Preface to the Plays of Shakespeare by Samuel Johnson

“Preface to the Plays of Shakespeare” by Samuel Johnson. In this essay Johnson has analyse both the side of Shakespearean plays, good as well as bad. Shakespeare as a writer has a great name in literature. In this essay he has described how Shakespeare was able to make his name immortal. Johnson in this essay says that Shakespeare has created only characters, which are like normal humans. The situations are also same as the problems of normal human beings. In time of Shakespeare all writers were writing about Queens and Kings but Shakespeare has choose to write about normal human beings. It is also written in the essay that Shakespeare was more comfortable with comedy than tragedy. His comedies are far better than his tragedies. It seems like he made efforts in writing tragedies but comedies comes naturally to him. He also has every elements in his plays. There is always something for everyone. These are the good points which Johnson has said about and he has also write some faults of Shakespeare. In bad side of Shakespeare’s writing Johnson has said that in plays of Shakespeare everything happens by chance. There are no Ifs and Buts. Second thing is that Shakespeare is clear about the start of his plays but not the ending. At the end he just made chaos and then either he made every character die or he made everyone meet at the end. This is how his plays ends. Johnson also describes that sometimes plot of Shakespeare’s plays are loosely connected. So this is how Johnson has described the good and bad sides of Shakespeare’s writing.

How Literature Shaped Me?

I can definitely say that because of studying literature for last five years, I am a whole new person right now. Literature or any form of art is a whole new and different world. It enables you to live as many lives as you want in your one life. It also enables you to meet thousands of different people, everyone having their own different personality. This reminds me of one quote by Jhumpa Lahiri, “That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”

Literature has helped me to grow as a better human being. It helped me to understand my self and has given identity to some of my weird feelings. If I forced my memory to remember the first work which has left an impression on me, then I remember that it was Leo Tolstoy’s “How Much Land Does A Man Need?”. The answer of this question has drag me out of my comfort zone. From this to the poem “Joe and Woe Are Woven Fine” by William Black, has taught me to accept miseries in life.

Literature is made up of feelings, but it does not make people emotional fools. It does not teach only feelings, it gives you history the way no one gives. It provides you the critical eyesight which only few have. Derrida tells you that you can deconstruct the well built building by finding the loose stone of that same building only. There is no need to attack from outside. Literature has taught me that life is not black or white, it has grey shade. It has rainbow. The symbol of rainbow and queer theory has taught me to accept the things the way they are, even though it looks strange to some. It has taught me that nothing is perfect not even nature. It has taught me that there can be multiple views of same thing. It has taught me that there is nothing like one and only truth, it differs and every point of view should have given place some where.

Literature has made me an individual from the herd of Sheeples. Through Criticism, it has made me see which others can’t. It taught me that constructive criticism is not a bad habit, rather it is good habit of mind. Literature has taught me how to think. When I choose to study literature, I choose to study Humans. Humans are always complicated, but then even can teach you the great things about them. For example Gogol has taught me identity crisis and diaspora. Yank, Vladimir and Estragon has taught me existentialism. Existentialism is a weird feeling, I’ve felt it before but I was not knowing the name of feeling. Literature also has given name to those weird feelings.

Not only feelings, but it has taught me some harsh realities also. For example, Mr. Gessler taught me that how industrialisation has eaten up his business and how quality is sacrificed in mass productions. Pecola through her entire life, has taught me how racism works and how harmful it is. Oliver Twist has told me the situation of orphans in his time. Gulliver has told me about the politics of his time. Hester has taught me to stand alone and fight for our own rights. Lily Briscoe has taught me to follow the passion. Hamlet taught me to think and Othello taught me to act. Doctor Faustus taught me to seek the knowledge. Milton’s Eve taught me to question. Santiago taught me to never give up. Adrian taught me the importance of last art and Tony taught me to doubt our own memories. Harry Potter taught me that chosen one also fails sometimes and they also has to face struggle in their life. These all are characters of literature, but they all talk to me. They show me their world. They show me the history and also give me sense of not repeating it.

