J.K. Rowling started her series as a story for children but is her protagonist, to whom many refer to as hero, really a hero and can the Harry Potter series be seen as children’s literature?
This question will be answered in this work with firstly looking at the characteristics of children’s literature and if Rowling used them in her novels or not with a closer look on Rowling’s plot and setting as well as her representation of love, death, and trauma. Rowling places her story in a boarding school with dangerous and unknown animals and creatures and her protagonists are wizards. Her main protagonists an eleven-year-old orphaned boy who must live with his miserable relatives until he discovers that he must fulfil a greater destiny.
Furthermore, the endings of her books will be analyzed whether they are closed or open because although she knew that the series should consists of seven novels in total, she did not know how successful her novels might be and if she will get the opportunity to write more books. According to that, the endings will also be examined on whether they have happy endings or not since they picture different outlooks on the story due to the plot that is set up by Rowling.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Children’s Literature
2.1 What is Children’s Literature?
2.2 The Plot
2.3 Hogwarts as Setting
2.4 Topics and their Representations
2.4.1 Love
2.4.2 Death
2.4.3 The Fight against Evil and its Consequences
2.5 And they lived happily ever after?
III. The Hero
3.1 What makes a Hero?
3.2 Harry Potter
3.3 The Hero’s Journey/ Harry’s Journey
3.4 Relationships
3.4.1 Friends
3.4.2 Foes
IV. Conclusion
V. Bibliography
5.1 Primary Literature
5.2 Secondary Literature
Goal and Research Focus
The academic work examines whether J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series qualifies as children’s literature and investigates to what extent the protagonist, Harry Potter, fulfills the characteristics of a traditional literary hero.
- The characteristics and definition of children's literature in the context of the Harry Potter series.
- The significance of the boarding school setting (Hogwarts) and its educational function.
- Analysis of central themes, specifically love, death, and the fight against evil.
- Evaluation of Harry Potter as a hero figure, applying Joseph Campbell’s "hero's journey" model.
- The influence of relationships (friends and foes) on Harry Potter's personal development.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 What makes a Hero?
Who is seen as a hero or what counts as a heroic action can be different for everyone and the characteristics vary from culture to culture. In a culture with poor people someone might be a hero who rescued a group of cows from a fire whereas in a profit oriented society someone might be seen as a hero who made a lot of money by a special trick or certain intuition. Furthermore, there are two general types of heroes: the ones who actually lived so called the historian heroes like Alexander the Great and those heroes who emerged from literature like Robinson Crusoe. “Heroes arise in areas of life where there is a focus of public interest” (Klapp 135) what can be in public life as well as in literature.
Literary heroes vary in their characteristics as well and thus there are different types to be distinguished. Klapp mentions six hero types: the conquering hero, the Cinderella, the clever hero, the delivering and avenging hero, the benefactor and the martyr (c.f. 136). The conquering hero becomes a hero through his capturing achievements and his superhuman powers which are tested to show endurance, skill, bravery and virtue and thereby “any sign of weakness will diminish his stature” (ibid.). The Cinderella type is a person of youthful or unpromising appearance but is successful over stronger opponents and poor boys or orphans are often that type of heroes (c.f. ibid.).
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter introduces the global success of the Harry Potter series and sets the scope for the analysis of the series' classification as children's literature and Harry's heroic journey.
II. Children’s Literature: This section provides a theoretical framework for children's literature, explores the significance of the school setting, and analyzes themes like love and death.
III. The Hero: This chapter defines various hero archetypes and applies them to Harry Potter, while examining his development through his relationships and the "hero's journey."
IV. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, confirming that Harry Potter acts as a hero of his own story and that the series successfully incorporates elements of children's literature while maturing alongside its audience.
V. Bibliography: Lists the primary novels analyzed and the secondary academic literature consulted.
Keywords
Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Children’s Literature, Hero's Journey, Joseph Campbell, Hogwarts, Fantasy, Literary Analysis, Character Development, Archetypes, Love, Death, Boarding School, Magic, Protagonist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The work analyzes whether the Harry Potter series can be formally classified as children’s literature and assesses the hero status of its protagonist based on literary theory.
What are the core themes explored in the text?
Key thematic areas include the characteristics of children's literature, the function of the Hogwarts school setting, the representation of death and love, and the moral development of characters.
What is the central research question regarding the protagonist?
The core question is whether Harry Potter qualifies as a traditional hero, specifically by comparing his development and actions to Joseph Campbell’s "hero's journey" archetype.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author utilizes a literary analysis approach, drawing upon definitions and hero typologies from scholars like Orrin E. Klapp, Joseph Campbell, and Maria Nikolajeva to interpret Rowling's texts.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers the definition of children's literature, the narrative structure of the series, the role of Hogwarts as an educational setting, and detailed analyses of Harry’s relationships with mentors and enemies.
Which keywords define this academic work?
Important keywords include Harry Potter, Children's Literature, Hero’s Journey, Archetypes, Hogwarts, and Character Development.
How does the setting of Hogwarts contribute to Harry’s development?
Hogwarts serves as a "Neverland" that provides Harry with freedom, educational tests, and social structures that facilitate his transition from an underdog to an independent, self-confident wizard.
How is the role of love portrayed in the series?
Love is depicted as the ultimate weapon against evil, ranging from maternal self-sacrifice (Lily Potter) to friendships that provide emotional safety and act as a moral compass for the protagonist.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Laura Commer (Autor:in), 2017, Harry Potter. A hero of children's literature?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/999793
