A decade ago, I was baffled when a few of my students reverently mentioned Harry Potter. They wanted me to include J.K Rowling's work in their list of readings. They balked at my choice of assigned reading texts by writers who have long left this world.
I was curious. Who is this Harry Potter?
On my way home, I stopped by a book store in Gombak and got hold of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I started reading after dinner and... I didn't put the book down until I reached the final page. I was really hooked! Ever since that night I visited Harry Potter at least once a year. Crazy isn't it?
Did you have the same reaction reading the Philosopher's Stone? What is it about Harry Potter, his friends and his adventures that make children and adult jump into Harry's world over and over again?
Hi.
ReplyDeleteactually i did not even watch the movie but when i read the book i really liked it and i enjoyed reading it. it is a exiting story and i will continue reading the other books as well.
the reason for following the book is like this first could be the way the writer describe it. the language and the way convey the feelings make you more interested in reading it.
I agree with Niyosha. The descriptions found in the book were way much more than watching the movie. When reading, I could visualize how the broomstick flew rather than watching it... it was quite plain.
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ReplyDeletesecondly it is beyond magician. i mean it shows the power of love, the humility, friendship, death, the power of working together.
ReplyDeletethese are real in our life and we feel and face them in our life. therefore, this story keep your interest till the end.
I agree with you. the way the writer describe this story is the thing that attracted you even if you are not a fan of science fiction. also i agree that, this story is not just about th magic, its about the moral values in people's life. but as you said we face thses values in real life I can say that sometimes we feel thier missing places in the real world which are not exist anymore
DeleteYes indeed. It wasn't a text just for past-time reading but could be reflected for personal growth of both children and adult.I think the best message Harry Potter has passed on to me is about friendship and love.Love is emphasized so much in Harry Potter.I mean, look, the only reason Voldemort couldn't kill Harry was because he was protected by Lily's love. By her sacrifice. It's one of the main themes in the whole series and it teaches us a lesson. It stays with us throughout.The friendship is also brilliant. It's not like the unrealistic friendship showed in most films and books- no fights, no quarrels, everything going perfectly smooth... no, it's not like that. Harry/Hermione/Ron got into fights, tiny quarrels. They doubted each other at one point or another. Ron betrayed both of them. It happens in friends- but it makes the bond even tighter. And I love that friendship was so realistic in Harry Potter and so touching.
DeleteTo think that mothers of the 21st century have no qualms about dumping their new born babies into the rivers. Lily..Lily sacrificed her life so that Harry could live! I am.....sad and beyond.
DeleteHarry is a boy who got shocked when he realized he can do magics and he has this power inherited from his dead parents. while he lived with his aunt family he did not have any friends but he made a group of friends particularly Ron and Hermione when he went to school. His friends supported him in very challenging and difficult situations. In school, harry with the help of his friends break many school rules in pursuing their adventures. He is perfectly willing to accept the consequences for his rebellion. He breaks the rules only when he truly believes that his actions are necessary. Harry grew up with the understanding that respect is not really given and it must be achieved so he grew up without being spoiled by pride and arrogance. Harry has no interests in achieving absolute power. His modest and pure nature leads him to desire nothing more than the company of his lost parents as well as a little attention from those around him. This novel reveals the true love, specially the mother's love. love plays a crucial role in this novel. He was survived of Voldemort's killing curse as a result of his mother's love who protected him from death. Related to the entertainment (Quidditch)it is the symbol of the deeper virtues taught at Hogwarts school. Well, winning the game depends on the successful interaction of several players acting cooperatively. so it really shows the importance of being and working together and shows that if you want to survive and overcome the problems you need others support and help.
ReplyDeletehi,
ReplyDeleteactually i was not a fan of science-fiction story, till the time that i need to read it for this course and became one of my favorites. as the writer and filmmaker try to show us the magical world which is at the same time,wholly believable.
actually, i am not a fan of science- fiction story either. but, this one is totally different from others as it is not just related to magics and using the power over the weak people OR do whatever you like to do to hurt people and take control over them as Harry behaved like a person who has this power but enjoys loving people and help them.
Deletea lot of questions come to my mind as a reader that arouse my curiosity and i like to know exactly what will happen to Harry. for instance, Harry is capable to talk to snake while Voldemort has this ability as well. what is the reason?
ReplyDeleteAnswering Niyosha’s curiosity, the reason why Harry can speak to snakes is because he is a Parseltongue. It is the language of snakes. When Lord Voldemart tried to kill Harry, some of Voldemart’s powers were transmitted to Harry. One of it is the ability to speak to snakes. Harry is not born with that talent, but because part of Voldemart’s soul is in him, he shares similar powers.
