The Harry Potter series is not just
about a boy finding out he has magical powers.
It is about finding a place in life and a purpose to it. It is about belonging and enjoying life to
the fullest. It is about discovering and
exploring what it is to be alive and coming to terms with death. It is not just a coming- of - age story, but
a coming to life story.
Rowling presented a magical world
unlike others in that magic was used on a day to day basis for menial tasks
such as Mrs. Weasley does, but it is not the solution to everything. Hagrid to Harry on why Muggles cannot know
about Wizards, ‘Everyone’d be wantin’ magic solutions to their problems.’ She understood that people would only become
lazy and not advance if they always went to others to simply make their
problems disappear instead of dealing with them on their own. The personal growth of humankind would then
be forsaken.
People would become lazy and
continue to rely on the wizards to do everything for them. The wizards would become the ruling class and
the Muggles would become the working class and believe them to be godlike in
their abilities. The Muggles would then
expect the wizards to overcome all, even death.
Dumbledore to Harry, ‘After all, to the well-organized mind, death is
but the next great adventure. . . the trouble is, humans do have a knack of
choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.’ Dumbledore is the voice of the wisdom in the
series because he sees the long term effects of everything while others are
simply looking at the next moment and how it effects themselves
personally. If the wizards became the
upper class, the Muggles would then stop developing completely and no longer
experience their own life, but the life that they are expected to live. Free will would seem to disappear and with
that disappearance what must follow but only hope. Muggles would simply become a class of people
who saw only physical labor and no mental growth to even consider death or
experience life. The Muggle would no
longer need to debate the good and bad of the world.
Slytherin House is presented with a
snake to represent which gives the reader an idea of slyness and a slippery
quality. This is where the biblical is
brought in with the snake as a sign of evil or bad. The introduction of the house to Harry and
the reader is with the introduction of Draco Malfoy. His character is instantly unlikeable with
his haughty air of simultaneous indifference and disdain. He is obviously the type of person that stays
with ‘his own’ and does not understand the need or want to be otherwise. He criticizes Hagrid without even knowing him
based off what he has heard and seen of him (from a mere glance). Hagrid then talks to Harry of Slytherin
House, ‘There’s not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in
Slytherin.’ It is interesting how
Slytherin House is seen as being a force of bad and so anyone who is accepted
there must be bad themselves. This is a
bit hypocritical because they are isolated from everyone else for this and then
it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for them to become bad. They must go against what all of society and
their families think they should be in order to be good as is seen in the later
books.
Speaking of defying expectation,
the analysis of what Rowling was doing with the symbols and symbolism within
the series would serve to reveal what she thinks that children should be seeing
subconsciously. A big one in the first
book would be the Mirror of Erised. Dumbledore
to Harry on the Mirror of Erised, ‘It does not do well to dwell on dreams and
forget to live, remember that.’ A mirror causes the looker to reflect within
themselves and destroys those that obsess over it (much like The Ring). Rewards
those that look deeply and truly knowing what’s important (Dumbledore’s spell). So, the wisdom within looking at one’s own
reflection can be found when the looker is no longer wanting.
Another big concept to look at is
power. This is something that to a child
means complete authority and a deserving authority at that. They do not understand that power can be
taken and given to those that should not have it. To the child, it is merely a concept. To the adult, it is what drives them every day.
Professor Quirrell on Voldemort’s philosophy of power, ‘There is no good and
evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.’ This brings into question if power is a force
of good or evil. Does it depend on the
holder? Is it truly abstract as children
see it?
A good source of power would be
with the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone.
This stone grants long life. It represents
longevity and power. Voldemort wants it
so that he may live again and continue on with his dark plans of domination and
tyranny. This small stone becomes a
symbol of the possible future. A stone is but a superficial thing that is a
part of nature. It forms over time and
is strong. It has many sides and can
hold a reflection.
Last, the chess game at the end of
the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone is full of symbolism. Harry as the Bishop is fitting. He is a famous, leader with influence. Much like Dumbledore, he looks at what’s
truly important (big picture). He sees
that getting the stone before someone bad gets it and gives it to Voldermort is
more important than the House Cup.
Hermione as the Castle/Rook works because she is an old soul who is very
cautious. She is a homely girl who is
comfortable and safe much like a home is.
She is like a fortress in that she can serve as a sign of power to have
with her vast intellect and unexpected action. Ron as the Knight is superb in
that he is a follower and leader. He has
a code of honor and thinks of others first.
He is brave to the point of martyrdom as can be seen by the end of the
chess game itself.
In short, the first book is an
exploration into the effects of isolation.
The hypocrisy found within every society even the idealistic magical
one. The love of adventure and mystery
within us all and the need to know every answer.
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