Lavoie (2003) notes that the Slytherin house’s main task seems to be to test the
courage of those in Gryffindor, the two houses forming a duality (p. 42). She expresses the view that throughout the series the Gryffindor house members show their courage when faced
with adversity (pp. 38-44). There are exceptions to this, as she notes that Severus Snape, a
Slytherin, shows courage while Peter Pettigrew, a Gryffindor, lacks courage (p. 41). She also
contends that Harry inherits his courage from his two families, from Lily and James Potter
and from the Gryffindor house (p. 46).
The students surveyed also recognised courage as a key quality of some of the
characters in the Harry Potter series (Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, p. 1, p. 6). They
specifically recognised it as one of Harry’s qualities (Appendix 7: Student Interview
responses, p. 4, Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, p. 2). The courage of characters in the
books can also be recognised in many of the self-sacrificial and selfless acts that students
recognised in the series (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, pp. 9-10). This would
include:
• Ron getting injured in chess game in PS
• Sirius Black helping to save Harry (and others) against Remus’ werewolf in
PoA
• Severus Snape in trying to help Harry in Shrieking Shack
• Hermione Granger helping house elves
• Ron and Harry risking death in following spider trail
• Harry Potter entering Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny
• Hermione and Ron standing up for Harry over Filch’s cat’s petrification
• Harry risking life to save others in Triwizard Tournament.
These are good examples of courage, particularly Hermione’s efforts to improve the
conditions for the house elves. Her almost solitary stand is commendable because she is
seeking real change in the wizarding culture and is not receiving the best of support from her friends Harry and Ron (GoF, pp. 198-199). Another example of courage shown in the books
is Neville Longbottom’s efforts in standing up against Harry and his friends in the first book
when he tries to stop them leaving the Gryffindor common-room (PS, p. 198). Dumbledore
rightly makes much of this event and the courage Neville shows because it is always hardest
to stand up against one’s friends:
‘There are all kinds of courage,’ said Dumbledore, smiling. ‘it takes a great deal of
bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I
therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom.’ (PS, p. 221).
Hope is another personal quality that critics identified in the series. Hope refers to an
“expectation and desire” (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 395). In this
thesis it refers to an expectation or desire that encourages a positive outcome for those with
hope. We need to have hope as a personal quality so that we can be positive in our attitudes
rather than becoming despairing in our outlook. As previously stated it is closely connected
to choice because no-one would bother making choices if they felt there was no hope for a
better world. Heroes too, need hope because without it there would be no reason to undertake
heroic acts.
Carroll (2004), in her thesis entitled Imagination for better not worse: The Hobbit in
the primary classroom, stresses that children need hope to help them cope with the
adversities which they will face in life (pp. 25-28). Bettelheim (1989) stresses that the
primary importance of fairy tales and fantasy is to give children hope (p. 3-6). Cherrett
(2003) relates the hope depicted in Harry Potter to the hope in salvation through Jesus Christ
(pp. 50-68). Emily Griesinger (2002) also stresses the importance of hope in the Harry Potter
series. She feels that “Harry Potter articulates the hope that goodness will triumph over evil,
that wrongs done to the small and the weak will be righted, that courage, loyalty, and friendship will overcome hatred, bigotry, and fear” (¶ 39). Griesinger also feels that the hope
portrayed in the series will assist children in understanding the hope that Christ offers (¶ 4).
Students, in responding to specific questions, also found hope in the series:
Q: Do you think there’s hope shown in this book?
Yes. [several].
Like Harry brings hope to the like, um, to the Muggle borns.
Well, Harry shows hope to all the wizards by, like, kind of defeating Voldemort in
every book, in every movie, and shows hope that the next time he comes they he will be
able to protect them.
Q: What would be an example of the hope that’s shown in this book?
Well Harry can survive Voldemort’s Avada Kedavra.
Q: Good, Harry’s hope – he’s survived the curse… And is there any other side? What
are they hoping for in the book to happen? If there was one big hope – what are they
hoping for?
For Voldemort to be defeated (Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, pp. 7-8).
The whole Harry Potter series is based on the key hope that Harry will be able to
defeat Lord Voldemort. This hope begins with Harry’s escape from Lord Voldemort’s attack
on him as a child. It is greeted by the majority of the wizarding world almost in the same
manner as the resurrection of Jesus. The common biblical term “Rejoice” is even used:
“Don’t be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for
You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating,
this happy, happy day!’