DeleteDear Veereen, thanks for information. you are right. one of my friends who read this book told me about it that is why i mentioned it as a point that arouse reader's curiosity to know what kind of relation do Harry and Voldermote have?
DeleteThat's what make Harry Potter so interesting. We are all so curios of so many things in the story. The story is thought provoking, it made our brain race while reading. I'm so impressed the language of snakes. Do you think it exist in reality?
DeleteI do not think it exists in reality but we can ask Harry. :)
DeleteI think snakes communicate with each other with their hissing language. It is just unfortunate that we do not have the ability as Harry. Perhaps if we go native and slide and slither like the snakes we will pick up on their language. Okay everyone, lets slide and slither--
DeleteMaybe not the language... but the art of "handling" the snake might exist. Its a common practice in India - snake charmers. When they "control" the movement and behavior of the snake using a flute. I think we see this quite commonly in the television :)
DeleteAny literary value to this novel? If you are teaching narrative to ESL students, would include this novel as one of your prescribed readings?
ReplyDeleteWhat is interesting of Harry Potter is there is abridged version and even Comic. So, I could introduce the original version to advanced students and the abridged version to intermediate students and the comic... it's cool to beginners. So, if they have difficulty to understand descriptions they can see the pictures and understand. Isn't it cool! But, I realized many of my students enjoy playing Harry Potter PC games. Hmm... Yet to explore!
DeleteBeing a book addict, I rarely read books of sci-fi and magical powers. Having to switch between chic lit to sci-fi wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I started reading the book with the end in my mind because it wasn’t the genre I’d choose to read. But slowly, I enjoyed how the plot went. I even watched the movie! Harry Potter is filled with magical powers and characters we all can relate to. It has magic, fame, talent, the good and evil. While reading the book, I can imagine myself being in that setting because it is elaborated so unbelievably that you’d believe you’re part of it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reason why I think even adults relive Harry’s moments is because we all feel that we know him like how we know our next door neighbor. We can relate our daily dilemmas to Harry and his friends. We all have gone through the stage where we are trying to find out who are we in this world, just as how Harry does. Even the evil character in Philosopher’s Stone is not evil by nature. He is just someone who has gone through a rough time in the past and was left all alone to make choices for himself, just like how we would relate to the school bully and maybe ourselves at times when we want something.
Another reason is that because the book teaches us good moral values. There is no such thing as pure evil. People are not evil, just the circumstances they are in pushes them to do so, just as how Rowling has portrayed in Philosopher’s Stone. This book teaches us that good will overcome evil, sooner or later. Although Harry and his friends face numerous hurdles to achieve success, they did it in the end. They had to take baby steps to gain victory, in which elements of friendship and loyalty comes in. and we can learn from this because is it what we face in our daily life.
as I read your comment, I saw the similarities between your ideas and mine. the difference is that you put them in better words :) the same as you i believe that this story showing us that finally the good will overcome evil and this book describe this sweat moment in a magical world. also i think we see Harry as someone familiar in our world as you said. I think when Harry lived in a real world and he could not really tolerate the situation in this world, then the magic world come and relieve him. that could be the exact feeling when we have, as we get bored from everything and we hope that something magical come and save us and then we find a solution for ourselves like the magical world.
DeleteI would include this novel as a prescribed reading because it teaches us one of the major values we all need to build upon – being humble. In this story, Harry and his friends brave out every challenge that was brought to them. Even so, Harry doesn’t consider himself as a head of the group. His friends also doesn’t boost about their capabilities even though they can be considered doing great things at their age. Humility is important in our daily life because it helps us to appreciate the simplest things around us. Harry in this story lived for eleven years as a “servant” not knowing the fame he has in the world of magic. Dumbledore portrayed the value of humility when he sent Harry far away from the wizard world. Although Harry shouldn’t have lived the way he did, but it thought him a modest living. Even when Harry and his friends were trapped in the dungeon, Harry wanted to get the sorcerer’s stone from Quirrell just because he doesn’t want it to end up in the hands of evil. Harry showed humility by wanting the stone not for himself but so that it doesn’t land in the hands of Quirrell.
