Symbolism In Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

Throughout English literature there are a number of authors who use symbolism to get a point across to the reader. Symbolism is a chance for the author to show the reader instead of tell. The futuristic book Fahrenheit 451 is a novel based around symbolism and ulterior meanings. Water and fire are symbols commonly used in all types of literature. These elements are especially apparent in mythology. Also, within the novel the parlor walls proved themselves to be more than what was initially apparent. These symbols give this book a very specific tone and mood.

Memory is the quality that allows the readers to personally connect with a work of art. Relatable works tend to have more of an emotional impact on the reader. Symbols are used to connect the tangible to something intangible. Through this connection, readers will associate the aspects of the thing being symbolized to the symbol. For example, if a character is used to symbolize the devil in a work of art, the audience will associate the aspects of the devil to the character. Patterns allow readers to parallel one work of art to another work of art.

When Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, he allegedly chose the title for the temperature that book paper catches fire. The idea was that the firemen use flamethrowers to burn books, and the fire needed to be at least 451 degrees Fahrenheit to properly burn the paper. Right off the bat, the number 451, in Fahrenheit 451, is stated on the first page of the book. It also symbolizes the ‘burning’ and failing of Montag's society. Essentially, it's the temperature at which society burns. This symbol is the most significant one since it is in the title of the book and is stated directly on the first page.

Fahrenheit 451 is one of the more complex books that i have read. Its structure of writing is more detailed, to say he defines things in such a peculiar way that you can imagine it vividly. His mood and tone are so unique that he has become famous for it. To say the least, his style is hard to explain.

In the the novel Fahrenheit 451, multiple different abstract and concrete ideas are represented. Those ideas include the use of the outsiders to represent the old society, the use of the mechanical hound to represent the resistance to change, and the usage of the atomic bomb to symbolize a new reality. However, this specific examples of representation within the novel are highlighted due to the fact that they together compose an allegory.

Every piece of literature has the same elements inbedded into it; symbol, pattern and memory, yet they are not easily pointed out. In Ray Bradburg's "Fahrenheit 451", society has changed into one that supported book burnings and same-tracked thinking for everyone. Symbolism is shown through the story by the form of that society seeming completely other-worldly or improbable, yet our own society is not far from it.

Fahrenheit 451 was written as a warning as to what could be in store for society if humans were to be deprived from intellectualism and awareness. It was written shortly after the closing of World War II, a period of time when many people were oblivious to the censorship being implemented into their lives, but is still relevant in our modern society. The forewarning of the novel is applicable even to this day in modern America.

Oscar Chavez Dr. O’Hora English 1C 13 March 2015 Symbols in Deathly Hallows The symbolic references in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 by J.K. Rowling represent a broader aspect of the unconscious mind of our ego character and protagonist, Harry Potter. According to Carl Jung’s psychology of symbolism (Man and His Symbols), a symbol such as a snake or a sword may appear in our dreams or present lives from the unconscious giving significance to a stage of life. These symbols signify something greater than we may realize at the moment, and are to be carefully examined.

Fantasy appeals to us, to put it crudely, because of the relationship between magic and morality. An alternate world filled with strange and wonderful things, a world defined by imagination, gives us a setting in which to lose ourselves within. J.K. Rowling has done this and has captured the minds and hearts of readers all around the world with her bestselling series “Harry Potter”. As we engage in the engrossing narrative following Harry Potter and his friends, some may be able to relate to the lives of such characters. J.K. Rowling takes an undeniably riveting approach to showcasing the round characterizations throughout her novel "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone" to such a degree that the reader can personally identify with such characters.

"The world changes and we change with it. I am better off in this world. But the world is not better. And I don't want that." -Scorpius Malfoy on a world where Voldemort rules and those who are not pureblood witches and wizards are prosecuted for being who they are. To me this version of the Dark Mark is a symbol of hope.. a symbol of a world that can not exist because of people like Scorpius Malfoy. People who will stand for what is right, not what is easy.

Flying is his natural talent, and symbolic of his first triumph. The first time Harry takes flight is to defend a fellow student being bullied by Harry's enemy, Draco Malfoy. Malfoy steals a treasured possession from Harry's fellow student, and threatens to throw it on the roof of the castle where it would more than likely be lost forever. Harry intercepts the treasured possession midair after a fifty foot dive. A teacher sees this event occur, and recommends that Harry should join the school's Quidditch team, a team that plays games involving broomsticks, quaffles, and bludgers. It is symbolic that Harry's aid of a fellow student in distress secures him a position on the sporting team. “Broomsticks are cool, I mean who wouldn't want to fly.” (Howe “Sorcerer's Stone”). Flying is an act many of us have dreamed of. It seems only fitting that Harry should be compensated with the wonderful experience of flight after suffering such a depressing childhood.

Symbols in literary works can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Symbols can appear in a novel as an event, action, or object. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the author, Zora Neale Hurston, uses the symbols of the gate to show Janie’s transitions to womanhood, independence from oppression, and realization of what love is to Janie.

Symbolism is a major literary device that helps people see a book through symbols that often have a deeper meaning. A symbol is used to explain something in a different way, using images, objects, etc. instead of just saying it in words. As you search for a deeper meaning in a work of art or literature it can help you understand the author’s intentions and the deeper significance of a work. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, symbols help reinforce the major themes of the book.

“Well, after all, this is the age of the disposable tissue. Blow your nose on a person, wad them, flush them away, reach for another, blow, wad, flush. Everyone using everyone else's coattails. How are you supposed to root for the home team when you don't even have a program or know the names? For that matter, what color jerseys are they reading as they trot out to the field?” (Bradbury 17)

The film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone would fall into Chapter 29 of Roger Hickman’s Reel Music: Exploring 100 Years of Film Music (Second Edition). This is because the chapter is titled, “Blockbusters Fantasy and Adventures” and the film is set in a fantasy world where magic exists and the main character, Harry Potter goes through many adventures. The genre of the film is fantasy and adventure and, according to imdb.com, the film has won multiple awards including, a Saturn Award, a BMI Film & TV Awards, Young Artist Awards, and many many more (imdb.com). Additionally, J. K. Rowling was the mastermind author behind the entire Harry Potter series and there are no other versions of this film as of now.