And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off.
(PS, p.10).
courage of those in Gryffindor, the two houses forming a duality (p. 42). She expresses the view that throughout the series the Gryffindor house members show their courage when faced
with adversity (pp. 38-44). There are exceptions to this, as she notes that Severus Snape, a
Slytherin, shows courage while Peter Pettigrew, a Gryffindor, lacks courage (p. 41). She also
contends that Harry inherits his courage from his two families, from Lily and James Potter
and from the Gryffindor house (p. 46).
The students surveyed also recognised courage as a key quality of some of the
characters in the Harry Potter series (Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, p. 1, p. 6). They
specifically recognised it as one of Harry’s qualities (Appendix 7: Student Interview
responses, p. 4, Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, p. 2). The courage of characters in the
books can also be recognised in many of the self-sacrificial and selfless acts that students
recognised in the series (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, pp. 9-10). This would
include:
• Ron getting injured in chess game in PS
• Sirius Black helping to save Harry (and others) against Remus’ werewolf in
PoA
• Severus Snape in trying to help Harry in Shrieking Shack
• Hermione Granger helping house elves
• Ron and Harry risking death in following spider trail
• Harry Potter entering Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny
• Hermione and Ron standing up for Harry over Filch’s cat’s petrification
• Harry risking life to save others in Triwizard Tournament.
These are good examples of courage, particularly Hermione’s efforts to improve the
conditions for the house elves. Her almost solitary stand is commendable because she is
seeking real change in the wizarding culture and is not receiving the best of support from her friends Harry and Ron (GoF, pp. 198-199). Another example of courage shown in the books
is Neville Longbottom’s efforts in standing up against Harry and his friends in the first book
when he tries to stop them leaving the Gryffindor common-room (PS, p. 198). Dumbledore
rightly makes much of this event and the courage Neville shows because it is always hardest
to stand up against one’s friends:
‘There are all kinds of courage,’ said Dumbledore, smiling. ‘it takes a great deal of
bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I
therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom.’ (PS, p. 221).
Hope is another personal quality that critics identified in the series. Hope refers to an
“expectation and desire” (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 395). In this
thesis it refers to an expectation or desire that encourages a positive outcome for those with
hope. We need to have hope as a personal quality so that we can be positive in our attitudes
rather than becoming despairing in our outlook. As previously stated it is closely connected
to choice because no-one would bother making choices if they felt there was no hope for a
better world. Heroes too, need hope because without it there would be no reason to undertake
heroic acts.
Carroll (2004), in her thesis entitled Imagination for better not worse: The Hobbit in
the primary classroom, stresses that children need hope to help them cope with the
adversities which they will face in life (pp. 25-28). Bettelheim (1989) stresses that the
primary importance of fairy tales and fantasy is to give children hope (p. 3-6). Cherrett
(2003) relates the hope depicted in Harry Potter to the hope in salvation through Jesus Christ
(pp. 50-68). Emily Griesinger (2002) also stresses the importance of hope in the Harry Potter
series. She feels that “Harry Potter articulates the hope that goodness will triumph over evil,
that wrongs done to the small and the weak will be righted, that courage, loyalty, and friendship will overcome hatred, bigotry, and fear” (¶ 39). Griesinger also feels that the hope
portrayed in the series will assist children in understanding the hope that Christ offers (¶ 4).
Students, in responding to specific questions, also found hope in the series:
Q: Do you think there’s hope shown in this book?
Yes. [several].
Like Harry brings hope to the like, um, to the Muggle borns.
Well, Harry shows hope to all the wizards by, like, kind of defeating Voldemort in
every book, in every movie, and shows hope that the next time he comes they he will be
able to protect them.
Q: What would be an example of the hope that’s shown in this book?
Well Harry can survive Voldemort’s Avada Kedavra.
Q: Good, Harry’s hope – he’s survived the curse… And is there any other side? What
are they hoping for in the book to happen? If there was one big hope – what are they
hoping for?
For Voldemort to be defeated (Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, pp. 7-8).
The whole Harry Potter series is based on the key hope that Harry will be able to
defeat Lord Voldemort. This hope begins with Harry’s escape from Lord Voldemort’s attack
on him as a child. It is greeted by the majority of the wizarding world almost in the same
manner as the resurrection of Jesus. The common biblical term “Rejoice” is even used:
“Don’t be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for
You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating,
this happy, happy day!’
And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off.
(PS, p.10).
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