Hello friends,
Here in this blog I am going to talk about the Harry Potter movie series. In which I am going to deal with several key points about the movies.
As we all know what is the story of the Harry Potter series. But after studying this book in M.A. syllabus the perspective of looking at the things is totally changed. It gives me a new way of looking at things, it provides new lenses to look at on a particular series of works.
So let's begin with the first part.
First part : Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone
Title of the Movie – with explanation of title in the plot / its significance :
The title of the movie is " Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone". It is a significant title because the whole story is woven around the Philosopher's stone. At the beginning Hagrid brings this stone from the bank of magic and he also tells that this is the secret business of Howards.
The antagonist Voldemort tried to find the Philosopher's for his own goods. So Harry , Hermione and Ron tried to find who was trying to steal the stone. And where the stone is kept. J. K. Rowling describes the beautiful journey of three kids to find Philosopher's stone and save the stone from the evil spirit of Voldemort.
Harry’s task :--
Harry's task is to find out who was trying to steal the Philosopher's stone. And one more thing is to get Philosopher's stone before Voldemort gets it. Harry thinks that Sanp who was trying to find the Philosopher's stone but he was not. Actually Professor Quirrell who was working for Lord Voldemort and tried to find Philosopher's stone. Harry Potter's task is to find Philosopher's stone and save it from the evil spirit of Voldemort. Through the Philosopher's stone Voldemort is trying to get immortality of life.
Voldemort’s presence :---
Voldemort who was the antagonist of this whole series.
At night in the forest Voldemort's presence is there. As he became weaker and lost his body, he tried to live with the help of Unicorn's blood.
And second presence at the end of the movie when Voldemort emerged from the head of the professor quirrell. Then fight with Harry Potter.
Moral of the Story :---
As we know this is children's literature, so at the end of the story we get the moral of the story like 'panchatantra'.
" Only those who want but do not want to use it for their personal benefit get the stone. "
( Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone)
We get something important if we want to go for the sake of others, not for our own goods.
" Fame is not everything, we have to prove ourselves "
Fame doesn't make you win or be great but something you believe in yourself and something within you like love, sacrifice and friendship makes you successful.
Hermione’s role including other girls :--
If we look at the movie with the feministic perspective then we find that many problems. The words like Wizard ( for Male ) and Witch for ( Female). Words don't have meaning but society gives a meaning to the word. And with time the meaning of the particular word is changed with the negative connotations. The word witch is something not desirable for females at this time.
Hermione was a very intelligent and knowledgeable girl among the other girls and her classmates. Though she is more intelligent then Harry but the great work done by only Harry. She remains as a spectator at the moment of the great action. She remains as a bookish girl.
But Hermione's portrayal is much better than the other girls. Other girls remain silent in this part.
Central Theme :--
The central theme of the movie is Love , sacrifice and friendship. Success meets in those ways when you work for only the sake of work, not for personal gains.
Second part : Harry Potter and the Chamber of secret
Title of the Movie – with explanation of title in the plot / its significance :
The title of the movie is " Harry Potter and the Chamber of secret ". The title symbolizes the very secret of who is killing the muggle blood children. And also for what reason that is happening ? As this movie bus about good v/s evil. So this evil part is played by the chamber of secrets. The whole story is going on the flow of finding a chamber of secrets and to save Ginny from the Tom Riddle. So in the whole story the chamber of secrets at the center.
Harry’s task :--
Harry’s task is to find where the secret of chamber is located and open the chamber of secrets and to find the truth behind the murder of muggles. Who was behind the murder of the muggle children. Why is whoever is doing this crucial act of harming muggles? As the story tells us, Ginny Weasley opens the door of the secret chamber. And that through Tom Riddle held her with him. So one of the tasks is to save Ginny from Tom Riddle.
Horcrux ( Destroyed by whom )
Here the horcrux is Tom Riddle's diary. Which was destroyed by Harry Potter with the help of Gryffindor's sword.
Voldemort’s presence :---
Voldemort is present in this book/film as 'memory / past' and his device is Diary. TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE is I AM LORD VOLDEMORT. Voldemort's presence through his diary ( Tom Riddle's diary ) and in the chamber of secrets Harry meets Tom Riddle ( Voldemort).
