Significance of "Magic and Love" as a theme in "Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows".

  Significance of “Magic and Love” as a theme in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

   Sub:-The New Literature   

   Paper:-   13

   Name: -  Vajani Bhumi N.

   M.A:2     SEM:- 4

   Roll No:- 04  

   Year: 2013-14

 

Submitted To:-Dr. Dilip Barad.

                          Department Of English;

  Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji

  Bhavnagar University.

   Gujarat.

   India.

                    

                 

   The Significance of “Magic and Love” as a theme in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

  Oh! The torment bred in the race,

                           the grinding scream of death

                     and the stroke that hits vein,

              the haemorrhage none can staunch, the grief,

             the curse no man bear.

But there is a cure in the house

                             and not outside it, no,

                                      not from others from them,

                              their bloody strife. We sing to you,

                    dark gods beneath the earth.

Now here, you blissful powers underground-

      answer the call, send help.

      Bless the children, give them triumph now.

§  Ae schylus, The Libation Bearers                                

                   In the year 1990 J.K. Rowling was on a crowded train from Manchester to Landon when the idea of Harry suddenly "fell in to her head". Rowling gives an account of the experience on her website saying:-

                "I had been writing almost continuously since the age of six but I had never been so excited about an idea before I simply sat and thought, for four delayed train hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled by who did not know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”

 About J.K.Rowling

                  

                       J.K.Rowling started her career in 1990. She could not offer a word processor so she spent her days in cafes and wrote nearly all of her first novel by hand. Her first work Harry Potter and Sorcerer's stone was passed over by dozens of publishers, who each believed to be the complex one. At last in 1996, British publisher Bloomsbury press bought the book and Rowling's career exploded almost overnight. The first book of Harry Potter series set record sales, made literary history, and changed the way of children's reading. The book was named children's book of the year at the 1997 British book Awards, and in 1998 the book was pronounced best book of the year by both printing magazine and the New York public library and dreamed one of the best books of 1998. These services made Rowling one of the richest women in Britain.

   "  While each of the previous Potter books has strong claims on my affection, ‘Deathly Hallows’ is my favorite, and that is the most wonderful way to finish the stories."

- J.K.Rowlin

 

  About the Book-“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”

                             Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final installment in the series. The book was released on July 21, 2007. The book sold eleven million copies in the U.S. and U.K. on its first day of the sales, the book broke the previous record of nine millions which was held by the sixth book-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood prince. All over the world, fans of the series turned out at midnight to attend book selling parties, people dress as their favorite characters. The book in the series has sold 325 million copies. The book has been translated into sixty-five languages.

      I’d says that it’s one short step from ‘Wizards first’, to ‘Pureblood first’, and then to ‘Death Eaters’. We’re all human, aren’t we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.”

                           Chapter -The Deathly Hallows

                              Harry has finally come of age, and finally started on his finally journey to defeat Voldemort for good. The Dursley’s are forced to go into hiding so that Voldemort’s Death Eaters will not torture them for information and Harry sets off with Ron and Hermione one a difficult quest to find and destroy the last of Voldemort’s  Horcruxes. Only once those have been destroyed, Harry knows can Voldemort truly be killed.

                           It’s not easy Harry is played with rumors of Dumbledore’s past and begins to wander if the Headmaster he so long revered might have had a much darker past than he ever let on. The three are frequently without food and with winter come their journey is no day at the beach. Because of their lack of plan, lack of food, and lack of progress their spirits are often low and Ron especially becomes argumentative. One night he and Harry get into in epic fight and Ron leaves to go back home.

                         Harry and Hermione are devastated that he had abandoned them. They finally decide to revisit Godric’s Hollow in search of clues and once again they are almost caught by Voldemort. Every step they make it seems he is there anticipating them. They have almost died too many times to count and their spirits sink even lower when Harry discovers his wand was broken in the battle.

                       Ron redeems himself a few weeks later by coming back and saving Harry’s life in the nick of time. They manage to destroy another Horcrux with Gryffindor’s sword and they become excited again as they begin to learn about mysterious tree of magical objects called the Deathly Hollows Whomever possesses the three objects will be a master of death and to Harry it’s his one chance to beat Voldemort and live to tell the tale.

                       As his adventures and the danger he’s in increases, Harry begins truly understand what Dumbledore intended him to do. He realizes almost at the last minute, that his own life will have to be sacrificed in order for Voldemort to truly be vanquished. Killed with love for his friends, he willingly gives his life so that they may live.

