Surprised!

When I first read the books, I didn’t foresee the ending at all. I was totally thrown by every twist and turn in the series. For someone, like me, who reads but doesn’t overanalyze books, I think J.K. Rowling did an excellent job of keeping the suspense. The part about Harry being a horcrux was a shock to me. I knew there was a connection between Harry and Voldemort, but I didn’t realize it was as deep as that. Once I found out he was, it definitely made sense though and I could see all the connections from book one all the way to the end. I had to keep rereading the part about the Elder wand. I couldn’t understand how Voldemort couldn’t be the master of the wand and how his spell backfired on himself. I am happy that Harry essentially out witted Voldemort, instead of having to kill him.

I think Snape surprised me the most. I really didn’t like him at all throughout the series, but at the end, I could really appreciate all the sacrifices he made just to save the son of the love of his life. I feel like he was almost the true hero of the entire story. I don’t mean to dismiss what Harry does. Harry’s acceptance of death at the end is somewhat similar to Snape’s. Snape has to know he is going to die at the end, so he has accepted death. By the end of the series, I ended up liking Snape, though it is really hard for me to admit it!

Towards the end, however, I started to dislike Dumbledore. Seeing all the webs he weaved and all the people he put into danger made me not like him. I know that without him, Voldemort probably wouldn’t have been defeated, but I feel like there had to be a better way for him to coach Harry or he should have at least offered more information. This is all being said considering he was one of my favorite characters in the beginning. I felt like as long as he was there, nothing could happen, exactly the way Harry probably felt. I was sad when he died, but after reading book 7, I realized how much information he left out.

I guess I just see the entire series as a big war, which is what it describes itself as. It is a war where a dictator rises up and somebody else in the world has to step up and take them down. That is the best I can do to relate it to the “real world” because, for me, the world of Harry Potter is so special and magical that I don’t want to relate it to our world’s problems or issues. (I know that really doesn’t answer that question, but I just can’t bring myself to think about it too much because it will ruin the books for me!)

Blog Post #3

I had previously read the first four novels of the series. I stopped reading them because I was about twenty by then, and they did not catch my interest. I always hoped to finish the rest of the series just to say I had read them, but my time was spent writing papers and reading required materials for my classes. I took this class with the goal of finishing the series. Now that I've finished the series, I may just be a little obsessed (This is an understatement). I am so happy to have finally read the fifth, sixth and seventh books because they really do dramatically differ from the first half of the series. I really enjoyed the twist of the tone in The Order of the Phoenix. The tone of the books mature with Harry as he comes closer and closer to his final meeting with Voldemort.

I also really enjoyed how the characters developed in the span of seven books. In the first half, Dumbledore seemed eccentric but powerful and loving. Later my warm feelings for him changed, just as Harry's changed, when I found out about his past from characters such as Aberforth. Dumbledore really became a round character during the seventh book after his death--we learned about his flaws and his priorities.

Although I like Dumbledore's development, Snape actually became my favorite character because of his complexity. In the first part of my final, I wrote about sacrificial love and how Snape became intertwined with the major theme of the series. For me, the ambiguity of his loyalty is what kept me reading. He really was the "spinner" of the web.

Rowling is absolutely ingenious for the ending of the series. I was nervous that I wouldn't be impressed, but the complexity of the finale has kept me thinking about it for about a week now. The intricacy of the Elder Wand and its master confused me, but after reading the final chapters over and over, I was very much impressed.

I look forward to watching the movies now that I've completed the series. I might even enroll at Hogwarts in the fall.

Blog Post #3, The End of Something Great

This wasn’t my first time reading the series. Actually, it wasn’t even my second time. I’ve read this series multiple times; though this was the first time doing it for an academic setting. I’ve always loved Harry Potter. I would try to recall my reactions from when I first finished the series, but those reactions get jumbled with my more recent reactions. In some ways the ending is bittersweet because of it being the end of an amazing series. I have so much respect for Rowling as an author though. She constructed an amazing series. From book to book we have great plotlines, complex characters, and so much going on that reading them is always interesting. She continues to surprise us about the characters even in the last book. Though I knew she would be killing off a lot of characters in the final novel, there was no way she couldn’t, I was still very upset about some of the characters she chose to kill. It only makes sense, since she’s such a good author that I became very attached to a lot of characters. I was particularly heartbroken about Lupin, Tonks, Dobby, and Fred. She made me cry when Sirius died. She made me cry when Dumbledore died. Then she kills off even more characters I like and I just sob. It’s really quite sad. She does such an excellent job of fleshing out these characters and making them so real that I get attached even though I know they’re fictional. The whole seventh book just tugs at your heartstrings as well as puts you on edge with the stress of the plot, particularly when we know Voldemort has discovered Harry’s knowledge of the Horcruxes and is on his way to Hogwarts after checking each one.