Moral of the Story :---
"It is not our abilities, it is our choices that makes us what we are".
Dumbledore to Harry
( Harry Potter and the Chamber of secret)
"Fame is fickle"
"Loyalty helps"
This is children's literature, that's why loyalty, honesty became very important. Because Harry was the true Griffindor and he is loyal to Dumbledore. 'Fawkes' comes to help Harry. One of the important things is that our choices make us great.
Hermione’s role including other girls :--
Generally children's literature is boy centric literature. Here in this part also girls are there but to support the male character in their Hermione is taking care of others, that is the feminine idea and that should be questioned here.
If you try to compare Hermione's character with Myrtle, they both are totally different personalities. Myrtle's behaviour is feminine. Hermione is more capable in 'knowing' things and is capable of repairing Harry's specs which can be read as 'she being his eyes/vision, without her, he is not capable of accomplishing great deeds. However, she is also abused by Draco for being Mudblood, Dirty blood.
Ginny Weasley, Ron’s younger sister, is also a great example of Rowling’s feminism in the world of Harry Potter, although her first function in the storyline is as a victim. In The Chamber of Secrets, Voldemort appears as a memory of the teenage version of himself, Tom Riddle. Riddle is able to gain power by
“growing stronger and stronger on a diet of [Ginny’s] deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew . . . powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring my soul back into her” (Rowling, Chamber 310).
Voldemort gains his power through Ginny in the same way that men gain power by the appropriation of feminine power in a patriarchal society:
“Riddle’s violence towards Ginny is another instance of the masculine vampirizing the life-giving blood of the feminine” (Yeo 6).
Central Theme :--
Importance of choices in life
Discrimination of blood : Pure blood, Half Blood and Muggle blood. ( religion, Class and cast discriminations in real life)
Conflict between good and evil
Third part : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Title of the Movie – with explanation of title in the plot / its significance :
The title of the third part is a significant one because it talks about the main character of this part. Because the storyline develops by the prisoner who escapes from the Azkaban. At the beginning of the movie we come to know that in the newspaper and everywhere people are talking about Sirius black who had escaped convict from the wizard prison of Azkaban.
The whole Magic ministry is fearful about Sirius black. And the whole story revolved around him. In a way it's an appropriate title.
Harry’s task :--
In a way the major task of Harry is to find Sirius black because Harry wants to kill him. Because he was thinking that Sirius black had betrayed his mother and Father. But later he comes to know that is not so. Then know the reality and then he tries to save his life. Then Sirius was the godfather figure for Harry.
Voldemort’s presence :---
In this part we can't find the clear presence of Voldemort. There are dementors who have the same characteristics as Voldemort. In this part we come to find Harry's evil side. He was saying that " I hope Sirius black finds mw, when he does, I am going to kill him." As we know that Harry is vengeful to kill Sirius without knowing the facts. So here in this part it seems as if the darkness of Voldemort's power in his body Forced him to be evil.
Moral of the Story :---
Though this is a children's literature there we find that the moral of the story. There are some of the most famous quotes in the world. Because of its depths and thinking it remains lovable by people.
"Happiness can be found in the darkest of time, if we remember to turn on the light" - Dumbledore.
"A child's voice, however, true, is meaningless to those who have stopped listening" - Dumbledore.
"It is wisest to retrace steps (go back, go back in memory, check your steps, observe your past actions), when in doubt" - Dumbledore
(Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban)
"No divine, no dead ones, no loved ones comes to save us. It is we who save us".
This is the most important one because here we find that though it is children literature then and then J. K. Rowling doesn't allow us to believe in ghosts or you can say dead one. At last when Harry and Sirius are saved by some magical powers then Harry thinks that must be his father. But later on he realized that that isn't his father but he himself.
Hermione’s role including other girls :--
Here in this part we find something is worth appreciating. Here in this part Hermione's became very important as controller of the situations. She is growing more and more intellectual and intelligent in this part. She knew about such an instrument which is helpful to go beyond the time. That is time- turner. She leads to Harry in this whole part. She was very conscious about how things were happening in the past and now. She also gives vision to Harry that his father isn't helping them. But he himself helps himself against the dementors.
When Harry and Ron are lying in bed at that time Dumbledore comes and gives them a clue to save Sirius, but Harry doesn't understand what's going on. But Hermione Granger understands all the things. Normally other women characters are not attractive at all in this third part.