In these five years, I have learned so many things, which might take many more years for others who don’t study it. People will underestimate us because of our selection of “Arts and Humanities”, but after studying literature, we grew older mentally, not physically. We understand our self better and we understand others also better. It taught us to put our feet in to the shoes of one who is front of us. This makes us understand the different point of view. Literature also brings unrest to you. When you grow with literature, you are definitely different from others who doesn’t and there should be difference between those who study literature and those who don’t. To adjust your self with people of your same age but with vast difference in thinking makes you feel the anxiety. You start expect maturity of your level into others, but when you don’t find it, it disappoint us. But with this dissatisfaction, anxiety and unrest, we became strong. It taught us to accept. Now literature don’t teach only to accept, it also taught you to refuse and rebel.  With all these things we grow strong,  always stronger than yesterday.


Literature provides comfort to the people but it also has the axe to broke the frozenness inside the peoples’ mind. It drags you out of your comfort zone. It makes you feel the things which has never happened to you. It puts you in the situation of “To be or not To be”. But at the end it also taught you that, “Readiness is all”.

Literature has taught me not to be dependent on someone else. By doing that literature has made me free. Free from every shackles and bondage of life. It has given us wings and vision of Eagle and also the stamina to fly high. Literature has given me the meaning of freedom. So what is freedom? According to me freedom is there, where are choices, then acceptance of your choice and free will to act upon those decision based on that choices.

Literature is like an ocean. You dive in it, go deep in it and it will unfolds those secrets, which are buried inside its heart. After passing five years in literature, I believe that I have looked at ocean from outside only. I know what it looks like on the surface, still I have to dive and go deep in it, to know it more.

At the end I want to say that literature has made me realise the power of the words. It has provide me all feelings. It has expand my imagination and creativity. Literature has made me whole new person. Literature has made me water. Water which flows and which never become rigid.

 “But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away, not ever. The only way out is in” – Junot Diaz, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”.

What is Literature?

Literature is mirror of society. This is what we have first encountered as the definition of literature. Which means that literature is the mirror which shows the real face of society and that is why it is mirror of society. To counter argue this there is other metaphor given to literature which is literature is photograph. Literature shows photograph of society. While taking photograph people forget their worries to show them selves happy in picture and that is what literature does. It shows photographed reality of society. Some say literature is an axe to break the frozenness of society. According to this metaphor people are froze in to the rigidity of society and religion and literature should be the axe to broke that frozenness inside society or people. Another metaphor for literature is X – ray report. Literature is X – ray report of society. It is ugly but it is real. It shows where the problem lies. So some say literature is like X – ray report which shows ugly face of society.

We have seen literature already has many definitions. To define it again will be hard but here I am giving my understanding. Though to define something means to limit something in some kind of boundaries but literature is limitless it doesn’t have frontier. Then even for me literature is a Train. The first station from where train starts its journey, it will be your first book. As soon as you sit in to the train the train starts moving. Now there is no destination, there will be halts. The train will only stop if you stop reading otherwise the literature train will never stop. With the changing of book, the train will also change its appearance. You are suggested to not to judge its ride by look of train. The writer will be the driver of train. There will be other people in the train but those are the characters whom you find in a book. They will change with the book. Now there is also not fix route of train. Sometimes it will take you to utopia and sometimes to dystopia and in between it will also show you the real world, with that it will show you fantasy world also. It will also show you, different types of people. Some are good some are bad but it will be best if they have grey shade. Some you may like some you may not but what important here is your journey. Because you know there is no destination and you have not pick up this train to reach some where. You just pick up this train to travel, travel where that you don’t know and it is also not necessary to know. What necessary is that you pick up the train. Everyone who choose to travel in this train they have their personal one. Your train is only for you. Sometimes it will be electronic train sometimes it will be local train. We can not assure you how your ride will be, because it can be anything. It can be either smooth or roller coaster. It is not necessary that it will give you happiness only. It can give you tears, fears, and at most it can give you unrest also. But what is need to pick up one train, when there is no particular destination and when it can give unrest then why would one wants to travel in such train? Well, because you like to take risk and pick one. You will pick it by your choice and will left it also by your choice. At the end of the day, the journey of this train will give you Something. Not necessarily a thing, but I assure you that you will not return with empty mind or heart, lets not say hand because it might not give any physical things.

