Rowling once again goes into the coming of age
story mixed with good versus evil that we all know as Harry Potter. The wisdom of Dumbledore is unparalleled and
yet, there are profound flaws. Those will
be discussed later, in the last book to be precise. As he says on page 333, “It is our choices,
Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” So basically, our actions outweigh our
possibilities. Just because a person is
capable of becoming something does not mean that they will become such a
thing. Their environment must enforce
their actions in order to become whatever is expected of them. The fact that Harry could be the heir of
Slytherin starts to break the relationships between him and the other students,
the ones who do not know him as well. The
Weasley’s and Hermione stay by his side because they know him personally and
that, at the time, he did not have such an ability. All anyone else focused on was the mystery of
what happened when he was a baby that turned Voldemort away. They used to say that it was the goodness of
him and then they started to whisper of the badness that must be within. Voldemort met a greater evil in Harry as a
baby and was extinguished from it. This theory
drives them away in fear not because of his actions, but because it is a
possibility.
Dobby is an idea that was ingenious to include
within a children’s book along with the idea of ‘Mudblood’ versus ‘Pure blood’. The idea of tolerance and acceptance to be
introduced so early on in the series is important for the development of the characters
and the readers. It becomes hypocritical
with their prejudices against Snape, but that is something to go into in later
books. Dobby should represent blind obedience,
but instead he represents the idea of bad being done for the ‘greater good’ of
a situation. This is something that
Harry and his friends come to understand later in the series as what adults
also know as ‘necessary evil’.
The author takes from mythology and lore in order
to form creatures that symbolize important aspects within the books. On page 207, Dumbledore explains something
very symbolic about Fawkes. “Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for
them to die and are reborn form the ashes.” The Phoenix is a representative of
rebirth and rising above from death and destruction. He is something great coming from love and
compassion. Loyalty and courage and
wisdom. He is called at the end in the
Chamber when Harry shows loyalty and faith in Dumbledore. He heals Harry with his tears suggesting that
the mourning of others through tears is in fact a healing process.
Aragog speaks to Harry and Ron on 279, “My sons
and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it
wanders so willingly into our midst.
Good-bye, friend of Hagrid.” He is a monster with a sense of
humanity. He feels bound to and loving
towards Hagrid and yet, he is not bound by human laws and sensibilities. He still puts the physical above all else,
but he is an in between that is evolving from the cave, as it were.
The Diary is an object that would symbolize
secrets and shame. It is something that
is made in order to hold secrets and inner thoughts. It is supposed to bare the inner shame of our
decisions. A part of the mind and soul
that is made literal within the book.
Riddle puts his own awareness and soul within it in order to be able to
arise again with youth and new knowledge.
Shortcuts and impatience to be found from this approach.
The Basilisk is representative of blind obedience within
the book. He blindly (and is even
blinded by Fawkes, the independent one, for his actions) obeys when Riddle
tells him to attack. This is a monster
that can only be controlled by the one that can speak to it. He speaks to it as one does to a friend who
is beneath them but needed (as Draco speaks to Crabbe and Goyle).
Faith is something that could be considered to be
represented by Fawkes and the sword of Godric Gryffindor. Faith
is hard to describe, but a person needs this in order to ‘grow as a
person’. Harry Potter is primarily a
coming of age story and as such, he must become more. He must have his expectations and beliefs
constantly challenged (as they constantly are with Professor Snape). The faith that Harry has in Dumbledore saves
him through the appearance of Fawkes and the Sorting Hat (which sees into the
inner workings of the mind, but not the soul).
In short, Rowling goes into the turning of
expectations in this book. She starts to
explain that good versus evil is not so clear all of the time. The good guy can seem like the bad guy
because that is how people choose to perceive them. Evil can be necessary for the greater
good. Faith is a driving force that
conquers in a lasting manner while fear fades away.
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