Central Theme :--
" The struggle is not with evil power but with the power which turns the victim into evil. "
We find the same situation in " The White Tiger " by Aravind Adiga. In which the character Balram Halwai, who was the faithful servant to his masters. But day after day he was the victim of that family and that's why he became evil and killed his Master.
The Injustice of legal system, the duality of life,
Importance of loyalty,
Forth part : Harry Potter and the goblet of fire
Title of the Movie – with explanation of title in the plot / its significance :
According to the title We find that the encounter with the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet of Fire was the "impartial judge" for the Triwizard Tournament, who chose which students will represent their respective schools during the upcoming tasks of the tournament. In this part we find that the Triwizard tournament is there. In which three schools are going to participate. For this participation three members will be selected by goblet of fire. In this fire those who want to participate they can add their names. And the end result given by the goblet of fire. So from the goblet of fire Harry Potter's journey started and it's end to the meeting with Lord Voldemort. So in this sense the title is significantly mentioned.
Harry’s task :--
So let's discuss what was Harry's task in this part. In a way Harry is not capable enough for the Triwizard tournament but because of his enemy put his name in the goblet of fire. The goblet of fire chose Harry's name also for the tournament. So he has to participate in the tournament and obviously he has to work hard. And then at last he and Cedric meet Voldemort. Generally Harry's task is to prove himself in each and every situation.
Voldemort’s presence :---
In this part we can see the presence of Voldemort which is a very significant one.
First of all Harry's dream sequence we see the presence of Voldemort.
Then at the last when Harry and Cedric together got the Cup and they throw up in the graveyard where Voldemort is there. Let's see what is the reaction of Harry seeing Voldemort.
Here’s a passage describing Harry’s first look at Voldemort:
" It was as though Wormtail had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind–but worse, a hundred times worse. The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. It’s arms and legs were thin and feeble, and it’s face–no child alive ever had a face like that–flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.
The thing seemed almost helpless; it raised its thin arms, put them around Wormtail’s neck, and Wormtail lifted it. As he did so, his hood fell back, and Harry saw the look of revulsion on Wormtail’s weak, pale face in the firelight as he carried the creature to the rim of the cauldron. For one moment, Harry saw the evil, flat face illuminated in the sparks dancing on the surface of the potion. And then Wormtail lowered the creature into the cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface; Harry heard its frail body hit the bottom with a soft thud. "
( Harry Potter and the goblet of fire)
Then Voldemort is forcing Harry to fight with him.
Moral of the Story :---
Give you the best performance whether you are thrones in any situation unwillingly or willingly.
No parents ,no dead one are helping us. We have to help ourselves in any critical situations.
In any computation winning isn't important when someone needs your help. So at that time one should help the others.
Hermione’s role including other girls :--
J. K. Rowling in her book shows us a reality of the women Character. How girls are treated in society is a way of looking at girls. In this part we find lots of women characters. So it would be good to read a whole part with the feminine perspective. At the very beginning we can see the Quidditch match. It also annoyed that the Quidditch heroes and ministry bigwigs are all male. No doubt there are girls but they are not portrayed as much as boys.
In this part the character of Hermione emerges as a helping character. She is helping Harry to win the Quidditch cup. She doesn’t care about Harry’s stardom, because that is the role of the female. She is brave, she is smart, she is strong, but her purpose, and this could not be more true with Hermione, is to help the male on his quest.
As we know that what patriarchy thinks about feminine should be caring, beautiful, helpful, attractive. That's all the things we find in this part. When the professor of dark arts Alastor Moody tries to hurt Nevil Longbottom. And several parts with Harry she is caring for others. That is the feminine characteristic we can see here.
In this movie we also got one unnecessary event that is The Yale Ball. In this party the attractiveness of Hermione and other girls' characters was portrayed. In this event we see that the patriarchal mindset that is girls should be beautiful and attractive and used as an object for male. In this sequence Hermione became a weak character like other characters. There is also a discrimination of black and white. Fairness is welcomed by all. Black is something not to be proud.
This part Hermione is not strong as any other part she is. However, Rowling’s female characters constantly fight against the patriarchal subjugation inherent in both the real world and in their fictional world, taking charge of their own identities and empowerment.
