Sarah Barr- Blog Post #1

Hi my name is Sarah Barr and I am a second year in Early Childhood Education here at UC.  This is my first time reading the Harry Potter series and so far it has been an amazing experience.  Unlike many avid readers, I had no interest in reading this thrilling series.  That was partially due to the fact that my parents did not want us to read them or see the movies.  While they were huge encouragers of reading, books like these were not the kind they wanted us to read.  (And by "books like these" I mean precisely what we've discussed; the kind of books that are labeled gothic or fantasy.)  Witches, wizards, and magic was a sore spot for them when we were younger.  And so, I did not read them out of respect for my parents as well as being uninterested in them.  My older brother however read them all and watched all the movies.  Eventually my parents got over him reading the books and watching the movies because he was older, and he now owns all the books as well as all the movies.  After some convincing he got me to watch all the movies and I was hooked.  But, despite trying to persuade me to read the books, I still had no interest in them and would prefer my romance books set back in the 1800s.   When I had to take a literature course, I decided it would be great to take a class that was of interest and so here we are in present day.

I must admit, I am glad that I have held off reading the series until this class.  Being able to read them with fresh eyes is very exciting and interesting.  While I don’t know the depths of the books, it is fascinating to be able to compare the details of the books to the movies.  I think that when I am watching the movies, I do so to just mindlessly enjoy seeing another world lived out in front of my very eyes.  I don’t have to really process what I’m reading, what certain words could mean in a certain context, or try to keep my eyes focused on keeping the lines straight.  When I watch movies, or even read a book I suppose, I don’t try to look for hints or details that could foreshadow something.  

With that said though, reading the books has such a great advantage that watching the movies does not.  In class as we discuss different events in the book, I can see the mystery play itself out, and see how it all falls together so perfectly.  You are able to see that Rowling does indeed have events or comments that are foreshadowers.  For example, the way that Professor Quirrells’ personality begins to change during the book is able to be linked to his allegiance to Lord Voldemort.  But throughout the whole book the mystery remains as to who is really trying to get past Fluffy and is spurred by Snape's obvious dislike for Potter.   Also, Harry Potters existence alone is a mystery in and of itself that is the foundation for the whole series.  He’s the boy who lived, but no one knows how.  How could a little boy, just a baby, defeat Lord Voldemort?  

Another extremely important genre that makes the Harry Potter series so enchanting is fantasy aspect of the books.  Witches, wizards, magic, animate objects, Hogwarts alone, can be attributed to fantasy.  And these are all very important details that make up Harry Potters word.  Without magic, without the existence of witches and wizards, there would just be an ordinary boy in an ordinary world.  It is amazing what an author can do when a little bit of magic can be a reality written between the pages.  I am so excited to continue reading about this alternate world where everything is part of a mystery and it’s not a fantasy but a reality.