Literature is kind of Maze from which, one don't want to come out.

Mini Reviews of Harry Potter Series

1) Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone

In the very first film, we see our hero, the boy who lived is suffering in the house of his muggle aunt. Hagrid comes and save Harry. Now all children are getting ready for going to the Hogwarts for the first time. The owls, frogs, mice, cat, broomsticks, candles hanging in the hall, ghouls, seeing all these things for the first time give gothic feeling and excitement also. Voldemort is very weak here, he wants Philosopher’s stone because it can make him immortal, but he fails. Apart from all these fantasy things, there are points like friendship, love, sacrifice, desires and some moral lessons. The Mirror of Erised is very interesting thing here. It shows people their deepest desire. But the happiest human will see themselves. When Harry see his mother and father in that mirror, Dumbledore suggest Harry to do not dwell in it and don’t forget to live life. The Devil’s Snare was also interesting. It gives very good lesson. It asks you to relax in your hard times. When problem comes, just relax and you will be out. The first year of Hogwarts was so magical. The movie also talks about racism, as Malfoy abuse Hermione because her parents are muggles. If we look deeply then it is problematic from feminist point of view. Wizard is the word for the man who knows magic which contains good connotation. Witch is used for woman who knows magic which contains very bad connotation. Over all the movie gives thrill till the end. With Harry, Ron and Hermione, viewers also wait for the next year to go to Hogwarts.

2) Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets

Second year at Hogwarts. Seeing Harry in trouble from the very beginning at Diagon Ally gives tension, but he has got luck at that time Hagrid finds him. This part falls under the category of stereotypical children literature, where princess is kidnapped and prince has to save her. This part is more boy – centric, as Hermione was also patronised when she is most needed. So only hero is at work no heroine. Voldemort is here as memory in the diary of Tom Riddle, which was one of the horcrux and Harry destroyed it. Apart from this there are things in this part which we wish we have in real life, like floo powder, invisibility cloak, phoenixes, and of course Parsel tongue ( I wonder if Harry can teach me this tongue I love snakes). Racism continues here. Hermione says fear of name increase the fear of thing and that is why they don’t afraid to speak Voldemort’s name. Choices are very important here. Voldemort and Harry have same abilities but it is their choices which makes them different. The chamber of secret is closed and one another year passed of Hogwarts.

3) Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban

Gothic elements are becoming stronger, as we see dementors in the very beginning. They are the guardians of Azkaban prison. One prisoner Sirius Black has escape from the prison and dementors are searching him. Sorrow attracts dementers and they suck the soul of people who are in grief, that makes them stronger. In this part Harry is showing his dark side. He is more eager to kill Sirius as he believe that he is the one who has betrayed the his parents. Which at last Harry and we come to know that he is innocent. We come to know something new about Ware wolf and Animagos. Ware wolves are who can’t control them selves turning in to wolf but Animagos are those who can be any animal when they want. This part has time traveling also. With that time travel we also come to know that we have to save our self, no one comes to save us. Also that loved ones never dies they always remain alive in our heart. The character of Hermione is strong here. She is doer of the things and Harry is driven here. Another year at Hogwarts ends.

4) Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

 This part starts with Voldemort. They are discussing Harry Potter. In this part kids are becoming elder now. Love and Ball is part of this film. The whole move is based on Triwizards tournament. The goblet of fire choose the name of participants. Harry’s name is chosen, though he is not qualified by age to take part in this tournament but, everything is planned by the servant of Voldemort. The trophy was transferred in to the portkey, which is a thing when one touches it they reach at another place. At the end of this movie Voldemort possesses his full body. This part gives very interesting idea of pensive the memory keeper, in which we can preserve our memory. We can also see the reporter Rita Skeeter here and her way of writing in to the newspaper. We can also question news in real world. At last Dumbledore gives Harry a rational advice that dead people can’t come back and also warned him to be ready, because now he has to make choice between right or easy. With this another year at Hogwarts ends.

5) Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix

Order of Phoenix is a secret society which was established by Dumbledore. Umbridge has become one of the professor at Hogwarts and Hogwarts is now no more that lively. Power politics is playing main role here. Umbridge is from Ministry of Magic, and she started binding everybody in the rules. Practical knowledge is no more practiced in the Hogwarts, only theory. This is satire J. K. Rowling doing on the education system. They are more focused on the examination. Journalism is also criticised here as it is tool or puppet of power. Harry built Dumbledore Army. He told everyone that working hard is important but to believe in own self is also important. The lesson worth taking, only hard working will not help if you don’t trust your self. Again the matter of choice, where it is said that everybody has good and bad side it is just what you choose to be. Hogwarts is no more fascinating now and one more year at Hogwarts ends.

6) Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Slughorn is a new professor at Hogwarts. He is friend of Dumbledore. Voldemort is becoming more powerful and it is task of Harry to find out that what has given Voldemort power. Bellatrix who is one of the follower of Voldemort has escape from the Azkaban. Now to kill Voldemort is more important. Slughorn has given some information to the Tom but he feels guilty and that is why he has manipulate his memory. At the end he gives his actual memory to Harry and then the task is to find all the horcruxes of Voldemort and destroy them. Without memory we are nothing, this is what this part is saying. Severus Snape has killed the Dumbledore. Now the main task for Harry, Hermione and Ron is to find all the horcrucxes and destroy them. The last year at Hogwarts ends, and now coming back to the Hogwarts will not be important any more.

7) Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows – 1

Now there is no Hogwarts. Things have become worst at Hogwarts. The school is now under the control of Voldemort. Death eaters have become professor at Hogwarts. Racism is at its height. They are on the project of killing every muggle born and half blood people. Ministry is also working in the favour of making wizard world pure. Radio and other media has just becomes the puppet of the ministry. Harry, Hermione and Ron has to destroy every horcrux before Voldemort found the Deathly Hallows. It is made up of three things, the invisibility cloak, elder wand and resurrection stone. If Voldemort gets these three things then to kill him will be impossible. This part gives one important lesson that sometimes we have to fight with our own self. Dumbledore in his will has left all three of them something, which will be helpful to them in finding their way. They found some horcruxes and destroyed but some are still there.

8) Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows – 2

Harry, Hermione and Ron are still on the search of some last few horcruxes. Voldemort has got the elder wand now. He has attacked the Hogwarts to get the Harry. Now fight has come face to face. Voldemort and his followers have killed so many at Hogwarts. Voldemort says that so many people has dies for Harry. Here the heroism of Harry is questioned. Every time it is hero who dies for people but here others are dying because of him. After that he has choose to go alone in the forest to fight with Voldemort. He knows that he has to die. Dumbledore also knows this, but it was not told to Harry. It is said that waiting for the right time is necessary. Harry willingly goes to sacrifice himself. He wins over death. There is talk also between Dumbledore and Harry, where Dumbledore told him to pity living not the dead and to pity those who has lived without love. Harry and Voldemort are similar at some points and that is why it is something like to fight with self, which is very hard and necessary also. At the end Harry broke the Elder wand because he says that invincibility is dangerous, fear is what make people human. At the end the children of Harry, Hermione and Ron are going for the first time at Hogwarts and Harry tells his son that choice is what ultimately matters. This is how Harry Potter series ends.