Central Theme :--
.The problem of Enslavement
Community connectedness
The preoccupations of adolescence
Fifth part : Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix
Title of the Movie – with explanation of title in the plot / its significance :
The Order of the Phoenix was a secret society founded by Albus Dumbledore to oppose Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The original Order was created in the 1970s. It was constructed after Voldemort returned to England from abroad and started his campaign to take over the Ministry of Magic and persecute Muggle-borns. The Order worked with the Ministry to oppose the Dark Lord and his followers, and played a crucial role in the First Wizarding War. So controversy between his two groups is going on throughout the movie. At last we can see that Voldemort is back.
The Ministry refused to admit that the Dark Lord had returned, thus the Order alone worked to protect Harry Potter and the prophecy concerning him and Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries. After an intense battle that occurred between the Order, Dumbledore's Army, and the Death Eaters, the Ministry finally admitted the truth. So this way the title is significant one.
Harry’s task :--
Harry knows that Voldemort will come back but the ministry doesn't believe. So Harry tried to make ready their friends to fight with Voldemort. Harry secretly teaches defensive magic to a small band of students in defiance of the Ministry of Magic's dictum.
His major task is to save Sirius and protect other fellow students from Voldemort.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom fly to the Ministry of Magic on Thestrals in an attempt to save Sirius.
Voldemort’s presence :---
Harry's dream we come to know about Voldemort's presence. But at the last Voldemort came and fought with Harry and Dumbledore.
Moral of the Story :---
Working hard and luck is important but not more than believing in ourselves.
Fear makes us do terrible things.
Hermione’s role including other girls :--
In this part we come to know about many other girls like Cho from China and, patil sisters from India, Luna love good etc. But including all the girls, Hermione is the most intelligent one. In each and every situation we come to know about the intelligence and quickness in every situation to find out
A way.
Hermione conceives Harry of the idea of secretly teaching defensive magic to a small band of students in defiance of the Ministry and the death eaters.
Central Theme :--
Satire on education system
Power politics of ministry of. Magic
The Importance of Unity
Education as empowerment
Sixth part : Harry Potter and the Half Blood prince
Title of the Movie – with explanation of title in the plot / its significance :
The title of the movie is " Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" . In this part we find the controversy among the pure blood , half blood and Muggle blood. As the title suggests, this part is about the half blood prince.
So what is half blood ? Those children whose parents are muggle and one is a wizard and witch who is known as half blood. In this part we find that three half blood princes like Harry Potter, Severus Snape and Voldemort. The book Harry got in the class of Slughorn, that belongs to half blood prince. That is the book of Snap. In this part. The character of snap is turned in the evil spirit. He was helping Malfoy in his evil task which was assigned by Voldemort. At last who had killed Aldus Dumbledore. In this way the title is significant.
Harry’s task :-
Here in this part Harry's Major task is to find out what is the backstory of Lord Voldemort. When Voldemort was the student at that time he was talking with professor Slughorn at the party night.
To find out what Slughorn and Voldemort are talking about. So that through they find a clue how to kill Lord Voldemort. Slughorn was the key to understanding the character of Voldemort.
Harry was successful in his plan to come to know about the horcrux. Voldemort divided his soul in seven horcrux. To find whether Draco is a death eater or not.
Voldemort’s presence :---
In the memory of Slughorn we come to know about Voldemort and his past.
Horcrux ( destroyed by who ) :--
It was believed that The Horcrux is Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, But it seems that it is not a real horcrux.
Moral of the Story :---
Without memory we are blind. Without memory we leave the fate of our world to chance.
There can be no light without dark. - Slughorn.
Hermione’s role including other girls :--
The role of Hermione and other girls are almost insignificant in something serious done by Harry. The gender consciousness is growing more in this part. Because of that, emotions like love , jealousy grow. Ron and Harry talking about the skin of girls, that should be objected here.
Hermione is the one to offer Ginny advice on Harry, telling the younger girl not to obsess, to treat Harry like a normal person, and thus Ginny gets more comfortable around everyone.
Ginny also plays a vital role but Hermione is at the top position. They don't play a vital role but support others.
