Harry Potter and
the Philosophy You Can Get From
Dumbledore
Introduction
Harry Potter the boy,
who is well-known throughout both the real and magical worlds, is also widely
and critically received throughout bookstores everywhere. As TV legend Stephen King
puts it “a feat of which only superior imagination is capable. Rowling’s punning; one-eye browed-cocked sense
of humor is remarkable.” The series
consists of 7 books, the first and final receiving the most universal critical
acclaim.
1st Paragraph: How
Harry Came To Be About
Joanne Kathrine Rowling
(formally known as “J.K. Rowling” after a Scholastic publisher feared that the
books wouldn’t sell due to a female writer), was born in Yate, Gloucestershire
on July 31, 1965. As a young child, Jo “loved
to write” and would frequently read her stories to her younger sister, Dianne. As a teenager, she lived a rough life. Her
mother was ill, and her father would fight with her constantly, which would
then lead to both in non-speaking terms. When she got on a train in 1990 from
Manchester to London, the idea of a boy who didn’t know he was a wizard came to
her. That very December, Jo’s mother
died of multiple sclerosis. This then led to her idea that Harry would be an
orphan. However, in 1992 she was married
to Jorge Arantes, and eight months later Jessica Rowling was born. But unfortunately, Jo suffered domestic abuse
from her husband, and was forced to separate in November 1993. That December,
Jo and her then eight-month old daughter moved away to Edinburgh, Scotland to
live with Jo’s sister. But Jorge went looking for Jo. She then filed a
restraining order in August 1994, and then started college in 1995. It was there that she finished her first
manuscript for Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s
Stone.
2nd
Paragraph: The New Life and Old Lies of J.K. Rowling
After finally finding a
publisher and finishing her book, Jo “nearly died” when her book won several
awards and nominations in 1998. An
immediate follow up, Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets was published in June that same year, and again received
awards and nominations. After receiving loads of money, Jo left her sister’s
and found a place of her own. 5 more books followed, making the series and Jo
more popular than ever. Jo remarried in December 2001, and had two more kids.
By then, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone had become a massive success, and the series became made into movies.
While Harry and Jo were
famous, many hidden references where put into her books. You may remember Aragog,
the massive spider in the Chamber of
Secrets. This acromantula was largely based off of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sheilob
in The Lord of the Rings- another
popular franchise.
3rd
Paragraph: The Main Topic (it’s about time we got here!)
And now, we reach the
main topic. Yes, it took 3 paragraphs and a long history to get here. No, it
was not by accident. You need to know Jo’s history before we get to the main
topic. And now, here we go. In “The
Magical Worlds of Harry Potter” by David Colbert, it analyzes the deep philosophical
message throughout Harry’s life. With questions like why would Voldemort put marks on his death eaters, or where did the idea of Buckbeak the
hippogriff come from, to even historical questions like did alchemists really search for a magic stone? Of course, the answers are written in such a
way that Bart Simpson would advertise instead of Baby’s Pop-Up Book: From A to Z. The answers are yes, alchemists
have been searching for the stone that the real Nicholas Flamel invented,
Buckbeak came from Ancient Greek Myth, and the idea that Voldemort would put
marks on his followers came the Devil’s Mark from the notion of the Middle
Ages. In fact, the spell to conjure the dark mark in the sky is Mosmorde- French for “take a bite out of
death.” Nearly all spells mean something in another language- except for Avada Kedavra the killing curse.
4th
Paragraph: Yes, the names category gets an entire paragraph
Expelliarmus: To knock one’s wand across the room; this
comes from two Latin roots- expello,
to drive out or expel; and arma meaning
weapon.
Impedimenta: Stops a person or thing; from impedimentum, impediment, and hindrance.
Diagon Ally: The go-to place to look around for
supplies or anything you may need in general. This area doesn’t run straight;
it runs diagonally.
Hedwig: Harry’s owl received from Hagrid for his
eleventh birthday; Hedwig was a saint who lived in Germany in the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries.
Dursley: The last name of Harry’s horrible Aunt and
Uncle; Dursley is a town near Jo’s birthplace
Flitwick: The professor of charms at Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry; Flitwick is a town in England.
Snape: A mean teacher with a mysterious past. He has
been known as The Half-Blood Prince, the Potions Master, and Sna-pee. Snape is
another town in the English village.
5th
Paragraph: So it’s come to this
When
J.K. Rowling began her idea of Harry Potter, it came easy to her, but was
brought on with much difficulty. Now you may find yourself asking “what was the
point of all this?!” Well, my dear reader, the answer is simple: I must express
that Harry Potter is a brilliant idea that turned into a many great things. The
point is, this is an idea from an idea from an idea. While you didn’t need to
read the first 3 paragraphs, you now know more about J.K. Rowling’s history
than you did 30 minutes ago.
