The three questions I decided to pick for my blog post are:
· how would you describe the author's style of writing? What's your opinion of the style?
· Find out about the author. How did they end up writing this particular book? How is the author's life reflected in the book?
- If you've read other books in this same genre, how does this one compare?
J.K. Rowling style of writing is magical. Despite the fact that the world the characters dwell is purely intertwined, she pulls off the description of scenes and meaningful quotes by characters masterfully. In a world that lives along our own, J.K. Rowling is able to cross-reference events in history as well as circumstances in society using the protagonist Harry Potter. Potter has a perspective mounted in both “muggle” world and our own.
“It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew - and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents - that there was all the difference in the world.”
Rowling’s book appeal top her audiences so well by over-dramatizing Harry’s adolescent problems. Teenagers experience problems from growing up in today’s modern society, one that has grown to be more stressful and have higher expectations that decade3s before.
It is explained in the later books that Harry has an inevitable job to fulfill, the slaying of the antagonist Lord Voldemort. Voldemort is made out to be invincible and is the greatest threat to the wizarding world in its history. Even though there have been other dark wizards like him, voldemort is the strongest and the most cunning. Even so, Coincidences intertwined into fate has created a prophecy for Harry to fulfill, as he must congquer the task of defeating Voldemort or the wizarding world will perish. I interpret Harry’s Quest as the obstacles and growing pains teenagers and adolescents today must go through to become adults. Once we conquer them, like Harry eventually does, all will be well. At the end of the series when Voldemort is vanquished, the laste sentence is “ and all was well”. Teenagers can take that sentence and an allegory for their problems so that once they have conquered them, all will be well.
From what I have gathered, J.K. Rowling started writing the first book when she was homeless. A rumor was that’ the original copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone was written on pieces of Napkins. An article states:
“Rowling returned to Britain in 1993, settling in Edinburgh, Scotland, to be near her sister. Divorced after a brief marriage in Portugal and now with a baby, she suffered through a period of poverty and depression while she struggled to earn a living and take care of her daughter, Jessica. It was during this difficult time that she finally completed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was renamed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the U.S. edition. When her publisher suggested she add a middle initial to her name, she chose that of her grandmother, Kathleen."
Rowlings rise to fame could be written into a story. Her story is as simple as any rags to riches. Harry potter in my eyes was a way for her to have a creativity outlet during time of great stress for her,as she was out of a house and on the streets. Her talent in writing though is great, as someone that was poverty stricken like herself has to have had a great deal of skill to rise through levels of wealth so fast.
I think that the book would not have been the same without the experiences rowling endured. Having been trhough such lows, it has given her perspective. Although Harry Potter is not a groundbreaking book that explores themes other classics , such as rascism and sexism, it shows other themes that rowling may have needed or wanted during her low times. Themes such as friendship, as shown through the intense bond between harry, ron and hermione are routinely shown.
In the latter books, Rowling makes a big deal of the importance of love. Through the character dumbledore, she says that nothing is stronger than the power of love, not even the most darkest magic in the series.
Other books that fit in this genre do not measure up in my opinion. While they focus on the action and the grave nature of obtaining such powerful magic, the Harry potter series have been a fascinating society out of it If one could leave such a world of its story and have it function alone, it would be parallel to ours. The book, creates the world to mirrors our own, and I think it does so flawlessly.
