Siri Venkatagiri, Week 9: The Two Uses of Power in Harry Potter
Irrespective of my age, the Harry Potter series will forever hold a prime spot on my list of favorite books. The spellbinding environment JK Rowling has created within the fictional storyline never fails to transport me into a magical yet familiar universe, with themes such as enchantment, friendship, community, and others at the series' core. However, one of the most prevalent themes throughout the series' main storyline is power. Specifically, power rooted in love and friendship versus power based on darkness and greed.
Harry Potter, the series' main character, is depicted to have survived a death curse due to the overwhelming power and protection his mother's love provided him. Regardless of his life's hardships and unsettling turns, Potter consistently sought comfort in the company of his friends and those he considered family. Every battle he faced was centered on the spirit of goodness prevailing over evil.
On the contrary, Voldemort, the evil figure responsible for placing the death curse on one-year-old Potter, can be considered the embodiment of dark magic and resentment. Voldemort is depicted to be on a quest for immortality and unmatched magical power, driving his desire to murder Harry Potter and, as a result, gain the title of the greatest wizard of all time. His hunger for power is also motivated by his detestation towards non-magic folks (muggles), and the hope that he will one day be able to subjugate both the magical and Muggle worlds. Unlike Potter, Voldemort fought every battle for his own sake, showing mercy to absolutely no one in his path full of destruction.
Both Potter and Voldemort were born with the gift of immense magical power. Both characters are quite similar in this manner, however, one uses his power for the greater good of his society while the other uses power for the sake of his own selfish pursuits. In the final battle between Voldemort and Potter, Potter succeeds, portraying the idea that power itself is most powerful when used with courage, in making choices that align with the greater good.
Hi Siri, the Harry Potter world has always been fascinating to me due to the many interweaving communities. You mentioned the muggle world vs. the magic wielding world, but there are also very interesting dynamics between the different houses in Hogwarts. The students find power in identifying with their house and feeling comfortable in a community catered to their needs.
ReplyDeleteThe Harry Potter books are some of my favorites, because my first experience reading the series remains unrivaled. This may be attributed to the power described in the introduction of your blog post. The battle between power that has been drawn between opposing sources creates a level of suspense that creates a unique reading experience.
The contrast between how Harry Potter and Voldemort use their power emphasizes a theme I have seen throughout the first set of blog posts surrounding power. This theme suggests that motive is very important when taking into account how power is used. While not all power struggles deal with life or death situations, one factor remains constant. The scale or effectiveness of the power is less important than the motive inspiring the use of it.
Hi Siri! I was drawn to this blog as I love the Harry Potter series. I was always so fascinated with the magic world and the complexities of it. Each characters and houses have very different personalities and individual strengths.
ReplyDeleteHarry and Voldemort have similar isolated childhoods, however one is good while the other is evil. This was always very interesting to me as it demonstrates nobody is born a certain way but rather it is the choices they make in life that determines if they are a good person or not. Voldemort made evil decisions since he was not able to feel love. Although Harry did not receive much love in his early childhood, he still remained a good person.
I liked how you pointed out both of the characters were born with immense magical power. As like you said, this highlights the fact that power itself is not good or evil, but what the individuals do with it decides the nature of it. The final battle between Harry and Voldemort is my favorite scene as it illustrates that true power is potent when it is guided by love rather than evil. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your blog, good job!
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ReplyDeleteHey Siri! It's cool that you are discussing the Harry Potter series because I just finished the series a couple months ago. I actually started the series back in middle school, but I recently got back into it. After reading it for so long, I eventually came to the same conclusion that you came to about this series (and I guess a lot of other series), which is that the power of love/friendships, most of the time, overcomes the evil forces (darkness, greed, hate).
ReplyDeleteI think one of the main reasons why I love this series is because there is such a clear distinction between what powers are at play. We see characters like Ron, Hermione, and Harry face incredibly difficult challenges, but their bond and the love they share for each other help them overcome their obstacles. This not only adds more depth to the story, but also gives a strong message about the strength of positivity/human connections. Another aspect that I like about the series is that the book combines fantasy ideas with real life and universal themes, which allows for us readers to go into a magical world but also see reflections of real-life struggles and moral choices that people have to make. The characters show growth, have relationships, and make choices that make them who they are.
Basically, the Harry Potter series does more than just tell some magical story about wizards and magic; it also talks about love and power and friendship in a way that children of any age can relate with.
Hi Siri,
ReplyDeleteI like how you focused on a series which consists of supernatural powers but also connected it to powers in our non-magical world. Harry Potter and Voldemort both are wizards but they choose to use those powers in very different ways. Harry Potter takes a more noble and heroic approach while Voldemort turns to villainy and dark magic. Harry Potter is representative of the power of love and friendship and that shows in his positive use of his wizard powers. Voldemort, however, is representative of hatred and revenge. This shows in his destructive use of his wizard powers.
Another important part of the series is how not all challenges in life have to define you. Both Harry and Voldemort had difficult childhoods. Harry grew up without his parents and with his cruel uncle, aunt, and cousin. Voldemort grew up in a difficult household. However, Harry's difficult past did not define him. Voldemort, however, never got past the events of his childhood. He was controlled by them and they led him to live a life of evil and resentment for what he thinks is to blame for his problems. Overall, Harry Potter is a series that focuses on lots of different types of powers and shows how they can all work together.