I love that we see more of the side characters develop as well. The whole DA, the resistance at Hogwarts, Neville becoming more of a leader and then his heroic moment when he kills Nagini with the sword, Dobby saving the group from the Malfoy manor, Ginny stubbornly staying to join the fight, Mrs. Weasley fighting against Bellatrix, etc. There are so many great moments with characters other than Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Rowling created such a well-rounded world and cast of characters that we see these other people grow and develop in the series. I love that so many of them get awesome moments in the final book and the final fight. We see everything come together for an epic resolution.

I wasn’t extremely surprised by Dumbledore or by Snape. Even in my first reading I remember reading it and accepting it. I knew she would have something up her sleeve, since she had written in a number of surprises in the previous books. Part of me had always held out hope for Snape to be good. I just didn’t want to believe he was entirely evil and of course it turned out he wasn’t. He’s a brilliantly complex character. The one thing I remember that surprised me about Snape wasn’t him being good, it was his love and devotion for Lily. I knew they were friends and that they knew each other while at Hogwarts, but Rowling extended the connection between the two all the way back to when they were kids. That changes Snape and lets us see more of his motivation for his actions. It also does show a real human side of him. Just like with Riddle and Dumbledore, the background of a person is needed to understand just who they are and why they made the decisions they did. By showing us more of Snape’s past, we’re able to better understand him and what he went through. In the end he made his decisions because of love and loyalty.

Dumbledore always pulled the strings throughout the series, manipulating those around him. He would do it for the greater good of course, but he was the master puppeteer. I think that’s why I wasn’t surprised not only about the tasks he left for the trio, but also that he shows up in the end to talk to Harry when Harry is struck down by Voldemort. Even though Dumbledore was dead physically there was that small part of me that knew he couldn’t be gone completely. He was too important of a figure and too much a part of what was happening to not come back in some way. I wasn’t exactly sure how Rowling would bring him back, but I did have the sneaking suspicion he would show up again in some way.

I definitely think this is a series that teaches a lot and is so much more than just a child’s story or a fantasy series. Rowling confronts a lot of issues such as death, love, sacrifice, friendship, good and evil, growing up, prejudice, etc. Even though it is presented as a fun and interesting story she brings up these issues and comments on them. By reading this series the issues can be addressed without just bluntly bringing them up. Parents and children can read the series and then talk about the Holocaust or bullying or puberty or even just what is right and wrong. Kids can even just relate to the characters in the story as they mature and grow through their experiences. I was about the same age as the characters when I first read it and I remember feeling like I was growing and changing with them. The series opens the doors to some of these difficult topics because everything is woven into the story and plot. I think she does a brilliant job with making it more than just a story. It’s entertaining, yes, and fun to read, but it can also teach a lot of lessons.

A Change in ourselves through the Changing Story

When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out, I, like everyone else I knew, stayed up all night to read the book and finish it before everyone else. With this information hungry read through, I was very shocked by many poignant things. Ron abandoning Harry and Hermione. Harry saving Draco’s life. Hermione and Ron’s dramatic kiss. Dumbledore’s history. Snape, Dobby, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Collin, countless other deaths. Neville’s badassery. Narcissa saving Harry. Just to name a few.

But one of the most shocking things that I think everyone can agree on is finally learning the truth about Severus Snape. After spending six consecutive books learning to hate Snape beyond ourselves, it was incredibly shocking, and almost problematic, to learn the Snape was good all along. The chapter “The Prince’s Tale” reveals the Snape we never got to meet. We readers learn through Harry and Snape’s memories that Snape was on “our side” the entire time. He was acting as Voldemort’s right hand man under the orders of Dumbledore himself. The complexity of Snape’s character is thrown in our face with such force that we feel guilty for hating him, especially when you reread the series with this knowledge. This knowledge, however, becomes problematic because it is difficult to hate the bad guy when you know how complex he is.

Learning about Dumbledore is also problematic. All the time we spent hating Snape, we have been trusting Albus Dumbledore with everything we have. Finding out how much vital information he kept from Harry is truly unsettling and dramatically changes our view of Dumbledore.

I also think that Neville and Ron’s character development is worth mentioning. Although not as ground shaking, they both transform into quite, not as vital characters to integral, plot determining characters. Ron, playing the role of ‘sidekick,’ was always a quite supporter of Harry and his actions. When Harry gets into the Triwizard Tournament, tensions begin to rise, but nothing breaks until Deathly Hallows when Ron calls Harry out on not knowing what he’s doing. When Ron finally returns, he picks up a leadership role that puts him more in the spotlight. Similarly, Neville was another quite supporter who began to shine slightly in Order of the Phoenix. In Deathly Hallows, Neville kills Nagini, the last Horcurx, making Lord Voldemort mortal once more.

I also want to share a quick tidbit on the emotional pulls of the final chapter of Rowling’s epic. I was touched at every major death, but what really got me was the third to last chapter, “The Forest Again.” When Harry began walking to his death, encouraged by those who loved him- his parents, Sirius, Remus- I remember crying my eyes out. It was 3am, I was sitting up on my bed, crying so hard I had to physically put the book down. This chapter was so poignant for me because it is such an emotional and touching chapter. It is this sort of relatable, empathetic emotion that brings the series to multiple generations.

