Animal and Color Symbolism in Harry Potter Series Essay

An investigation of J.K. Rowlings Utilization of Animal and Color Symbolism in Her incrust thrower Series Many consider symbolizationism the most authorized factor in comprehending the knowledgeable area. Symbols and metaphors extend into the realm of everyday lyric poem and figures of speech (Biedermann VII). In turn, the harass Potter novels of J.K. Rowling atomic number 18 extensively philosophic and symbolic (Bagget and Klein 3). Some believe t palpebra a civilization that is very forward-looking will keep records of classic symbols (Biedermann VIII). Paralleling this statement, the civilization that J.K. Rowling creates is one of menacing trolls and prohibit forests that haunts the bestseller lists week in and out, enthralling readers and leaving them hungry for more (Bagget and Klein 1). thusly the question arises In what ways and to what extent free energys J.K. Rowling incorporate animal and twine symbolism into her scourge Potter serial publication? Non-ficti on animals that exist in reality, as well as in these novels, ar utilized as symbols by J.K. Rowling. Owls often seem to be intelligent, tolerant, contemplative, ominous, and nocturnal. (249).Read moreHow many another(prenominal) lecture in the harry potter series.These animals appear frequently in the emblems of pedantic publishing houses and book stores (250). harmonize to Aeppli, cat-o-nine-tailss argon conside departure the typically feminine animal and females are knget as being more deeply rooted in the drear intuitive side of life than man with his simpler psyche (59-60). The cat is tireless and silklike when going after its prey the virtues of a acceptable soldier like Professor McGonagall (60). Of course, Rowling includes many super-natural figures. According to Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts schooldays of Witchcraft and Wizardry, phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are born-again from the ashes (Rowling, enkindle Potter and the bedroom of Secrets 207). Dumbledore refers to the usual grandeur of the phoenix and his feathers of scarlet and gold, the food changeings of Gryffindor (Rowling, Chamber 207). The phoenix, often referred to as the sunburnbird, ignites itself centennially, perishes, and is reborn from the cinders.The phoenix globally embodies immortality, death by fire, the sun, and resurrection (Bruce-Mitford 31). In Harry Potter and the Sorcerers rock n roll, Rowling describes a dog that filled the whole space between detonating device and floor. It had three heads, three pairs of rolling mad eyes, and three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction (Rowling, Stone 160). According to Hermione, the dog is blatantly protect something, for it stands on a disguised door (Rowling, Stone 162). The three-headed dog generally symbolizes reliability and awareness in mythology it usually portrays a protector at the entrance to the world of the dead (97). Unicorns pass on come to si gnify wholesomeness and business leader (Biedermann 360). According to medieval lore, a unicorns horn was a aright antidote to poison (28). Unicorns are described as pure and faithful (Bruce-Mitford 28).Rubeus Hagrid explains that unicorn blood has the ability to save any life no subject how near to death but at an awful cost, having killed an animal of its virtue and lack of defense in a selfish manner (Rowling, Stone 258). Mythology, when describing the conception of the earth, depicts dragons as very primitive. The gods are called to overcome these dragons and eventually, their most important descendants compose dragon-slayers (102). In fairy tales and inventions, slaying the dragon is a frequent test of the heros mettle (Biedermann 102). As the dragons are being tended to in Harry Potter and the goblet of Fire, torrents of fire shoot into the downhearted sky from their open, fanged, mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks (Rowling, Goblet 326). In a christian view, the dragon can make the disgust counterpart, usually a devil (Biedermann 103).Many main characters in this series are represented by the animals into which they can transform. Because of the rats temper for soiling what is good and carrying sickness, it has become known as a companion of the devil, demons, and witches (279). Peter Pettigrew, a follower of Harrys evil counter- part, spends many years disguised as a rat. Black dogs have been sight to be in partnership with doers of black magic, yet only rarely do dogs appear in a negative light (97). The Chinese mostly considered them guards against fiends (98). Dogs primarily have a