Blog 3

This is not my first time reading the series, but I found that I didn’t remember much of the sixth and seventh books. I knew the ending, but I didn’t remember many of the scenes and small details. I really enjoyed the end of the series, especially the second time I read them because I paid more attention to detail. Originally, I was very surprised with how Snape turned out. I was sure he was one of Voldemort’s followers and not to be trusted. I also found the connection between Snape and Lily extremely interesting. I hadn’t caught the foreshadowing when Harry was watching Lily stand up for Snape in the pensive. I thought the foreshadowing was a subtle detail that was well written. I wasn’t as surprised about how Dumbledore turned out. Although Harry had many doubts towards the end of the series, Dumbledore had seemed a character that had been built upon trust. He was never direct or blunt and that became clear when Harry began to realize he didn’t truly know where to go to find the horcruxes. My feelings towards Ron, Harry, and Hermoine changed slightly though I didn’t quite realize it until reflecting on the series. I always liked Ron’s character and he grew even more likeable towards the end. He became independent and confident, but it was interesting to watch him grow throughout the series. My feelings for Harry changed even more than they did for Ron. There were points in which I felt Harry was too angry and I was ready to finish the book. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was one of my least favorite books in the series. Harry was constantly angry and resentful, which is understandable in his situation, but I felt it was drawn out. There weren’t many times I felt like Harry tried to understand the other point of view and why they were withholding information from him. It seemed to me that often Harry wasn’t told information because of the connection between his mind and Voldemort’s mind, but Harry never thought of this. Once Hermione warned Harry that the image of Sirius’ death could be a trap, Harry still didn’t believe her even though I felt it seemed obvious that Hermione was right. However, Harry’s character seemed more rounded in the sixth and seventh book. By the end I still enjoyed his character, though he was not my favorite. Hermione changed dramatically from the first to the seventh book, but it was very gradual. I suddenly remembered that in the first book she never broke a rule. By the seventh, she wasn’t even in school. J. K. Rowling wrote Hermione’s character well so that this change was only noticeable upon reflecting all the way back to book one.

I think that without taking this class I would not have thought of Harry Potter in terms of a social or cultural context. I was younger when I first read the series and it was simply a fantasy world. However, I think if you read the series while thinking about these larger contexts there are many similarities. Rowling incorporates historical events into the series with her use of Voldemort’s reign of fear. Voldemort’s reign of fear could be compared to Hitler’s rule in Nazi Germany. There is acknowledgement of abuse and PTSD. Harry grew up with the Dursley’s who neglected him and ignored Dudley’s taunts of Harry. As Harry goes through school he experiences symptoms of PTSD. There is also a connection between the pureblood/muggle classes and the socioeconomic classes seen in today’s society. There are also completely different cultures between muggles and purebloods. Cultural differences exist between many communities in today's society as well.