with the use of magic, that makes the Harry Potter stories so successful. The magical aspects of the novels provide their audience with a break from reality, even if just for a chapter or two. Rather than encouraging its audience to engage in powerful and dangerous sorcery in real life, the Harry Potter series encourages the expansion of a child’s imaginative powers while also allowing them to realize their own personal strength through the victories and defeats of their favorite characters. While Hermoine Granger, Harry Potter’s best friend, is well-versed in the usage of magic, she is also a brilliant student. In fact, in The Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermoine uses time-travelling magic instruments to allow herself to take more classes than she could normally fit into her school schedule. Her dedication to her schoolwork shows that she is only using magic to enhance her learning potential, not travelling back in time to do evil things that could be occult-related. Hogwarts places many safeguards to try their best to prevent the evil side of magic being put to use by its students, furthering the presence of seduction toward occult practices. Although dark magic does exist in the Harry Potter novels, the dark magic is only performed by those known to be villainous or in defense against them; after the death of his godfather, Sirius
Since the first segment of the series was released in 1997, Harry Potter has been challenged by churches and parents due to the practicing of magic by children found within the books. The books have been removed from school shelves, discouraged by churches, and censored by parents. It is claimed that Harry Potter is devilish, satanic, and encourages children to practice the occult, damaging their religious views (LaFond). Therefore, many parents keep their children from reading the book series. Yet, Harry Potter has been such a positive influence on my so many lives. Evident through the movies, theme parks, stores, and much more, J.K. Rowling’s series has been an overwhelming success for many reasons (“Because it’s his…”). In order to encourage
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
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.
“As the Dark Lord becomes ever more powerful, your race is set still more firmly above mine! Gringotts falls under Wizarding rule, house-elves are slaughtered, and who amongst the wand-carriers protests?”
"I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!" The Wicked Witch of the West...
Certain elements in children’s literature make me feel nostalgic for the past when I lived a more carefree and perhaps careless lifestyle with my eyes and ears wide open. Now, a college student and adult struggling to juggle school, work, and future career planning, I often forget the simple things that brought me pleasure when I was a child. The stresses I have encountered while growing older—taking on added responsibilities and accumulating prejudices—have clouded my childlike, innocent, and fun view of life. This childishness, which was reawakened by reading Charlotte’s Web,“Goblin Market,” and The Secret Garden ,is something I’d like to bring to life again. I miss it, and I’m tired of repressing it just so I can appear to be a mature adult. There are some characteristics in me that were rooted in childhood and still survive to express themselves today, like my love for animals. But these are few. The majority of things I learned, believed, and valued as a child have escaped me and perhaps lie dormant somewhere in my subconscious. My sense of beauty and healing power in nature has diminished since I moved away from my rural childhood home, as well as my relationships with my sisters, who were more easy to get along with when I was young. I regret losing these parts of me with age, and after reading these books I wish more than ever to bring them back, because they did form who I was as a child—and everything stems from childhood. This is when I was my real self, naive at heart and innocent at play.
Just to quickly run through the two previous books; Harry Potter is a wizard, who’s parents were killed by the worst dark wizard ever known. The reason why Harry Potter is still around, is because Lord Voldemort failed to kill Harry. His spell hit Harry, but then backfired on Voldemort taking all of his powers with him. Harry is so famous for two things. Withstanding the powers of Lord Voldemort, and, taking him back in to the underworld in hiding. In the first book, Harry receives a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He’s eventually allowed to go, and spends the next six months there learning magic, getting into trouble, and trying to solve mysteries of his past, and the school. In the second book, Harry goes back to his second year at Hogwarts, and gets into more trouble, figures out many astonishing mysteries and learns loads more magic. His best friends in the two books consist of Ron and Hermione (two of his fellow wizard students) and Hagrid the gamekeeper who was expelled from Hogwarts but allowed a job as the gamekeeper.
