Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sorcerer's Stone
Here is our new space for discussing Mythology of the Hero. You know your subject. Your assignment is to connect the theme from the movie with the theme from a story in the book and draw a larger conclusion. Each claim should require at least 2 sentences of explanation. So overall this should require about 9-12 sentences.
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Harry Potter must learn from other's of his past as well as his future destiny. Much like when King Arthur pulls the legendary sword from the stone, Harry potter proves his worth and significance when he causes the glass wall separating the snake from his cousin Dudley. Both of these are examples of how the hero's worth is proven through their deeds: King Arthur with the stone, Harry Potter with the glass. Harry beating Voldemort as a little baby is the classic underdog story that can be seen across generations. Moreover, Harry's legendary defeat of Voldemort corresponds to the David and Goliath story with the underestimated David defeating Goliath with the help of God, much like how Harry received help from his parents through their love. Also, Harry must endure his foster parents, the Dursley's, while he grows to fulfill his role as a hero. This resembles how Hercules was born from Gods, but raised by human foster parents. It all goes to show how mythic archetypes can still be found in modern day stories. Harry Potter resembles numerous mythical characters like David, Hercules, and King Arthur, all in a different way. Although having to unravel his past, Harry still goes on to fulfill his heroic destiny.
ReplyDeleteIn "Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone" harry is confronted at birth by evil forces that wish for him to die. The force in this case is Voldamort a very powerful but evil wizard that wants to kill anything in his path including the potter family. Voldamort kills his parents and tries to kill Harry but is unable to because of an unknown reason. Since he was unable to kill the child he swore he would come back and try again to kill him in his later years where he is stronger. This shows the evil confronting him at birth as well does a story from our book. "Dughda and Zoroaster" is about a mother who has to save her child from certain death from evil forces. The baby before he is even conceived goes through trials to stay alive because of evil forces trying to kill the child. So the child is torn from her whom but is put back in and saved by a light god who blows on here to seal her stomach back up. This was the first miracle but the baby is also tested by many others after his birth.The child stops a man from stabbing him by paralyzing his hands and then the king orders that the child be trampled by oxen but is saved by the first ox. same thing with the horses. The baby has to under go these trials of evil people and evil things trying to kill him even before he was born. All in all even though these stories are from different time periods and worlds apart the same over all scheme stays and that is that the child is confronted by evil forces at birth. The child lives and carries on to his next endeavors. all of these stories have a child having to prove himself and overall succeeds.
ReplyDeleteA theme that Harry's story shares with the archetypal journey of the hero is being adopted. In the movie, Harry's parents are killed while he is still at a young age. He is then brought by Dumbledore to his aunt and uncle's house to live with them. This is similar to the Norse story of Siegfried, when Siegfried's glass vessel is knocked into the river. He is raised by a doe for a year, and is eventually found by the smith Mimir, who then adopts him. Another similarity between the stories is that both Harry and Siegfried grow resentful towards their adopted parents. The theme of being adopted by animals or common people is an important part of the journey of the hero, because it keeps the hero from being raised by a prominent family; this helps the readers of the myths relate to the hero. It is also important because it gives the hero a more mysterious background.
ReplyDeleteHarry potter is similar to King Arthur because they both underwent an initiation into their society.
ReplyDeleteHarry potter was initiated into the Hogwartz society when he was crowned a member of the Gryffindor fraternity. During which, Harry
Potter can relate to King Arthur when Arthur was crowned king for pulling the sword "Escalibore" from the rock.
In conclusion, they both share one of the eight traits of the journey of a hero, Harry Potter and King Arthur being initiated into their society.
A theme Harry Potter shares with the child-hero, is that they both dramatically change from the role of a child to that of an adult. As we see Harry comes of age when Hagrid comes and explains to him that he is a wizard. This is the representation of the coming of age, and Harry realizes that if he leaves he is gonna have to become a man. This is a common motif seen the Polynesian myth, Maui. Like Potter Maui is taken in by his ancestor, Tama'rangi who teaches him songs, stories and the knowledge of his ancestors. Maui is so astonished and curious of his ancestors past, that he leaves his home and goes to confirm whether or not the stories are true. This theme helps both the modern and old myths by relaying the message that the hero must learn to become a man. As we see in both Harry Potter and Maui this is important to the story by letting the hero develop so that good succeeds
ReplyDeleteIn Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the theme of the hero proving his worth is prevalent. Harry proves his worth on many occasions, such as when he plays quiddich for griffindor, when he kills the troll, when he gets past the trials to get to the sorcerer’s stone, and when he defeats voldemort. In each case, he is able to overcome extraordinary obstacles, and these trials prove to harry that he is in fact a great wizard, just as he is told by hundreds of people.
ReplyDeleteIn Harry Potter he must confront his demons as he the movie gets close to the end of the movie. when he gets to the confront his enemy (Voldemort) he must actually put up some sort of fight. Although he is out matched by far he succeeds. This also happens in the story of Lituolone. In this story the topic character is confronted by a monster that is destroying his town. He ends up being swallowed and has to cut his way out of the monster's stomach. All in all the confrontation of demons is essential to the development of the child and his or her heroic journey.
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter has a sort of messiah prophecy made about him as he survives something that no one else had ever survived, that something being voldemort's power. this draws several parallels to the story of mary and her virgin birth. it is prophesied that the baby mary will give birth to is a messiah, as he does not have a human father (supposedly). it is predicted that harry potter will be a powerful wizard, as demonstrated in the first scene of the sorcerers stone when dumbledore and mcgonagall, as they give a foreshadowing of his power. this is the same case as with marys unborn son, as it is predicted that he will be peoples savior.
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