May 2012
1 post
Professor Flitwick and Power
Throughout the series one of the most prevalent themes is power. Rowling uses different characters to show different aspects and types of power. Though never a main character in the stories Professor Flitwick is never portrayed as a powerful figure but the fact that he is a professor at Hogwarts shows that he has reached a certain level of proficiency in magic. In addition as mentioned in...
April 2012
14 posts
Rowena Ravenclaw and the Pursuit of Intelligence
Not much biographical information is given about the founder of Ravenclaw House, Rowena Ravenclaw. However, it is her philosophy that ultimately governs centuries of Ravenclaws: valuing intelligence above all other attributes. While this may at first seem wise and harmless, there is evidence throughout the series that perhaps solely striving for intelligence can in fact be detrimental. Take...
Moaning Myrtle and Death
With all the different philosophical questions that one can ask in regards to Moaning Myrtle’s life, and her after-life, the question of life and death should be brought up. After all, Moaning Myrtle is one of the few characters that have first hand experience with the after-life and death. Myrtle, however, is not necessarily the best philosophical study of the effect of...
Ollivander & Death
In the last installment of the Harry Potter series (the book, of course, because the movie changes the conception of Ollivander by allowing him to be aware and explain the Deathly Hallows), Ollivander explains to Harry, Ron, and Hermione what the Elder Wand is. It is clear from Rowling’s description of Ollivander’s voice and facial expressions that he is enraptured by the idea of the...
Helena Ravenclaw's lack of a sense of self
As I’ve mentioned earlier, we don’t really know that much about Helena Ravenclaw except what we learn in her very brief encounter with Harry. I believe, however, that we learn a lot about her in this encounter. She describes herself in relation to some very difficult and stressful choices she had to make, specifically when she stole the diadem from her mother. Bassham agrees with Dumbledore, in...
Ollivander & Power
Throughout the Harry Potter novels, as readers, we really only have direct contact with him in the first and seventh novels. In the first novel, it is clear that Ollivander has some kind of obsession with power, whether it is used for good or for evil.
“Curious indeed how these things happen…I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did...
Cho Chang – Moderating Our Memories
In our class discussions, we have observed the philosophical interpretations of memory mostly in regards to how we recall our past. Our focus has centered on the methods of evoking memories and explored what triggers can best assist in our clearest recollections, whether they are through Casey’s use of “place”, the Art of Memory concept, or Sutton’s External Mind.
As opposed to discussing how to...
Ravenclaw House
Ravenclaw house was first is present in the Harry Potter series from the Sorcerer’s Stone onward. Founded by Rowena Ravenclaw the house’s colors are blue and bronze and its animal is an eagle. Members of the house are characterized by their intelligence, wit, wisdom, creativity, and individuality. While all of these characteristics are seen in many members of the house, academic intellect is by...
Cho Chang: Love, Power, and Pride
In this post, I would like to explore Cho Chang’s character in relation to our discussions on love and power. In her case, I find that there is a third factor influencing whether she sways towards valuing love or valuing power, which turns out to be an interesting way to analyze how one chooses between these two desires. This trait would be Cho Chang’s pride.
At first glance, Cho is not an...
Rowena Ravenclaw
One of the four founders of Hogwarts, Rowena Ravenclaw is the namesake of Ravenclaw House, where the cleverest and most logical witches and wizards of Hogwarts are sorted into. Rowena plays an interesting role in the Harry Potter series, and it is not until the end of Book 7 that her story becomes extremely important. Described as strikingly beautiful, but also intimidating, Rowena...
March 2012
10 posts
Moaning Myrtle and Love
Moaning Myrtle, even in death, has very little love in her life. After being bullied while still at school, and focusing her after-death energy on haunting her bullies and sulking in toilets, she does not seem to have very much love in her life. Despite occasional playful flirting with Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy when she encounters them in various plumbing fixtures, she generally shows little...
Professor Filius Flitwick
Professor Filius Flitwick was first introduced in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Filius is described as being a tiny mane that has certain elf or goblin features, though he is later confirmed to be part goblin, part wizard. When Flitwick attended Hogwarts he was sorted into Ravenclaw, and after graduating from Hogwarts proceded to become a master dueler, in Chamber of Secrets...
Cho Chang
The character of Cho Chang plays an interesting role in the Harry Potter series. We are introduced to her in Prisoner of Azkaban as the first girl that Harry ever displays interest in. Through his feelings for her, we journey through Harry’s introduction to the complications of romance and love. A year ahead of Harry in school, Cho is described with the typical love-interest qualities of...
Introducing Garrick Ollivander
“An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.” -Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone.
In the first installment of the Harry Potter series, we meet Ollivander, globally known as the greatest wandmaker in the magical world. Ollivander immediately flaunts his intelligence, claiming to remember every wand...
Moaning Myrtle
Myrtle is a former student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into the Ravenclaw house. She was a witch born to muggle parents. At school, she did not have many friends and was teased by the other students, especially Olive Hornby. One night, Olive Hornby made fun of Myrtle’s glasses, so she went to the second floor girls’ bathroom and started sobbing in a stall. She...
Allow Me to Introduce: Luna Lovegood
“She had straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Harry knew at once why Neville had chosen to pass this compartment by. The girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. Perhaps it was the fact that she stuck her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, or that she had chosen to wear a necklace out of...
Helena Ravenclaw: An Introduction
Before I begin to explore Helena Ravenclaw (or the Gray Lady as we know her for most of the series), I thought it would be pertinent to present an overview of who she is as a character.
Helena Ravenclaw (pictured above with Harry Potter), daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, is known only as the Gray Lady through the first six books. Her claim to fame, we learn, is that she stole her mother’s diadem...
February 2012
1 post