Harry Potter series are full of adventure, thrill, magic and fascination. With all these things Harry Potter is also about Good vs. Evil, Tolerance vs. Intolerance, Equality vs. Inequality and many more. Wizard world gives lessons which can be very helpful in our muggle world. To watching these series is wonderful experience.

Thank you.

Web Quest of Harry Potter

This blog is part of my academic activity. To know more about activity click here.

Harry Potter series are those on which lots of internet source can be found, and also on mostly any topic related to Harry Potter. So for our academic purpose we have asked to do web quest on selected topics from Harry Potter. To open the table of web quest click here.


In case if links in the table don’t work then here are every topic with embedded link.

1) Children’s literature and Harry Potter

2) Theme of Choice and Chance in Harry Potter

3) Moral and Philosophical reading of Harry Potter

4) Feminist reading of female characters in Harry Potter

5) Discourse on Purity of Blood and Harry Potter

6) Self Help culture and Harry Potter

7) Confronting reality by Reading fiction – Harry Potter

8) Discourse of Power and Politics in Harry Potter

9) Speculative literature and Harry Potter

10) Theme of Love and Death in Harry Potter

11) Christianity in Harry Potter

12) What do you think about this image? 

I think that what is said in this image is right. Harry Potter books do argue for intolerance and do plea to end bigotry. We can say that from the very choice of making hero a half blood. This suggest that division on the name of race or blood does not matter.  Dobby as free house elf also speaks to end the class discrimination. Further, yes, this can be the reason why people don’t like the books. But as the image says that it pass on very healthy message which younger generation should know. People always believe that to question authority is disloyalty towards authority. Well no, it is not disloyalty, in first place; and in second place, in democracy people have right to ask question to authority and to know things which authority is doing. So asking question is not disloyalty. We live in post – truth era, so to doubt or to not believe without evidence should be the habit of people. We see that in Harry Potter also how Rita Skater manipulate the truth. So we should also not believe what authority or media says to us. 

Thank you.

Theme of Love and Death in Harry Potter

Harry Potter with lots of other elements has not left out the age old theme of Love and Death. The very first scene of love and death comes together is murder of Harry’s parents. They sacrifice themselves because they have loved the Harry and that has given protection to the Harry. Same thing Harry does. He goes to the forest willingly to sacrifice himself for the sake of Hogwarts protection and it also has provided protection to the Hogwarts. In matter of love Dumbledore also says that don’t pity dead, pity living and pity those who does not get love. So this is how the theme of love has portrayed.

Death is also one of the theme of Harry Potter. It gives very good insight for death. It says that one can not cheat death. One or the other day people have to die. Other thing it says is that no one can bring dead ones back to the life. Dumbledore also says that there is no such spell which can bring dead back. It also says that to win over death means to win over the fear of death. If you don’t fear dying then death can not do anything wrong to you. This is what Harry also does. When he was going in to the forest to Voldemort he thinks about death and he very calmly accepts the death. This gives very good insight. There are those people also who have feared the death and now they are Ghouls in the Hogwarts. So if someone fear death they remain in between. But Harry has very bravely overcome the fear of death. One last thing which it says about dead and dear ones that they can’t come back but they live in the heart, they don’t go away. They are always with you.

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Christianity in the Harry Potter

Harry Potter series are one of those where there is complete denial of God or Religion. Hogwarts and all the characters in the novels have gone through hardest time of their life. But then even we did not find anyone who is praying to God for help. There is not a single church also in the setting of the novels. When hard time comes people choose to act rather than pray. We also didn’t find that any where it was God’s miracle that save any of the characters or anywhere the God is coming and saving characters from catastrophe. So in one way J. K. Rowling has denied the existence of God or Religion in her books. May be these all are the reasons why some Christians are not happy with the books and they are asking people to not to read it. They believe that this books are celebrating Satanism. Because magic and witchcraft are symbols of Satan worshiping in the Christianity.