                        His last act of heroism however, saves his life. He meets Dumbledore again in death, and Dumbledore answers many of his questions. He is given choice to say or to go back and he chooses to go back and fight.

                   It is all over between Harry and Voldemort with just one spell. Harry is left alive the true master of the Hollows and Voldemort is killed for good. He now understands more than he ever has about love (which he loves Ginny), and life and sacrifice, and in spite of the loss of many of his friends during the last battle, is grateful for the second chance he’s been given at life and love.

Magic:-

               The number of the book is 7.Seven itself is the most powerful magical number, based on centuries of mythology, science and math. Harry Potter was to be released on 07-07-2007 also the day was 7-Saturday but was released on 21^st July.

          Seven is the age by which most experts believe that the magic will reveal itself in a wizard or which in Hogwarts school of witchcraft and Wizardry community. It is also the number of years student must attend Hogwarts before graduating. Philosopher’s stone had seven chambers for protection. Voldemort divided his soul in seven Horcroxes. Ginny Weasley is the first girl born to the Weasleys in seven generations and she is the seventh child too.

 “There was a lot more magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.”

§  Harry thoughts about magic thought

 “Magic is a supernatural force that can alter the fabric of reality at fundamental levels biologically, allows witches and wizards to practice witchcraft”.

          A wizard of very young age also can perform magic but the main threat of this magic is its misuse for personal ambition like Voldemort. It is for this reason that promising young witches and wizards are sent to the school of witchcraft and wizardly. Wizards and witches must constantly hide their magic abilities from the Muggle world that is common people without proper training magic should not be used as it’s harmful.

          Voldemort was able to “make things move without touching them make animals do what he wanted without training then make bad things happen to people who annoy or insult him, when he was a young child, apparently intentionally”.

   Albus Dumbledore :( To Harry) Your Wand… echoed the relationship between their masters…Your wand recognized him when he pursued you, recognized a man who was both kin and mortal enemy, and it regurgitated some of his own magic against him”.

                 If we talk about Lily Potter, she was able to guide and control the blooming of a flower by wanting to almost all magic is performed with a device called wand Rowling says…..

 “You can do unfocused and uncontrolled magic without a wand but to do really good spells, yes, you need a wand”.

                                     The Deathly Hallows is three highly powerful magical objects supposedly crated by Death and given to each of three brothers in the Peverell Family.

   The Elder Wand is an immensely powerful Wand that was considered undefeatable.

   

     The Resurrection Stone is a Stone which could summon the spirits of the dead.

 

   The Cloak of invisibility is a Cloak that renders the user completely invisible.

   

                A legend states that he who possesses these three artifacts’ would become the Master of Death. The Symbols of the Deathly Hallows,

The Vertical line represents the Elder Wand.

 The Circle is the representation of the Resurrection Stone.

 The Triangle is the representation of Cloak of Invisibility.

The Elder Wand is also known as

Ø“The Death Stick” or  “Wand of Destiny”

The Deathly Hallow's symbol, 

      

     "Albus Dumbledore: (to Harry) The true magic (of the Clack), of course, is that it can be used to protect and shield theirs as well as its owners."

                           Harry Potter wished to unite the Hallows to become the Master of Death and ultimately defeat Lord Voldermort. Harry could get the Hallows for a brief movement.  Harry doesn’t know that his father’s Cloak that Dumbledore gave him was the third Deathly Hallows. Without realizing Harry possessed Elder Wand when he defeated Draco Malfoy during the battle. Harry used this Wand to repair his broken Holly and phoenix feather Wand. Then he placed the Wand in the Tomb of Albus Dumbledore. The Resurrection Stone was lost in the forest which Harry never searched. Harry had the Cloak of Invisibility with him-

       "   Harry: “I’m going to keep Ignotus’ present though”."

 

      "Dumbledore’s portrait: “But of cores, Harry, it is yours forever,     until you pass it on.”

It is most likely skill Cloak would be with him till he doesn’t pass it to his descendant. Deathly Hallows had Dark and light sides. It depends on the user which way he used. Harry never used it in a wrong way. He used it to save mankind. The selfish use destroys the user himself.                          

                            “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know every single Harry Potter book is, in some way, actually about love. But hold on this one really is Deathly Hollows brings this whole question of love into the clearest focus yet: love here isn’t just about needing someone or missing someone or feeling butterflies in your stomach when you see someone. Instead, it’s kind of a broader, more abstract concept: It’s about being willing to give you love. That’s just what Harry’s asked to do here, and because of his great capacity to love, he’s able to do it”.

