HNRS 30001001: HOW TO READ HARRY POTTER LIKE A PROFESSOR

Dr. Heath A. Diehl Bowling Green State University, Spring 2012

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Foster, Chapter 18: If She Comes Up, Its Baptism 1. There are a number of instances in GOF when Harry Potter encounters and/or is immersed within water, including when he must immerse himself in the Prefects bathtub in order to solve the riddle of the Golden Egg and when he must jump into the lake to save Ron. What do you make of these scenes? In what ways do they contribute to the development of the plot (both in this novel and across the series)? In what ways do they comment on the development of character (Harry and others)? In what ways do they speak to larger themes that J. K. Rowling is exploring throughout the series? Are these instances of rebirth? OR do these scenes possess other symbolic meanings? 2. Can you think of any instances within the series so far when a characters encounter with and/or immersion within water might be read as: 2a. Wish fulfillment 2b. Exorcism of primal fear 2c. Exploration of the possible 2d. A handy solution to messy plot difficulties (Foster 153) Explain your reading of the event that you have chosen. 3. Are there any instances in any of the initial four books of the series when a characters encounter with and/or submersion in water might be read as baptism or rebirth? Which instances might be read this way and what might reading these instances in this way contribute to our understanding of the plot of the novel, the character being reborn, a predominant theme, and/or the series as a whole? 4. Some critics have read Voldemorts rebirth as an inversion (or perhaps even a perversion) of the baptism ritual. In what ways is this reading supported by the descriptions of this ritual included in GOF? Are there any ways in which this reading cannot be supported by the descriptions of the ritual included in GOF? What kinds of conclusions might we draw about the meaning of this scene if we read it as an inversion (or perversion) of the baptism ritual? What does this scene tell us about the politics of the series (perhaps with regard to Christianity, or spirituality more broadly; good and evil; virtue and vice)? About some of the main characters (e.g., Voldemort, Harry, even a secondary character like Wormtail)? About larger themes that J. K. Rowling is developing? In what ways are (Are?) our understandings of this scene shaped by the outcomes of the ritual? Explain your responses by drawing on specific passages from the novel where applicable. For Future Reading: Watch for future uses of water and/or bodies of water and/or rain showers as a means of commenting on 1) the constantly shifting nature of time (Foster 154); 2) character revelation; 3) thematic development; and 4) plot complication or denouement (Foster 161). ALSO: Is there a specific moment in the series when Harry are submerged in water and that submersion could be read as an act of baptism? Remember that with regard to baptism, Foster notes that the character [has] to be ready to receive it and that characters typically prepare for it through a steady process of divestiture (157). Explain your reading of water, submersion, baptism, and character development in this moment of the series.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Foster, Chapter 14: Yes, Shes a Christ Figure, Too 1. Early in Chapter 14, Foster writes, Culture is so influenced by its dominant religious systems that whether a writer adheres to the beliefs or not, the values and principles of those religions will inevitably inform the literary work (118). In what ways do you see the influences of Judeo-Christianity in the Harry Potter series? Think specifically about the following traditional points of conflict: y y y y y y y y The The The The The The The The relationship relationship relationship relationship relationship relationship relationship relationship of of of of of of of of the the the the the the the the individual individual individual individual individual individual individual individual to to to to to to to to society nature other individuals industry (aka the machine) self the wild the supernatural destiny

2. In his chapter on analyzing Christ figures, Foster provides a useful (albeit sometimes tongue-in-cheek) list of characteristics that typify not only Christ, but also Christ figures in literature. This list includes: 1) crucified, wounds in the hands, feet, side, and head; 2) in agony; 3) self-sacrificing; 4) good with children; 5) good with loaves, fishes, water, wine; 6) thirty-three years of age when last seen; 7) employed as carpenter; 8) known to use humble modes of transportation, feet or donkeys preferred; 9) believed to have walked on water; 10) often portrayed with arms outstretched; 11) known to have spent time alone in the wilderness; 12) believed to have had a confrontation with the devil, possibly tempted; 13) last seen in the company of thieves; 14) creator of many aphorisms and parables; 15) buried, but arose on the third day; 16) had disciples, twelve at first, although not all equally devoted; 17) very forgiving; 18) can to redeem an unworthy world (Foster 119-120). Using these characteristics as a jumping off point, consider the following characters as possible Christ figures: Harry Potter; Albus Dumbledore; Severus Snape. In what ways do these characters reflect the characteristics that typify Christ figures? In what ways do these characters fail to fulfill the expectations that we as readers have for Christ figures? Are those failures significant? And what do we gain (in terms of our understanding of character, plot, theme, and so forth) if we read such characters as Christ figures? AND: Are there other characters who might be read as Christ figures? (For my own curiosity: Could Voldemort be a Christ figure?) 3. Misc. Questions: Why are the heroes (or the protagonists) of Quest narratives so often read as Christ figures? What are the implications of doing so? ALSO: Foster insists that a Christ figure doesnt need to resemble Christ in every way (121-122). Which characteristics are essential to literary Christ figures and why? And what value (if any) is there in reading characters as Christ figures? For Future Reading: Keep looking for ways in which Harry fulfills and fails to fulfill the expectations for Christ figures in literature. Also, keep thinking about what we gain (in terms of understanding) by reading Harry as a Christ figure and what we lose (in terms of understanding) by doing so. Finally, keep looking for other possible Christ figures in the Harry Potter series. (e.g., Dobby)