If we look from another angel then we can find some of elements of Christianity here. The very survival of Harry and then took him to the safe place by three person it self is like story of a Jesus. Then in last parts Harry is referred as “Chosen one”, which it self is similar as Christ. So these way we can also find Christianity in to the Harry Potter series.

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Power Politics in Harry Potter

 Whole Harry Potter series has the dynamics of power politics. Questioning authority is base of good democracy, but when power is not ready for criticism or in the name of reformation when power controls and separate people then they don’t accepts questions as something good, but rather they take it as disloyalty towards the authority. This started happening in Hogwarts also when government started interfering the education. Education is base of people. They learn to ask question when they are educating themselves. But when people from Ministry of Magic has become professor in school the atmosphere has started changing. Umbridge is a member of Ministry of Magic, she came in to education. Very first thing which she did was she started giving punishment for asking questions and started separating those who asks question. When fellow teachers ask her anything she accuse them of being disloyal to the authority. She has taken all the freedom of students. There are more restriction on students in the name of discipline. Whole Hogwarts has changed because of her large list of rules and strict application of those rules. This is how they have controlled the resistance.

 After all these things Voldemort is coming in to the power because the death eaters are now becoming professor at Hogwarts. Those professors has strictly act on the idea of Voldemort. That idea was of pure blood. They have started catching those who are not belongs to pure blood. This is how they make the non pure bloods, Others. On this idea of Others they have started killing muggles and half blood people. So this is how power politics works in the Harry Potter.

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Confronting Reality by Reading Fiction Harry Potter

The writer of fantasy books have never thought of only write it for entertainment. Fantasy books always have some moral lessons or some lessons which people can put in to the real practice. Harry Potter is also same kind of novels which helps us in living our real life, but it told us by fantasy story. The first and important lesson according to me is accept the failure. Harry is hero of the novels but then even some times he can not win some battles, but then he accepts his failure and move forward. This gives another lesson worth putting in to real life practice is persistency. Failure or success doesn’t mean stop. One should have to keep on doing the same till they don’t achieve the height. This means one should never give up. Another important thing is love and sacrifice. It was Lily’s love and sacrifice which keeps Harry alive.

Other important lessons which we can take from Harry Potter is questioning the authority. It always happens in real world that people thinks what authority does is always good but it is not so. One should always question the authority and one should also stands for the right thing or rights of the people. Some lessons which can be helpful in developing self is that everybody has good and bad side. No one is thoroughly good or bad. People have both, most people have balance, in some case one is over powering other. So while thinking about ourselves also we should remember that no one is thoroughly good or bad. Second one is over coming the fear of death. In nature, who take birth, they have to die. No one can be immortal. So fearing the truth of the life is not so good thing to do, so one should overcome the fear of death. These are some points through which Harry Potter series can help people to confront reality by reading fantasy books.

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Harry Potter as Speculative Fiction

Speculative Fiction is an umbrella term, which includes many other terms like science fiction, fantasy, horror, history, utopia, dystopia and super hero story. There are many terms which can be applied on Harry Potter books. We can say that Harry Potter series are fantasy books, as it take us to the world of magic and mystery. Though it is world of magic but it gives scientific reasons also, as it shows process of every magic so it can be considered as scientific fiction. With science and magic it gives elements of horror. All those dark forests and giant animals, at some place give feeling of horror. These books are not connected with real history. It does have the events of present world. But it obviously is talking about the history of the Hogwarts school. So it includes history also. At last we have super hero tale also. This is the story of a “boy who lived” and “chosen one” so we can take Harry as super hero. All these terms makes Harry Potter a speculative fiction.