    Love

                             In the book, love is treated as a ranch of magic, although it does not seem to be something that is easily controlled rising unbidden from the emotion itself. Lily’s sacrifice on behalf of Harry turns at the end of the series to work to Harry’s advantage in unpredicted ways.

 

   " Lily Potter: Harry, you are so loved, so loved.(whispering) Harry ,Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Harry, be safe. Be strong."

   Albus Dumbledore: (to Harry)   “You wonderful boy. You brave, brave man. Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and about all, those who live without love.”

Lily Potter: You’ve been so brave, sweetheart.

Harry Potter: Why are you here? All of you?

Lily: We never left.

James potter: You’re nearly there, son.

Harry Potter: I’m sorry. I never wanted any of you to die for me. You’ll stay with me?

James Potter: Until the end.

Harry: Stay close to me.

Lily: Always. 

                                Love is a significant them in all the books of Harry Potter series. Harry loved all, and was loved by all. Voldemort’s inability to understand the idea and power of love leads to his downfall. Voldemort could not comprehend the selfless love which was present in a mother’s sacrifice for her child. Voldemort is unable to predict the consequences of Harry’s own sacrifice; he is unable to predict the consequences of Harry’s own sacrifice for his loved once. To save his nears and dears Harry sacrifices his life at the end of Deathly Hollows. Voldemort is not at all prepared for the fact that Harry’s friends are protected from his spells.

          “Voldemort also unwittingly ensures that Harry is tied to life while Voldemort lives by taking some of his blood in the hope that he will be able to gain some of the protection that lingers in Harry as a result of Lily sacrifice.

          Some other examples of selfless love acting as magic are also very interesting. It is right that inability to love makes Voldemort an evil Wizard. Here, we should remember Server Snape , who voluntarily joined the death Eaters on leaving Hogwarts, turns spy for the order of the phoenix when he realizes that the woman he loves is being threatened by the evil wizard, Voldemort.

   "  Professor Severus Snape- Last words, to Harry: “Look at me. You have your mother’s eyes. (dies)"

     

          Some way Narcissa Malfoy’s love for her son Draco eventually leads her to betray Voldemort, this incident straight way leads to Harry’s survival. This way the Deathly hollows strongly reveals that anybody with the ability to love cannot go as for down the path of evil as Voldemort has done and it’s the lack of compassion that made him such a bad wizard.

          This book delineates the concept of strongly tied of love among the character. It is Ron’s love for Harry and Hermione that brings him back and thus destroying one of Harry’s enemies. Sacrifice of one’s life for the sake of the one whom they love is seen in Harry’s and Lily’s sake when Harry realized that one of the Horcrux is placed in him he willingly gets ready to die, further when Pettigrew when confronted about his betrayal of the Potters, Sirius tells him-

 “You should have died for them! As we would have done for you”.

          The empire of Dark Arts was destroyed by Harry due to his parents sacrifice especially his mother’s death on behalf of him. It was his mother love that saved him from Voldemort. He was saved many times from Voldemort’s clutches.

 

     Albus Dumbledore: (to Harry) and his knowledge remained woefully incomplete, Harry! That which Volemort does not value and children’s takes no trouble to comprehend of house-elves and children’s tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he never grasped.”

          Magic is something that makes us think of supernatural abilities, here, in this novel love is that magic that does unbelievable adventures. This novel treats love as a branch of magic that showed many miracles. It was the love that made Harry’s friend takes him to safe place. It was their love for which drank the potion.

          Literary magic usually refers to the dark side of the world. Magic makes a person very ambitious as we saw it in Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlow. Magic also has evil effects in Shakespeare’s plays. But in this novel there is a happy ending. Evil the Dark side of magic was destroyed with the help of the Bright side of magic i.e. love made Harry sacrifice his own life. But actually he is given a chance Voldemort could not kill him because of his mother’s sacrificial love for Harry.

     Dumbledore:  “It’s our choices, Harry, the shows us who we truly are”. And when Harry gets life the professor again says- “You are protected in short by your ability to love”.   

 He comes back to life and kills Voldemort with a single blow.

          In the novel magic and love are the themes that go simultaneously. All the books of Rowling have these common theme “Selfless Love gets triumph” as is said ‘Truth always wins’.

Last line of book…

“The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.”

Sources: Book- Harry Potters and the Deathly Hollows, Net…