Literature Analysis #2

                                                    FICTION ANALYSIS

 1. Harry Potter is an average bespectacled 11 year old boy who has lived with the Dursley family ever since his parents died in a car crash. For some reason the family has always mistreated him. On his 11th birthday a giant man named Rubeus Hagrid hands him a letter telling him that he has been accepted as a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry learns that his parents were wizards and were killed by an evil wizard Voldemort, a truth that was hidden from him all these years. He embarks for his new life as a student, gathering two good friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger along the way. They soon learn that something very valuable is hidden somewhere inside the school and Voldemort is very anxious to lay his hands on it.

2. The theme of this book is the finding of oneself. Harry undergoes various challenges that out him to the test and he finds it within himself to overcome them. He also finds things out the he has never found out before which make him change what he is or what he was.

3. The tone is straightforward and simple, with few purely decorative elements or artistic features, few metaphors and figures, and little playful irony. The language is easy to grasp.

4.  1) Simile: "There was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalked white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake." Pg. 293 This simile helps describe what Voldemort's face looks like in back of Quarrel's head.

     2) Symbolism: Each wand in Ollivander's shop is completely individual, made with very specific magic elements, each resulting in a unique combination. For example, Harry's wand is holly and phoenix feather and its brother wand gave Harry that scar. The fact that Harry chooses a wand with phoenix feather core in it shows how his path is already tied to Voldemort's, since Voldemort also chose a wand with the same core

    3) Foreshadowing: "Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground." Pg. 17 Albus Dumbledore. This is an example of foreshadowing because Dumbledore is saying that the scar on Harry's head is connected to Voldemort and will be helpful to him.

    4) Symbolism: This example is from chapters 1-5. The "muggle" town represents judgment, versus the world of magic that represents freedom. The town is full of arbitrary people who ridicule those who practice magic. The world of magic embraces all kinds, allowing the pure and responsible to practice magic freely

     5) Symbolism: This example is from the overall of chapter 5. Pure magic and black magic are symbols of virtue and avarice. Pure magic is never used to obtain authority in a way that would harm others. Black magic destroys people to acquire power, which intern is only used to obtain riches and trivial positions.

     6) Symbolism: This example is from the end of chapter 15 beginning of chapter 16. Harry Potter and his friends accuse Professor Snape of striving to obtain the sorcerer’s stone. They do this based on flimsy evidence, and snap judgments. This shows that Harry and his friends represent partiality, and Snape symbolizes the misdeemed.

CHARACTERIZATION

1. One form of direct characterization is when Voldemort fails to kill Harry and leaves the scar on his forehead. This shows that Harry is going to the hero of the series as he and Lord Voldemort now share a connection. Another form of direct characterization is when Hagrid personally goes to see Harry and tell him that he is a wizard. Harry is surprised knowing that he is not normal but he has had a feeling that he wasn't. One form of indirect characterization is when Uncle Vernon keeps on discarding all of Harry's mail that he receives. He is scared of the power the Harry has and doesn't want him to learn how to use it that's why he throws the mail away. Another form of indirect characterization is Harry goes to acquire a wand from the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper tells Harry that the wand he has is the sister wand of Lord Voldemort. They are made of the same material and it implies that they are enemies and will face each other in the later books.

2. The author's syntax and diction do change when the author focuses on characters. When the author focuses on Dumbledore she portrays him as kooky and strange. She also changes the writing by having Dumbledore seems wise and all knowing.

3. Harry is a static and flat character. He does not change that much in the story. He is still new to the magical world and what it haves to offer especially with what lies ahead with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He is a novice to the magical arts and is everything that a new kid is expected to be. Though he does not change that much in the first book I can predicted that he does.

4. After reading the book I came with the feeling that I met a person. Harry is a talented kid that has a lot of potential and the fact that he is a kid makes it more relate-able. Once Hagrid takes him away from his aunt and uncle and goes to the magical world made me get sucked in. Every kid has thought or dreamed about magic and this book gives us just that. We go and follow Harry into his journey through his first year in Hogwarts. It made me feel like I was there and experienced everything with him.