reputation of loyalty and prudence (97). These are qualities similar to those of Harrys god-father Sirius Black. To saviorians, a wolf is most often the rival endangering those who hold strong faith. Various fables of wolves resulting from murderous individuals exist. The member werewolf is exactly translated to man-wolf (3 87).As the Latin word for wolf is lupus, it is a great foreshadowing tool that the Hogwarts professor with the surname Lupin is in fact a werewolf (387). The first name of said professor, Remus, excessively seems too well suited to be of coincidence. It appears in the Roman legend of the Capitoline wolf that was said to have nursed Romulus and Remus (Biedermann 389). The deer has great moment in this series. Various older legends of Europe include adolescent females who are changed into does. It was a doe that was said to have rescued fleeing Frankish warriors by showing a point at which they could ford the Main River (Biedermann 97). In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling describes a silver-white doe, moon-bright and dazzling, picking her way over the ground and Harry senses the inexplicable familiarity of this creature. His mothers patronus, a symbol used to fight off evil creatures with a tour, was a doe identical to this one.Harry realizes that his patronus is inhe rited from his father when he casts his own spell and sees a stag with prominent antlers. This causes him to recall his fathers nickname, Prongs. (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 411) As the mascot of Slytherin House is a snake, it is reasonable thatas reported by an Christian passage, Physiologusthe deer spits water into every fella in which poisonous snakes are hiding it thus spits them out and tramples them (92). The deer has been seen as having skin that can act as a amulet to overtake snake poison, and antlers that can be powdered for protection against dark powers (92). Supposedly, burnt deer horn drives away any snake (Biedermann 93). The winsome hat, the judge of how each student is placed into a house, sings one might endure in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal, those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid(p) of toil (Rowling, Stone 118).As Hufflepuff is somewhat of a misunderstood house, it is apprehensible that yellow the primary house c olor gives some of the most mixed messages of all. It is the color of pulsating lifeof corn and gold and angelic haloesand it is also at the selfsame(prenominal) time a color of bile, and in its sulphurous incarnation it is the color of the Devil (Finlay 203). European opinion has dubbed the color cowardly, which coincides with the notion that Hufflepuff is quite small to the brave Gryffindor (Bruce-Mitford 107). Rubeus Hagrid states that Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o duffers (Rowling, Stone 80) According to Goethe and his color theory, yellow is soft and merry but can substantially become unpleasant (392).A badgerthe Hufflepuff mascotsurvives off the fat of its own body, which has turned it into a model of iniquity corresponding to the bad representation of the Hufflepuff house. In the English language, the term badgering is synonymous to irritating (Biedermann 28). The discompose new students are told that they could prosper in wise old Ravenclaw, if theyve a ready min d, where those of wit and learning will always find their kind (Rowling, Stone 118). The House color blue is primarily known as a representation of things of the spirit and the intellect (Biedermann 44). In order to bow Ravenclaws chambers, one is asked to solve a problem. This encourages them to always seek knowledge, agree to a Ravenclaw member (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 587). Usually, eaglesthe house mascothave favorable connotations. They consist of energy, renewal, contemplation, acuity of vision, and empurpled bearing (Biedermann 108).Appropriately, the categorisation hat also sings for Ravenclaw, the cleverest will always be the best (Rowling, Goblet 177). The wise sorting hat advises new students that perhaps in Slytherin theyll make their real friends, those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends (118). To Harrys perception, the Slytherin members appear to be an unpleasant lot (Rowling, Stone 119). A serpent, the good example of Slytherin, originated from the ability of the houses founder to speak to snakes, a mark that Harry shares (Rowling, Chamber 196). By the Chinese, snakes are considered hazardously cunning. They also believed that the stubbornness of a snake skin signified that a person would become wealthy (312). A snake