Class Year
2021
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Summer 2017
Department 1
First Year Seminar
Abstract
The paper reviews how J.K. Rowling is able to examine death in the Harry Potter book series. In the first part of the text the author touches on the deaths of Harry's parents and the scarring that Harry receives from that, as well as an examination of how the deaths of others, from close friends to acquaintances, have affected Harry, specifically pertaining to his personal responsibility for them and also his grieving process. The paper also goes into how Voldemort's inability to feel love, paired with his fear of dying, have pushed his quest for immortality (using Horcruxes). Harry's mastery of death (using the Hallows), his willingness to accept death, and his sense of love and sacrifice for his friends is what enables him to finally defeat Voldemort. The main message is that the Harry Potter books are great entertainment, but their underlying philosophy on death creates a depth that Rowling wants us to learn from: death is a part of life, and seeking love and friendship is much more important than worrying about death.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Brown, Harrison D., "Harry Potter and the Meaning of Death" (2017). Student Publications. 587.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/587
Included in
Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons, Literature in English, British Isles Commons
Comments
Written for FYS 150: Death and the Meaning of Life.