“If anyone, deceived by the Devil, shall believe, as is customary among pagans, that any man or woman is a night-witch, and eats men, and on that account burn that person to death... he shall be executed” (Charlemagne) When the words witchcraft or magic are spoken, most people think of the Salem Witch trials or the popular television characters that we have today. But do we really know what happened centuries ago that caused the creation of these ideals and these characters we have grown to adore? Witchcraft still has a tight hold on the mind of many and continues to influence the gap between the popular and elite cultures of today.
Modern witchcraft attracts believers from all corners of society, all over the world. “They come together to understand the life, nature, evolution and the mysteries of the universe through witchcraft”(The History of Wicca partly real; partly imaginary). Wicca does not acknowledge the concepts of sinning, sexual restriction, animal sacrifice, or misogyny. Many would argue that Witchcraft is a democracy because there is no strict credo or disciplined regime, except for a simple basis: we should not misuse the generosity of nature by disturbing the balance with wicked behavior. A true witch would never use his or her magic or spell to harm any animate or inanimate being. Witches believe in the strict Law of the Three, which means that whatever
Swartz, Elizabeth. "Wild About Harry (Potter)!." Teaching PreK-8 31.1 (2000): 76. Academic Search Elite. Palni Site Search. Goshen College Good Library. 15 March 2001.
HIST303 Witch Hunting 1400-1700 Essay 1: Describe the nature of "witchcraft"and explain why it was threatening to Christianity. Prepared by: Sikiki Angela Lloyd Due: 4 April 2014 Student Number: 203139861 Image: The Witches' Sabbath.
The portrayal of female characters in British literature has most often reflected the larger perception of women by society during the time of a work’s publication. In this regard, the immensely popular Harry Potter series written by author J.K. Rowling is certainly no exception. The circumstances for women in late 20th century Britain have improved and in many ways are nearing equality with men, yet a notable upper barrier to success still remains. Rowling captures this gender dynamic throughout the Harry Potter series by including a diverse cast of resilient female characters who are not allowed to take on the same leadership roles dominated by the men at Hogwarts, at the Ministry of Magic, in quidditch, and during the Triwizard tournament. The novels also center on an important theme of motherly love that Rowling uses to explore the sacrifices women must make in order to raise their children well. Such issues have been present in British literature for well over a century, with each generation seeing steps toward equality, both for the fictitious characters and the women of a given time period. The Harry Potter series, therefore, constitutes a reflection of female status in modern Britain that has advanced, but remains perpetually flawed.
One most know of J.K Rowling’s famous series Harry Potter. But what was her inspiration to come up with such a fantasy that every kid loves to read? The “Harry Potter” series is a coming of age novel that every child wishes to grow up that way. J.K Rowling first got her inspiration from a couple reasons that all connect in a certain way. J.K Rowling had a tough childhood, lost her mother and had severe depression. The idea for Harry Potter came while she was waiting for a delayed train. She had the idea before her mother’s death but the loss of her mother just made the book darker. The purpose of this paper to find out J.K Rowling’s inspirations for her wildly famous Harry Potter series. A series that changed that world and many people’s lives.
...me situations or events in the book and Harry Potter is an excellent source. On top of all the parallels between real life events and situations from the book, Harry Potter is fascinating and truly beautiful literature. Ms. Rowling’s is a refreshing, clever and very imaginative author. Her intelligent writing causes the reader to wonder and look maybe from underlying amounts of detail and distinctive use of words and phrases. Harry Potter tickles the imagination and steps out of the bounds of normal children’s literature. Not only does it stir some intellectual thinking but at the same time entertains the reader in a fun and unique way. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone sets new rules in children’s literature; it is truly a masterpiece full of so much imagination and fantasy.
...istian themes in Harry Potter, it is suggested that “Harry Potter is not really about magic, but about character.’” I agree with the thought behind this statement: on the outer surface of the series, the book consists mainly of a heroic quest supported by magic and supernatural abilities…but things aren’t always how they appear to be, are they? When you truly unfold the series, digging deep into themes and inner context, we discover a story in which we learn about the importance of appearances. We learn about character and how falsely judging peoples’ character based on outward looks or first impressions is more than likely going to give you misdirection on who they are on the inside. This idea is also supported in the Bible in many different occurrences and we know that we are taught to not only apply this when we read literature, but also to our everyday lives.