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Harry Potter as Self Help Books

Harry Potter has given many lessons which can make these books as self help books. For instance, finding happiness in dark times, doing duty honestly even if people don’t like you, recognize friend in disguise, loyalty, sacrifice, friendship, persistency, these all are the topics which can be taken as self help. But there is something more than this which make this books different from others self help cultured books. Those books asks to find reason of failure in one’s own self. It sooths the political agenda of government, who tells people that there is something lacking in you and not in the system. Harry Potter differs from these culture. Harry Potter teach us to question the authority. It teaches to doubt power also not only own self. It also teach us to fight against the power. We can take example of Dumbledore’s army, which was trained by Harry. That army was to fight against the Ministry of Magic. So it doesn’t sooths the agenda of government. It is rather teaching that question authority is betterment for society.

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Discourse on Purity of Blood in Harry Potter

Pure blood, Half blood and Mud blood, these are the terms which are used in the Harry Potter books. These terms are to discriminate people, and also to show power of related to blood. Every where there is concept of superior and inferior, the base might differ. Here the base is blood. People in Harry Potter series used to think that those who have belongingness to pure blood family, have more talent and those who doesn’t belongs don’t have talent. But here making hero Half blood and Hermione, Mud blood, J. K. Rowling is showing very clearly her stance. So it proves that talent can not be inherited, it should be acquired.  Secondly pure blood don’t give certificate of goodness in person. We can clearly see that Malfoys who belongs to Pure blood family are in the favour of Voldemort and Harry who is Half blood and Hermione who is Mud blood they are fighting against the evil. So everything does not come with blood.

Then we can see racism also. As Rowling her self has not portrayed any other race then white as leading or main characters. All other races are just there as crowd or supportive characters. We can also see the master race and slave race as there are house elves and goblins, who serves wizards. Goblins are inferior to the wizards. House elves are same as slave in real world. They treated very badly by their masters. We can see two house elves here. One is Dobby, who later on becomes free elf, but before freedom we can see how badly he has treaded by Mr. Malfoy. Second is Kreacher, who is house elf of Black family. So in these ways we can see the discourse on purity of blood in Harry Potter series, in which by making hero from Half blood family we can see the sign of Rowling that she doesn’t believe in master race or pure blood idea.

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Feminist Reading of Harry Potter

Hermione is major character in the Harry Potter series. But how we will look at the portrayal of female characters if we do feminist reading of Harry Potter series. Many critics and people thinks that Rowling has not left any place to criticise her work from feminist point of view. We can not agree with 100%. As we can say that there are 50 – 50 of appreciation and criticism both. We can appreciate these novel by looking at the female characters as strong and knowledgeable. At Hogwarts Umbridge is the one who is slowly taking over the power from Dumbledore. The other point to ponder is here mother has given more importance then father. Harry’s mother Lily is shown more effective and presentable then in comparison to Harry’s father James. Mother of Ginny, Ron, Fred and George is Molly. She is house wife but when it comes to her daughter she can fight with Bellatrix and can defeat her also. So this way we can appreciate Harry Potter series from feminist perspective.

Still there are some points, from which we can criticise the Harry Potter series. We can see that there are female characters presented as very strong but then they all are under the power of men. The head of Hogwarts Dumbledore is man, Harry is man, Fudge, the minister of ministry of magic is man, and if we look on the other hand Voldemort is also a man. So all main power positions are in control of men, women are working under the power of male. Hermione in part two “Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets” she was patronised and Ron and Harry was there to complete the task. The task was also typical which askes to save princess from the villain. Then we can see Hermione crying and can not control her emotions but in same situation Harry has presented as strong who can control his emotions. Then Hermione was more considered about her looks, while we don’t see any male or boy pondering on looks. We can see in, “Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban” Hermione is talking about her hair. In last part when she turned in to Bellatrix she asks how she looks, so still here we can see that Rowling has presented the stereotype which says woman are more concern about their looks. Apart from this the name Moaning Myrtle is also showing the stereotype of woman only crying all the time. So these are the points from which we can criticise Harry Potter series from feminist perspective.

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