Animal and Color Symbolism in Harry Potter Series Essay

An Investigation of J.K. Rowlings Utilization of Animal and Color Symbolism in Her chevy fiddle Series M some(prenominal)(prenominal) consider symbolization the most important factor in comprehending the conditioned realm. Symbols and metaphors extend into the realm of e actuallyday language and figures of speech (Biedermann VII). In turn, the en conformationle Potter novels of J.K. Rowling be extensively philosophical and symbolic (Bagget and Klein 3). Some believe that a civilization that is very advanced will deem records of important symbols (Biedermann VIII). Paralleling this statement, the civilization that J.K. Rowling creates is one of menacing trolls and forbidden forests that haunts the bestseller lists week in and reveal, enthralling readers and leaving them supperless for more (Bagget and Klein 1). Thus the question arises In what ways and to what extent does J.K. Rowling incorporate animal and dissimulation symbolism into her nark Potter series? Non-fiction animals that exist in reality, as well as in these novels, are utilized as symbols by J.K. Rowling. Owls often seem to be intelligent, tolerant, contemplative, ominous, and nocturnal. (249).Read moreHow many manner of speaking in the harry potter series.These animals appear frequently in the emblems of scholarly publishing houses and book stores (250). agree to Aeppli, cats are considered the typically feminine animal and females are known as being more deeply root in the dark intuitive side of life than man with his simpler psyche (59-60). The cat is tireless and dodgy when going after its prey the virtues of a good sol authoriser like Professor McGonagall (60). Of course, Rowling includes many super-natural figures. tally to Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 207). Dumbledore refers to the usual grandeur of the phoenix and his feathers of scarlet and gold, the airs of Gryffindor (Rowling, Chamber 207). The phoenix, often referred to as the firebird, 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 Stone, Rowling describes a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads, three pairs of rolling mad eyes, and three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction (Rowling, Stone 160). agree to Hermione, the dog is blatantly protecting something, for it stands on a disguised door (Rowling, Stone 162). The three-headed dog mainly symbolizes reliability and consciousness in mythology it usually portrays a protector at the entrance to the world of the dead (97). Unicorns micturate muster to signify wholesomeness and power (Biedermann 360). According to medieval lore, a unicorns horn w as a powerful antidote to poison (28). Unicorns are described as pure and incorruptible (Bruce-Mitford 28).Rubeus Hagrid explains that unicorn blood has the ability to save any life no matter how near to death but at an awful cost, having killed an animal of its purity and lack of defense in a selfish manner (Rowling, Stone 258). Mythology, when describing the conception of the earth, depicts cream of tartars as very primitive. The gods are called to overcome these dragons and eventually, their most important descendants become dragon-slayers (102). In fairy tales and legends, 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 dark sky from their open, fanged, mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks (Rowling, Goblet 326). In a Christian view, the dragon stinker represent the evil counterpart, usually a devil (Biedermann 10 3).Many main characters in this series are represented by the animals into which they put forward transform. Because of the rats reputation for soiling what is good and carrying sickness, it has become known as a retainer 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 thought to be in partnership with doers of black magic, yet barely rarely do dogs appear in a negative light (97). The Chinese mostly considered them guards against fiends (98). Dogs in general have a reputation of loyalty and vigilance (97). These are qualities similar to those of Harrys god- male parent Sirius Black. To Christians, a wolf is most often the rival endangering those who hold strong faith. Various fables of wolves resulting from murderous individuals exist. The word lycanthrope is exactly translated to man-wolf (387).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, as well as 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 significance in this series. Various older legends of Europe include stripling 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, plectron her way over the ground and Harry senses the inexplicable familiarity of this creature. His mothers patronus, a symbol use to fight sullen evil creatures with a spell, was a doe identical to this one.Harry realizes that his patronus is inherited 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 glide, it is reasonable thatas reported by an Christian passage, Physiologusthe deer spits water into every crevice in which poisonous snakes are hiding it thus spits them out and tramples them (92). The deer has been seen as having strip that can act as a talisman to defeat 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 sorting hat, the judge of how each student is placed into a house, sings one might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal, those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil (Rowling, Stone 118).As Hufflepuff is jolly of a misunderstood house, it is understandable that vividness the primary house people of colour preys 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 same 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 sort of inferior to the brave Gryffindor (Bruce-Mitford 107). Rubeus Hagrid states that Everyone says Hufflepuff are a gang o duffers (Rowling, Stone 80) According to Goethe and his color theory, yellow is soft and merry but can easily become unpleasant (392).A badgerthe Hufflepuff mascotsurvives off the fat of its own body, which has turned it into a representation 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 unnerved new students are told that they could prosper in wise old Ravenclaw, if theyve a ready mind, where those of wit and learning will always find their kind (Rowlin g, Stone 118). The House color blue is primarily known as a representation of things of the life story and the intellect (Biedermann 44). In order to enter Ravenclaws chambers, one is asked to solve a problem. This encourages them to always examine knowledge, according to a Ravenclaw member (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 587). Usually, eaglesthe house mascothave favorable connotations. They exist of energy, renewal, contemplation, acuity of vision, and royal bearing (Biedermann 108).Appropriately, the sorting 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 crime syndicate 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 representative of Slytherin, originated from the ability of the houses founder to spea k to snakes, a mark that Harry shares (Rowling, Chamber 196). By the Chinese, snakes are considered hazardously cunning. They also believed that the possession of a snake skin signified that a person would become wealthy (312). A snake is capable of murder by biting and utilizing its poison (Biedermann 310).Snakes are often related to demise and disarray (Willis 250). Controlled by the returned passe-partout Voldemort, a basilisk is hidden deep inside Hogwarts Castle that kills people by looking at them (Rowling, Chamber 291). In the early Middle Ages, the basilisk was attributed with incredible deadly magic. It also, possessed a lethal glance and touch (Rowland 28). According to Moaning Myrtle, a ghost victim of the basilisk, it only takes the glance of a basilisks big, yellow eyes to reduce death (Rowling, Chamber 299). In accordance to the beliefs of Christians, basilisks symbolize an evil spirit that can only be stopped by the bible (Rowland 28). Green, Slytherins primary col or, can represent childishness. Especially in English, the color is associated with negative emotions such as envy and jealousy (Biedermann 159).At one point in time, there was a green color that was un discover 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 wish of Salazar Slytherin, the founder of the house, to be more particular when admitting students to the direct (Rowling, Chamber, 150). The sorting hat declares that one might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. Their gallant 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 commonly 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 af fection (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 wishful thinker 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 chief element or the red lion, for the consummate 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 only known noble of the Philosophers Stone (Rowling, Stone 219). In European Her aldry 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 huge 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 population (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. Open Court, 2004. Print. Biedermann, Hans. Dictionary of Symbolism Cultural Icons and the Meanings throne Them. Trans. James Hulbert. unsanded York Meridian, 1992. Print. Bruce-Mitford, Miranda. The Illustrated Book 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 military man 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. capital of the United Kingdom Unwin Hyman, 1990. Print.