ReplyDeletei would consider this novel as a prescribed reading because it reveals us how would be nice to cooperate with others and support people around us in life. also, it shows how enjoyable to indicate your love to someone and show them you really love them because sometimes you do not let your emotions touch others as you think they may abuse it and then hurt you. in addition, we should not be so proud of what we have got as this novel teaches us we must be humble like Harry that he never feels he is better than others and be too much proud of himself. we should be aware of moral values and try to practice on them to make sure they are part of us and we treat people nicely as we expect others to treat us the same way.
ReplyDeleteAs I read through this novel, my imagination is being activated because of the vivid scenes written. Living in reality, I don’t believe with magic but the magic is brought out in a consistent and clever way that guides and familiarizes us with the uses of magic. The magical plot written by the author is able to persuade me to believe with magic and it seems so real. I think the reason why children and adult jump into Harry’s world over and over again because of the fantasy and imagination we could develop through this novel. It is relatable, exciting and it provides escapism to us in a whole new world that we may not encounter in our life experience. However, the magical world that is created in the novel has also parallels to our world that we can relate to. The author creates a whole to portray the values and lessons that we can gain upon reading this novel because it covers love, friendship, humility, good vs. evil. The story does not only surround kids but also adult to create a social phenomenon that allow both kids and adults to share a common reading experience! I think it would be excellent to include this novel as one of the prescribed reading because of the moral values that students can gain from the novel itself. The adventure of Harry and his friends is so fascinating and it can make the students to enter a whole new world completely and to gain the moral values concealed in the novel in an enjoyable way. The plot of the novel never bored me as I follow the adventure of Harry and his friends. I also think that this novel is excellent to stimulate the thinking skills of students because it is so imaginative and it could allow the students to analyze and evaluate the values behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteHarry also discovers that he is a wizard. When he was sent to the wizard school, he makes friends and a few enemies as well. Just as how it would reflect our daily life. As how if we would go to a new place, we will definitely make some good friends and in the process despise some people. We also learn from the book that the dragon’s blood can be used as an oven cleaner – an effective one too!
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ReplyDeleteThere are many issues/ literary elements in this novel. We see that Harry has conflict in dealing with who is he actually and what is his roots. Harry sees his family when he sees into the Mirror of Erised. There are also conflicts among people around him and with the society. These are issues that we can all relate to, that happens to us in daily life. Probing into these issues help us to ponder upon issues that we face, ourselves. The theme of good vs. evil helps us to understand better the nature of humankind. Another theme, morality depicts our actions and how we handle a situation. The principles of our life that sometimes we don’t adhere too and how something that we believe is true is not what it seem it is, if we dig deeper. The coming of age is also another theme that is profound in this novel. It reflects how Harry and his friends grew matured after a course of obstacles. Even in reality, we are faced with challenges and we are required to think maturely to solve issues. All these themes in Harry Potter can be related to ESL learners and are prevailing issues that both kids and adults can share.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason of why I will include this as prescribed reading is because it gives ESL learners the chance to debate about one of the issue that has been an issue since pre historic times. If we look closely at the characters and its role in this novel, we can see that three of the most powerful figures are male. There are also powerful female figures, but their powers are portrayed as to be less engaging as compared to the males. In the novel, Hermione is shown to be less powerful than to her male counterpart. This gives the opportunity to learners to debate the role of male and female in the society and how one help the other.