This groundbreaking series defines our generation. It has integrated itself into our lives through not only through books, but in our cinema. We were raised with the story of the every-day boy turned hero that inspired us all to believe in magic again.

Blog Post #3 Revisionist thinking on the series

Like other's this was my first time reading the series. My biggest complaint about the final book is that Harry didn't die. I know everyone wants him to live, but I like to think that he was willing to give his life for the better of the wizarding world.  Also, I didn't like that Harry was immune from dyeing in his battle with Voldermort.

My fillings towards Dumbledore didn't change very much throughout the series. However, my love hate relationship with Snape was a rollercoaster. I felt the whole time that Snape could be a bad guy, then when it was confirmed in the Order of the Phoenix, I was almost happy. Then it was turned around, when he was shown to be good after all. It makes for good suspense, but I would have like him to just be bad. I was happier hating him after the order of the Phoenix.

Reflecting back on Harry, I felt that Harry always seemed to get out of things. Sure you can be lucky a few times, but seven times? I liked the character of Harry, I just didn't like the way he always ended up triumphing over everything. Sure, he suffered, by the loss of hiss family (Sirius, Mom & Dad, and Dumbledore), but I wanted him to suffer a little more as an individual (ie: die). I guess I just like darker books and this series was dark, but it still ended a little clean for me.

As far as Ron and Hermione go. I liked their characters for the series. I wish they would have rebelled against Harry a little more than they did. Sure they had their disagreements, but they always ended up back together. In the real world, all of your friends don't make it through four years of high school with you, let alone seven years of wizard school.  I don't think one of them should have died, but it would have been nice if one fell out of the group for a a year or two and showed up in the end. I guess I'm a revisionist.

I'm not really sure where all of this fits in a social context. 

Blog Post #3

My first time reading the series was in the 5th grade and I only read the first three books.  This was my first time actually reading the whole series and discussing the theories of H.P in depth.  I have to say that my whole attitude toward the whole series has dramatically changed.  Definitely once you start reading the series and invest yourself in them, you start to form some sort of attachment to these characters as if they were real people. There were a lot of unexpected twists and shock that happened and I think I would need to read the series again and more thoroughly to  fully enjoy/understand the plot twists and changes. I found it hard to read the entire series in the shortest amount of time possible, I am a student in daap therefore my schedule is always packed with hours upon hours of different projects so I found it hard to read the entire book in the allotted time.

   My perceptions of the characters definitely changed throughout the series. Of course Harry is the most popular character but I always like to root for the least likely.  Ron became more of a front runner for me because his confidence and individuality started to shine through over Harry.  Harry became less and less likable for me because he is so angry and stubborn, although I cannot imagine all he has gone through at such a young age.  I think his trials and tribulations definitely justify his anger at times but I also don't appreciate how he would treat Ron and Hermione and all the people who were willingly to risk their life to help Harry.  At times it seems he took their help for granite and almost preferred to stand alone.

blog prompt 3: Final Thoughts

I was one of the few people that had never read the Harry Potter series before this course began. I’ll be honest, I did not expect to like the Harry Potter series in the slightest bit, but I needed a Literature course credit in order to graduate after this quarter. I figured it would have been more fun to read the Harry Potter series more than any other literature course’s assigned readings. After reading the first couple of books, I wasn’t sold on the fact that I would begin to like the series. However, after reading the Prisoner of Azkaban and the Goblet of Fire, I really started to get into reading the series. I found myself reading the books that weren’t even due until the next week of class because I wanted to find out what was next for Harry and the gang. With seven longer books with the same characters, you really start to feel like you know the characters and you want to see what is in store for them next.

It’s no wonder that the books and movies have become vastly popular in our society. I can remember taking my sister to Barnes and Noble to buy of the one new book when it first came out at midnight. I can remember thinking, I would never go buy a book at midnight and then spend all night reading it. However, this course has broadened my view and I can honestly say that I loved the series. I wish that I had not seen the movies before reading the books because I knew important facts (Dumbledor dying, Snape being the half-blood prince, and Sirius and Mad Eye Moody dying, etc.) about the series before I had even read the books. Because of this, I wasn’t surprised when some larger events occurred but it was definitely worth reading the books because it explains far more about the series and definitely add to the characters development throughout the series. After reading all seven books and watching seven out of the eight movies now, I feel like I know more about these characters than any other movie I have watched or book I have read. I’m honestly sad that this is the end of the entire series because I feel like if Rowling would have wanted to see could have continued to write novels about Harry and his friends after they had defeated Voldemort. The epilogue of the Deathly Hallows did sum up the lives of the main characters but I’m still hoping that Rowling surprises everyone and writes a few more books about the magical world of witchcraft and wizardry.