Myths and Symbols in J.K. Rowling´s Harry Potter and the Philosopher´s Stone

Dossier / Travail de Séminaire , 2001 , 17 Pages , Note: very good

Philologie Anglaise - Littérature

1. Introduction

It’s beyond doubt that J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books are one of the biggest surprise and success in literature history. They influenced the youths’ reading habits in a never known way.

What is this great success founded on? This question can’t be answered sweepingly. The reasons are many-sided.

In my opinion, an important reason is the combination of the youths’ real world with the fantastic and mystic world. The youths find their real experiences at school, with parents, friends and enemies combined with a realm of witchcraft, symbols superhuman skills and dangerous adventures.

But a lot of youths know a big part of the mystic world, too. Subconsciously the old fairy tales and legends are waked up again. And so the fascination from childhood days is swinging in the background while reading Harry Potter. The youth find again well-known symbols and myths, e.g. mystic numbers, ghosts, struggle between good and evil, transformation and invisibility, animals like dragons, owls, rats and mystic places like a dark wood, an old hut, secret passageways etc. But they discover or learn about new aspects of the mystic world by reading Harry Potter, e.g. the wish for never ending life, the philosopher’s stone, desire and craving, meaning of unicorn or the search for wisdom. They get new experiences and see some new aspects of their own life. These delicate net of myths and symbols woven in the books make they very exiting for adults, too.

Besides some new ideas, there are a lot of traditional symbols and myths with different origins and meanings. In this paper I am describing only the most important symbols and myths. I am going to explain the general meaning from history and the specific meaning in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
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Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Preface
• Introduction
• Symbols and Myths
• The Good and the Evil - The General Conflict in Harry Potter
• Mythic and Symbolic Things
  • The Philosopher's Stone
  • The Mirror of Erised
  • The Sorting Hat
  • Mythic Numbers
• Persons and Figures
  • Magicians and Wizards
  • Witches
  • Giants
  • Ghosts
  • The Man With Two Faces
• Skills
  • Never Ending Life
  • Flying
  • Going Through Walls
  • Spells
  • Doing Magic
  • Being Invisible
• Animals and Mixed Creatures
  • Dogs
  • Dragons
  • Trolls
  • Unicorns
  • Centaurs
• Epilogue
• Works Cited

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines the myths and symbols found in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, analyzing their historical meanings and specific applications within the novel. The paper explores how these symbols contribute to the book's world-building, character development, and overall narrative.

• The intertwining of the real and fantastical worlds in Harry Potter
• The role of symbols and myths in shaping the reader's understanding of the story
• The exploration of traditional and contemporary myths and symbols
• The relationship between symbols and the human experience
• The use of symbols to convey deeper themes and meanings

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The preface details the author's fascination with the myths and symbols in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and expresses gratitude for the support provided by the author's girlfriend. The introduction highlights the book's success and discusses how it blends the real world with a fantastical realm of witchcraft and adventure. This section delves into the book's use of familiar and new elements of the mystic world to captivate young readers. The chapter on symbols and myths explores the pervasive presence of symbols across cultures and their role in communication and conveying deeper meaning. It further discusses the nature of myths as symbolic tales that offer explanations for various aspects of the world. The chapter on the good and the evil in Harry Potter examines the general conflict between these forces within the novel. The subsequent chapter on mythic and symbolic things delves into the specific meaning and significance of the Philosopher's Stone, the Mirror of Erised, the Sorting Hat, and mythic numbers within the context of the book.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This paper focuses on the key themes of myths and symbols in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The analysis explores the intersection of traditional and contemporary myths, examining the use of symbols to convey themes such as good vs. evil, the pursuit of knowledge, and the power of imagination. It also highlights the importance of myths and symbols in shaping the reader's understanding of the novel and its fantastical world.

• Université: University of Erfurt (Anglistics/ American Studies)
• Note: very good
• Auteur: Volker Geyer (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2001
• Pages: 17
• N° de catalogue: V2883
• ISBN (ebook): 9783638117449
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: Myths, Symbols, Rowling´s, Harry, Potter, Philosopher´s, Stone