Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Book Report

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone book report

Immediately after reading the book, I thought that throughout the short time that Harry has been in Hogwarts, he has learned a lot about himself like why he has that scar on his forehead and being a wizard. He also learned a lot about his peers and professors. He is surprised to hear the story behind his father and professor Snape and what professor Snape’s true intentions were from what Harry saw him as.

At the end of the book I thought that Harry has the potential to be a great wizard and with the help that he has been getting, he will be one. The outcome made me think about life and opened my eyes to greater lessons. Lessons such as teamwork really does make the dream work. Harry and his friends used teamwork to defeat a lot of their obstacles that they faced whether it was alone at first or together. I see myself in the book through Hermione and Harry because they are both selfless when it comes to other people and I feel like when it comes to others, I try my best in everything to make sure that they are always out of harm’s way.

I was inspired to make a new friend because when you first meet someone you probably won’t like them but when you’re in a different situation you could learn that they aren’t really as bad as you thought they were like Harry and Ron thought of Hermione. If I were to be able to meet J. K. Rowling, I would ask her what influenced her to even begin writing the famous Harry Potter novels. I would also ask why she made Harry’s aunt and uncle the way they were and why they hated Harry and magic. A lot of what ifs went through my mind while reading. I wondered what Harry’s life would’ve been like if his parents were alive. Literary elements are shown all throughout the book. Rowling uses many elements such as setting, plot, conflicts, theme, etc. The setting of the book is one of the key points to understanding the story. In any book I feel like the plot is the most important. The plot is always impor because without it, you will never know what’s going on in the book. Which then leads to the conflicts of the characters, both internal and external. All the books that have been written by J. K. Rowling each have a significance although they all start with ‘Harry Potter’. Before even reading that book, you’ll know what it is going to be based on or about. In 1990, while delayed on a train to London, J. K. Rowling came up with the idea of Harry Potter. Over the course of five years she planned out the book series. Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone was quickly published in 1997.

The literary significance of not only Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone but also the rest of the series that Rowling has written is that it captures the reader’s attention, more specifically younger readers. It opens up a whole new world for them and makes it enjoyable to read. “Being the best-selling book series in history definitely adds to its historical significance, selling more than 500 million copies worldwide.” Also adding to that, it was translated into eighty languages. “The last four books consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history, with the final instalment selling roughly eleven million copies in the United States within twenty-four hours of its release.” In the opening scene, Voldemort is introduced and the killing of Harry’s parents happen. Ten years then pass and Harry is presented with a letter of acceptance into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The significance of the opening began Harry’s life as a wizard and to show him what his really is and not what his aunt and uncle wanted him to be. Harry is in a way reborn and is shown the life that his parents left behind for him in Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a story based in a modern time Surrey, England and at the Hogwarts Wizardry Academy. The society in Hogwarts has a big influence on the characters. Many characters throughout the book used their magic as an advantage over others because they were better at certain things. The professors play a major role on the influence on the characters too because of how the children see them out to be. Each character also have their own values whether they had them before they arrived at Hogwarts or not.

Hermione for example has a set of values that I feel many people should have. She is very engaged in the world around her and is always looking for a way to help better something or someone. She stands up for what she believes in and works hard to get to where she is. She values her friendship with Harry and Ron and would rather have them safe than herself. Harry also values his friendship with Hermione and Ron and would do anything to make sure they’re safe. Harry values family and that’s what his friends have became. He envies Ron for having a household of love although Ron envies Harry for his wealth and status. Hagrid values life and believes things happen due to choice and not by fate. He is a strong believer in free will. Techniques that Rawlings used in the book to develop the theme were more through the characters and the outcome of the plot. I believe that the main theme was to show that good is greater than evil and the power of good will always overcome evil. Rowlings uses Harry and Voldemort to show that when he tried to get the Philosopher’s Stone. The relationship of the theme and conflict is that although you may be going through bad in your life, in the end good always has it’s way in winning and changing your life for the better. With that there were conflicts between character vs. character and character vs. self. Conflicts such as Hermione hearing Harry and Ron talking about her. (Rowlings, 125) Another example is when Professor Snape confronts Professor Quirrell in the hall. (Rowlings, 180) There were many conflicts throughout the reading between Harry and other characters and Harry himself. I believe that there were more external conflicts than internal conflicts because of everything that was going on in Hogwarts. Main characters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione go through a major external conflict when there was a troll lose in the building.

The three use magic to knock out the troll after realizing that they locked it in the bathroom with Hermione. (Rowlings,129) The troll was an unrealistic character but was used in the story to create the friendship between Harry, Hermione, and Ron. The biggest conflict that happened in the book was between Harry and Voldemort. There has always been a conflict between the two starting from when Harry found out about him killing his parents. Later on Harry has to face Voldemort because he wants the Philosopher’s Stone. The Philosopher’s Stone can give the drinker immortality and change any metal into gold. In chapter 17 Harry finds out that Voldemort is using Quirrell’s body. While putting Quirrell in pain by touching him, Harry is also in pain from the scar on his forehead leaving him unconscious and Voldemort with the Stone. (Rowling, 217) Voldemort is also an unrealistic character because he used Quirrell’s body as a vessel till he could get his strength up. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is written in third-person omniscient. Paying close attention to how Harry feels and what he is thinking. Structure is used to create an emotional response. From the very beginning it’s emotional because of the way Harry had to grow up. Where he then goes to Hogwarts and learns more about being a wizard. He makes friends that help him through the many obstacles that they are put through. For example the unrealistic incident of a troll lose in the school. In a book about wizards and a land where magic is real, there are a lot of inanimate objects.

Examples of inanimate objects found in the book are wands, broomsticks, the Erised mirror, the cloak, the Philosopher’s Stone, etc. Each play a significant role in the story for example, the wands. Without the wands, nobody would be able to do magic. Without the mirror, the Philosopher’s Stone wouldn’t have been able to be kept from Voldemort. Voldemort was recaptured as a character from the past. He was brought up again because he is part of the challenges that Harry has to go through as he is now old enough to understand the truth to his past. In the end Harry and Quirrell at first, are face to face at the Mirror of Erised. Harry doesn’t know that Voldemort is on the back of Quirrell’s head till Voldemort wishes to speak to Harry after he lies about what he sees in the mirror. When Harry refuses to listen to Voldemort he ordered Quirrell to seize him but as he does so he and Harry notices that each time he is touched, he burns. Harry thinks that Quirrell got a hold of the Stone because he had been knocked unconscious due to the pain in his forehead from the scar. After Harry saying that Quirrell got the Stone, Dumbledore explains to him that he didn’t and how he was able to get the stone from the mirror. Dumbledore tells Harry ‘You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone find it, but not use it would be able to get it, otherwise they’d just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life.'(Rowling, 217)

Citations

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’ s Stone. Bloomsbury, 1998.”Harry Potter.”
Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Apr. 2018, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter.Bloomsbury.
“Biography.” Harry Potter | JK Rowling Biography – Books by JK Rowling – Harry Potter Author, harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/jk-rowling-biography/.

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