is capable of murder by vitriolic and utilizing its poison (Biedermann 310).Snakes are often related to demise and disarray (Willis 250). Controlled by the returned Lord Voldemort, a basilisk is hidden deep inside Hogwarts Castle that kills the great unwashed by looking at them (Rowling, Chamber 291). In the early nerve centre Ages, the basilisk was attributed with incredible deadly magic. It also, possessed a lethal glance and middleman (Rowland 28). According to Moaning Myrtle, a ghost victim of the basilisk, it only takes the glance of a basilisks big, yellow eyes to inflict death (Rowling, Chamber 299). In accordance to the beliefs of Christians, basilisks symbolize an evil spirit th at can only be stopped by the bible (Rowland 28). Green, Slytherins primary color, can represent childishness. Especially in English, the color is associated with negative emotions such as enviousness and jealousy (Biedermann 159).At one point in time, there was a green color that was undisclosed in China except to the selected royal people. All that was disclosed was its origin of the color green (Finlay 245). This statement parallels the conjure of Salazar Slytherin, the founder of the house, to be more particular when admitting students to the school (Rowling, Chamber, 150). The sorting hat declares that one might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. Their daring nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart (Rowling, Stone 118). Primarily, redGryffindors main coloris a sign of aggression, vitality and strength, associated with fire and symbolizing both love and mortal combat (28). Red is usually the most favored color to an individual (281). To Christians, red is synonymous to Christs sacrificed blood, those willing to die for Christ, and ardent affection (Biedermann 282).Upon the instruction of Dumbledore, Harry rotates the sword that previously helped him defeat Lord Voldemort, the rubies blazing in the firelight Then he sees the name just below the hilt, Godric Gryffindor (Rowling, Chamber 333). According to Aeppli, in a dream, red indicates that the dreamer is brave, or equipped to act. Cardinals wear red in order to indicate that they are ready to give up their lives for Christ (Biedermann 282). Accordingly, Harry willingly accepts that all that is left for him is the thing itself dying to defeat Lord Voldemort (Rowling, Hallows 692). According to I Peter 58for Alchemistslions can represent sulfur, the old geezer element or the red lion, for the finished philosophers stone (Biedermann 210). The philosophers stone, as it was originally referred to, is blood-red (292).According to Hermione Granger, Nicholas Flamel, an alchemist, is the o nly known cleric of the Philosophers Stone (Rowling, Stone 219). In European Heraldry the lion is usually red or gold, with its tongue and claws in a contrasting color (Biedermann 210). After Gryffindors defeat of Slytherin for the house cup, in an instant, the green hangings became gold the secondary color of Gryffindor house the Brobdingnagian Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place (Rowling, Stone 306). Indeed, symbols are amidst the assets of the world that are the most essential (Biedermann IX). Mostly, the human race doesnt register the significance of these signs or even their existence (Bruce-Mitford 6). Yet, as J.K. Rowling utilizes them in her Harry Potter series, symbols enable people to bring the incomprehensible into the realm of the tangible, where they can deal with it (Biedermann XII).Works CitedBaggett, David, and Shawn Klein. Harry Potter and Philosophy If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts. Chicago, Ill. informal Court, 2004. Print. Bieder mann, Hans. Dictionary of Symbolism Cultural Icons and the Meanings Behind Them. Trans. James Hulbert. New York Meridian, 1992. Print. Bruce-Mitford, Miranda. The Illustrated entertain of Signs and Symbols. New York D.K., 1996. Print. Finlay, Victoria. Color A Natural History of the Palette. New York Ballentine, 2002. Print. Rowland, Beryl. Animals with benignant Faces A Guide to Animal Symbolism. Knoxville U of Tennessee P, 1973, Print. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York Levine, 1999. Print. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. New York Levine, 2007. Print. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York Levine, 2000. Print. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York Levine, 1999. Print. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. New York Levine, 1997. Print. Willis, Roy G. Signifying Animals Human Meaning in the Natural World. London Unwin Hyman, 1990. Print.