Harry potter essay 1 - Grade: A PDF

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Harry Potter Essay 1 ...

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Religion in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone The Boy Who Lived, famous before he could even walk, embodies all things good in the wizarding world. Harry Potter is humble, gracious, and kind. He shows courage in times of struggle and virtue throughout all of his misfortune. Harry characterizes good, while his enemy, Lord Voldemort, represents evil. As Harry and Voldemort battle, it ultimately becomes the clash of good versus evil. The conflict at the end between Harry and Voldemort over the Sorcerer’s Stone does not leave us with a clear answer of the victor. The answer is ongoing, as Harry escapes Voldemort for the second time, who then sinks back into the shadows. Good has not yet conquered the evil. Dumbledore has reason to believe Voldemort will try to strike again once he regains more power. The Sorcerer’s Stone is simply the beginning of a long battle between good and evil. Evil also takes the form in one of Harry’s classmates, Draco Malfoy. Although Malfoy is less of a life-threatening enemy, he still symbolizes evil. Malfoy only associates with those of pure blood. He is constantly going out of his way to be cruel to people. Malfoy and Harry do not get along. Malfoy, whose name in French directly translates to “bad faith,” is jealous, cruel, and arrogant. He even becomes one of Lord Voldemort’s followers later in the series. The struggle between Harry and Malfoy contrasts good and evil just as the relationship with Harry and Voldemort does, though on a smaller scale. While we are not given a final answer in the battle of good versus evil at the end of The Sorcerer’s Stone, the book makes it clear that good is worth fighting for. The new life that Harry has found at Hogwarts gives Harry the opportunity to find friends and discover himself for the first time in his life. Death is a recurring theme throughout the story. Harry’s parents are dead at the hands of Voldemort. Harry himself evades death by Voldemort as an infant and then again in

the final moments of The Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry is no stranger to the danger of death. Harry has numerous near-death experiences in his life: facing Voldemort as an infant, the trials involved in trying to save the Sorcerer’s Stone, and then again facing Voldemort at the end of the book. The theme of death is accompanied by the theme of immortality, which not only plays a role throughout the story, but also drives the entire plot, as it is the motivator of all of Voldemort’s actions. Nicholas Flamel, the creator of the Sorcerer’s Stone, has given himself and his wife the capability of immortality. The Stone is the source of their immortality as well as what Voldemort desires. Following the death of Harry’s parents and Voldemort’s interim defeat, Voldemort barely clings to life, surviving on the blood of a unicorn and the flesh of Professor Quirrell, his loyal and fearful servant. Voldemort’s quest for immortality leads him to the Stone, and into another conflict with Harry. Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel eventually decide the Stone must be destroyed, thus ending the lives and immortality of Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, yet in contrast to Harry’s parents, it is not a dark or sad occurrence, rather it is as Dumbledore says, “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure” (Rowling 297). Dumbledore, as well as Flamel, is accepting of death in this sense, and urges Harry not to be afraid of it. In contrast, Voldemort has dedicated his life to avoiding death. Death and immortality parallel good and evil here, in that Harry and Dumbledore, who are both good, try to accept death, while Voldemort, who is evil, tries to defy death. More so, Voldemort wants to terrorize muggles and blood traitors, and maliciously rule. There are not many explicit references to religion in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but there is mention of certain Christian ideas and also parallels between the story and Christianity. Hogwarts, an old castle, lacks a chapel, unlike most old castles as well as British

boarding schools. While the Christmas and Easter holidays are mentioned and celebrated, there is no direct indication of going to church or participating in the religious aspects of said holidays. These holidays are mostly celebrated with friends and family, not for religious purpose. Religion is mentioned, but not necessarily practiced, from what is read in the series. While there are religious references, religion is mostly incorporated in the series through symbols. These symbols, for example, include the parallel of good verses evil, represented by Harry and Voldemort. This good and evil theme suggests reference to the Bible, where Harry Potter is Jesus and Voldemort is the Devil. The symbolism of religion is more present than the actual practice of religion throughout the Harry Potter series. There are many religious ideas and symbols throughout Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The first relates to the idea of good and evil, in temptation. A well-known religious topic is that of the temptation of Jesus from the Devil. This corresponds to Harry being tempted by Voldemort to join the dark side, and to have considerable and dark power. In this sense, Harry is Jesus, while Voldemort is Satan. Harry also rejects the lure of power and evil when he refuses Malfoy’s friend request and then asks the Sorting Hat not to be placed in Slytherin, but in Gryffindor-a house said to be noble as well as respected. If Harry is seen as Jesus, Dumbledore could be looked upon as God. He is wise and all knowing, but also very human, the same as how God made man in his image. Malfoy’s name, meaning “bad faith,” contrasts with the name of Godric Gryffindor, meaning “he who rules with God” in old English. Because Harry is a Gryffindor, this suggests that God is on his side. Malfoy is Harry’s enemy. This contrast of character could also be looked at as a parallel to Jesus fighting evil, the Devil. Other religious symbols could include the fact that Harry awoke three days after his quest to save the Sorcerer’s Stone and fighting his enemy, Voldemort. Harry could be seen as Jesus again here as He rose from the dead three

days after being crucified. Religion in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is subtle, but still plays a critical role in the outline of the story. Ultimately, it becomes a fight of good versus evil, Jesus versus Satan, and Harry against Voldemort....