ReplyDeleteAs an answer to question one I have to say that I wasn’t actually a fan of harry potter story. I read this story before and saw the movie; it was interesting for me but not as much to follow every new episode of it. Maybe, because I’m not really good to make contact with science fiction stories or the impact of this story was not as much other stories I used to read. However I cannot say that this story is not special for me once I started to read it. When I started to read a book I could not put it aside, so I tried to look it deep inside, learn from it or even highlighting the attractive sentences. I can say that the most attractive thing of this story for me is the imaginary magical world and the way the writer describe it as you start to read it, then you see yourself in another world which can be similar to your imaginary world. I think every person has a magical and imaginary world in her/his mind, but in this story the writer put all of these imaginations in words precisely. Even the names are different from what we see in the real world. This story seems interesting to me, because it is beyond the real world that sometimes you get bored of it. By reading this book you can escape from the real world and going to another world that everything can get possible with magic. Moreover, the story is not just about magic and imagination. It has lots of valuable points beyond the story. We learn the truth, trust, real friendships, loyalty, love and being brave from this story. The loyalty was the most brilliant thing which was among Harry Potter and his friends. It shows that a real friendship is not necessarily among boys or girls separately, but they can be real friends together. They need each other to feel complete and to get successful. But in real world, it may not happen very often and that’s why it is interesting. In this story people are in 2 groups who lived in real world and magical world. By making this separation, the writer shows the characteristics of real people to them from a very far point of view and makes reader to think about themselves. However, by showing the witches with good and bad intrinsic in the school and the result of their job, reader learn that the result of to be a good person or a bad person reach to different results and everything would be fare at final judgment. As an adult reader, we learn that even children can have unique ideas and we shouldn’t ignore them. We have to give them opportunity to realize their strength and to get confident and ready for having a lucky life.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of considering this book in my teaching I have to say that I will tend to include this book for prescribed reading. The first reason is that the literature and the language used in this book are totally different from other books or even other similar science fictions. The characters, names, even the short magical poems, names of the magical books and their writers; all of these have been written in a unique pattern and language which are not used in any other books or people’s everyday life. By reading this story, reader’s imagination activated and it may help them to talk about or write about their own imaginary worlds. Another reason is that reading this story is not just reading it. We learn lots of moral values which exist among people or friends that we may forget about them. Students learn what a real friendship is and what are the factors which make it a real and especial one.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this book. when I started reading this book, at the beginning of the story, the time letters came to Dursley's house and the time of entering harry to school and etc..I felt like that I am a part of the story because of the nice and sensible images in the story.This story is a children story but even adults like it very much because of their busy life that they have.reading this book bring them to the world of imagination or even the world of their childhood and their thoughts that they had when they were little.I think we all have magical world in ourselves and sometimes it heals us, this happened for me several times.
ReplyDeleteIn this story We learned that how we can trust to each other,to have honest and real friendship with others, to be faithful, love each other and being brave. we learned that we can not live alone, we need others help, love and encouragement to be successful in our life.
I will include this novel in my teaching, because of the different way of writing style, different names, using imaginary terms. It also learns children the moral values such as being a good friend,love and help each other, that may have forgot in their lives,even it can help them to talk about their imaginary world that they may be wished for it.
Harry Potter was introduced to me by my roommate in 2005.I watched the DVD and within 30 minutes I was astonished with the exposition of the story. Who could write a novel like this? People send their children to a normal school. Who would ever imagine of sending their children to a wizard school? Of course J.K. Rowling!!! That made me to crave for the reading...
ReplyDeleteMagic spells that occurs in Harry Potter is awesome. I learned that Latin was used as the language of spell in Harry Potter. Although at first, many Asians doesn't allow their children to read the novel because the use of magical spells could be destructing to their faith... but it was learnt later that these words are meaningless and not actual spells. What attract me at first is that the novel made me to question how could J.K. Rowling know all these spells? Even I thought that she might have some knowledge on black magic... But I realized its not black magic but her imagination beyond ordinary thinking that made the novel sell like a hot cake! It wasn't merely a "kiddy" novel but many elements that are new to adults were introduced and that made both children and adult wanting to read again and again. I believe that a beyond ordinary novel would hook readers at any age.. because the readers are thrilled with the plot structure and many new ideas flourishing and yet to be discovered especially in Harry Potter...
ReplyDeleteEveryone loves magic and wishes it happens everyday. Harry Potter made me to sail into the world of magic. For many moments I was swifted into a world by itself... Wizardy Magical World!!!
ReplyDeleteAnother reason i think that this novel should be included as prescribed reading is because of the predominant spiritual themes. It is actually a modern fairy tale that can arouse the interest of the students especially with the battle between good and evil. The battle between good and evil would grab the interest of students. Rowling manages to fascinate students with the heavy themes that she brings into the adventure of Harry. The powerful of friendship can also be highlighted to make the students to value friendship and it can help in collaborative learning.
ReplyDeleteI also think that there is a child living in every adult's heart. Therefore, Harry Porter can be so popular among the adults. The most interesting and fascinating part about Harry Porter is the adventure of Harry and it involves the fight between good and evil. The author is excellent in managing the flow of the plot by showing the growth of Harry and his magics. It makes the seems sounds real and logical to us. The most exciting part of this novel is that we are following the growing process of Harry. We get even more excited to witness the improvement of Harry in fighting against the evil.
ReplyDeleteI am a fun of Harry Potter. It could be the big forest, an ancient castle, a witch riding a broom, and these elements
ReplyDeleteExist in everyone's childhood dreams. But Rowling turned them into a reality, accompanied by every story beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Her work uses almost all the elements of European mythology, architecture, decoration, and every image created by a large number of actors with personality, which is impeccable from the perspectives of aesthetics, dtoryline, reasoning, and so on.