Central Theme :--
Love and Jealousy
Power of self sacrificing
Trust
Seventh part 1 : Harry Potter and the deathly hallows
Title of the Movie – with explanation of title in the plot / its significance :
The title of the movie is " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". In the plot we come to know about the symbol of Deathly Hallows and which is connected with the story of three brothers. These three objects are Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone and Cloak of Invisibility are Deathly Hallows. The one who owns it is the Master of Death.
Harry’s task :--
Harry's task is to find out a real horcrux , Salazar Slytherin's Locket, find Gryffindor's sword and destroy it.
There is one symbol of Death hellows, so to find out what this symbol means? Were these three deathly hallows locked ? Harry's task is to solve this matter.
Horcrux :--
Harry, Ron and Hermione find Salazar Slytherin's locket which is worn by Umbridge Dolores. The Horcrux is destroyed by Ron Weasley with the help of Gryffindor's sword.
Voldemort’s presence :---
In the beginning of the movie we can see Voldemort sitting on the meeting table with his team members. And planning about how to kill Harry.
Moral of the Story :---
Freedom in the most beautiful thing in life
Keep distance from evil thoughts.
Fight with Evil which is fighting deep inside us.
Hermione’s role including other girls :--
Only Hermione attracts us, including other girls. She accompanies Harry on his quest to destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes.
She inherits Dumbledore's personal copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which allows her to decipher some of the secrets of the Deathly Hallows.
Whenever they go save their lives from the death eaters and as well as the Ministry of Magic she prepares for their departure and journey by placing an Undetectable Extension Charm. The ministry of Magic passed a new bill where all the muggle blood people are identified And all should give a proof. Hermione also has a small beaded purse so she is able to fill the infinite depths of the bag with materials they will need.
All the time she remains with Harry to help him, each and every situation. Her body is objectified in a dream sequence of Ron while destroying Locket-Horcrux.
Here we can see how our mind is constructed by society. Always female characters are portrayed as a destroyer of mankind in one or another way. She is yet again used as bone of contention between two friends – an archetype of femme fatal.
Central Theme :--
Illusion of Power
Death
Racism
Seventh part 2 : Harry Potter and the deathly hallows
Title of the Movie – with explanation of title in the plot / its significance :
The title of the movie is " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". In the plot we come to know about the symbol of Deathly Hallows and which is connected with the story of three brothers. These three objects are Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone and Cloak of Invisibility are Deathly Hallows. The one who owns it is the Master of Death.
Harry’s task :--
Here in this part Harry's task is to find out remaining horcruxes.
And to kill Voldemort.
Horcruxes ( destroyed by whom ):--
The Horcrux Hufflepuff's Cup is destroyed by Hermione with the help of fang.
Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem is destroyed by Harry with the help of Basilisk’s Fang and kicked by Ron into Fire.
Nagini is killed by Neville Longbottom.
Harry is killed or we can say fainted by Voldemort.
Voldemort’s presence :---
In the last part we can see that the presence of the Voldemort is more than in others part. He was face to face with Harry and the other members, at the final battle, Hawgarts.
Moral of the Story :---
Do not pity the dead. Pity the living and all those who lived without love.
The battles are fought all alone.
Death is beautiful, not painful.
Words have magic. They are the curse, they the remedy. So be careful..
Hermione’s role including other girls :--
Including other women characters she was more significant. In this part Hermione plays a significant role in the beginning of the movie. She finds a way out of a deep vault with the help of a dragon. She destroys Cup-horcrux. Other girls like Luna breedlove, Ginny also fights at the final battle very bravely. Hermione carries one purse that shows a woman's characteristics. But that is helpful in the crucial moments of their life.
Central Theme :--
Death and love
Illusion v/s Reality
Particularly for this Webquest activity we are working on. The group members are me, Ravina Parmar, Asha Dhedhi and Nishtha Makwana. For this task we have prepared Google sites. There you will find very insightful reading of the HARRY POTTER series. We had used photographs, gif, original quotes from the novel, various qualitative resources, arguments and illustrations. We assure you will definitely enjoy it.
Click here to reach my web quest activity.
Reference :--
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. New York, NY: Scholastic, 1997.
Rowling, J.K.Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. New York, NY: Scholastic, 1999.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. New York, NY: Scholastic, 1999.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2000.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2003.
Yeo, Michele. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Feminist.
This is beautifully done
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