Introduction
J. K. Rowling`s Harry Potter novels have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success all over the world, causing discussions about both the literary merits and the educational level of the books. The novels are read by both – children and adults, notwithstanding the fact that Harry Potter is represents Children Literature.
The reception of Harry Potter novels has always been controversial. People with strictly religious views consider Harry Potter to be pure sacrilege and have publicly burned the books (Online 20). Some on the other hand are under the opinion that Harry Potter is already classical, and that it should be read by everyone.
The reasons for the immense popularity of the story about Harry Potter may be hidden in the fact that J. K. Rowling has patiently developed all the traditional elements of a successful novel – setting, character, style, theme and plot. The plot of Harry Potter contains one of the most appealing elements in Children’s Literature – magic.
The goal of the study is to analyze and discuss the characterization of Harry Potter in J. K. Rowling`s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The last two books are chosen due to the close coherence between them. Both novels may be perceived as one whole, for the events started in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince reaches the climax only in the last one – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is also a task to prove that Harry Potter novels are not just an average children adventure book, decorated with immense commercial success and groundless praising.
In order to achieve the goals set, it is necessary to study about the life and work of J. K. Rowling, understand the reasons of the phenomenon of Harry Potter books, get familiar with the theory of the characters and characterization in literature, quest in literature, discuss the issue on whether Harry Potter is a good example of modern Children Literature or not, and analyze the characterization of Harry in Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Hypothesis: J. K. Rowling`s Harry Potter is not a product of commercialized and overrated modern Children’s Literature, and it is a challenge to understand the mythological allusions and riddles that Rowling`s dynamic and three-dimensional characters display.
The first chapter of this study contains brief description of life and work of Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling. The theory about characters and characterization in literature is explained in the second chapter. In the third chapter readers will be introduced to Harry Potter as a good example of modern Children`s Literature and also the theory on quest in literature will be explained. Chapter four is dedicated to discuss the phenomenon and the controversial perception of Harry Potter books. To conclude, the final chapter contains the analysis of Harry`s characterization in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
In the course of this investigation Internet sources and books dealing with general descriptions about characters and characterization methods, J. K. Rowling`s biography as well as books and essays about Harry Potter novels, and literature about the theory on quest and the phenomenon of Harry Potter were used.
1. Life and work of J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling is the author of the immensely popular Harry Potter saga. According to an Internet source, she was born on 31 July 1965, and her full name is Joanne Rowling. J. K. Rowling has been writing since very early age. According to an internet source, she “has actually been writing since she was 5 or 6 years old”, and the first story she wrote was called Rabbit – it was “filled with interesting characters, such as a large bee Miss Bee”. (Online 2)…
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