AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirementsfor the Degree ofSarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
BUDI UTOMO TAN SUBEKTI Student Number : 034214044
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MYTHICAL CREATURES AND
THEIR SYMBOLS IN THE FIRST SIX SERIES OF HARRY
POTTER BY J.K. ROWLING TOWARD THE STORYLINE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirementsfor the Degree ofSarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
BUDI UTOMO TAN SUBEKTI Student Number : 034214044
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv BUDI
---LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma Nama : Budi Utomo Tan Subekti
Nomor Mahasiswa : 034214044
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :
The Significance of Mythical Creatures and Their Symbols in the First six series of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling toward the Storyline
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, me-ngalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikannya secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun mem-berikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal : 21 Juli 2009
Yang menyatakan
v thesis is completed.
First, for Thian the Mighty, who allows me to have such a wonderful life. I would not be as I am without all the events that I had been. Thank you to my wonderful family, Papah, Mamah, my Big Brothers and Sister Ko’Ming, Ko’Hue, Ci’Nik and Ko’Nan who keep encouraging, believing and trying their best to make me focus on my works which now had become a reality for me. All my pets in keeping me busy when I am down.
I also would like to give my most sincere gratitude for my advisor, Ms. Ni Luh Putu R., S.S., M.Hum., for all suggestions, correction and her trust on me in completing this thesis. I also thank my co-advisor Mr. G. Fajar S.A., S.S, M.Hum for the valuable input and correction for this thesis, and also for all the staff of the university and for the ones in secretariat who have helped me for these long years.
Thanks to all Bolo Kurowo (members of angkringanè Ramto) who helped me in doing what I can the most, when I am in doubt and difficult situation. I can not give anything but my friendship to each and one of you....
Last but not least, for my girl, Meme letting me invade her laptop and printer, thank you very much for your love and trust to me.
All of you had thought me many new stuffs and experiences in life. I can only hope for the best of all of us in the future.
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1. Background of the Study ... 1
2. Problem Formulation ... 5
3. Objective of the Study ... 5
4. Definition of Terms ... 6
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 9
1. Review of Related Studies ... 9
2. Review of Related Theories ... 12
3. Theoretical Framework ... 24
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ... 27
1. Object of the Study ... 27
2. Approach of the Study ... 30
3. Method of the Study ... 31
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ... 34
1. List of the Entire Creatures and their Classification ... 34
2. Mythical Creatures Symbols ... 44
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the Storyline. Yogyakarta: English Letters Department, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2009.
This undergraduate thesis analyzes the significance of the mythical creatures, their representation and the symbols that the mythical creatures have in the first six series of Harry Potter adventures by J.K. Rowling. The characters used are the mythical creatures themselves and certainly with the help of some human characters to bold up their usage in the story. The symbols used by each of the creatures are very essential to reveal what the author really wants to say to the reader.
This thesis uses theory of character and characterization, symbolism and allegory, and representation theory for the analysis and as the approach it uses new criticism.
The analysis is divided into three subchapters based on three problems stated in the problem formulation, and they are: (1) What are the creatures used by Rowling in the first six series? (2) What do the mythical creatures symbolize? and (3) What is the significance of the mythical creatures and their representation toward the storyline?
For doing the analysis, the researcher used library research with some steps. First, the researcher used data collecting to get the list of all the creatures mentioned in the story. Later, those creatures were classified into the mythical creatures and the non-mythical creatures. Next, the researcher analyzed the data based on certain classification, actions and events that had been through by the creatures.
viii ABSTRAK
BUDI UTOMO TAN SUBEKTI. The Significance of Mythical Creatures and Their Symbols in the First Six Series of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling toward the Storyline. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma. 2009.
Skripsi ini membahas pentingnya makhluk mitos, serta simbol dan representasi mereka dalam enam buku pertama petualangan Harry Potter karya J.K. Rowling. Tokoh-tokoh yang dipakai adalah makhluk mitos dan tokoh manusia untuk memperjelas fungsi mereka didalam cerita tersebut. Simbol-simbol yang digunakan pada tiap makhluk sangat penting untuk mengungkapkan apa yang ingin disampaikan penulis kepada para pembaca.
Skripsi ini menggunakan teori karakter dan karakterisasi, simbol dan alegory, dan teori representasi untuk analisanya dan menggunakan new criticism sebagai pendekatannya.
Analisis dalam skripsi ini dibagi menjadi tiga sub-bahasan berdasarkan tiga pertanyaan yang muncul di pokok permasalahan, yaitu : (1) Makhluk apa saja yang digunakan oleh Rowling pada enam seri pertama? (2) menyimbolkan apakah makhluk-makhluk mitos tersebut? dan (3) Apakah pentingnya makhluk-makhluk mitos itu dan representasi mereka terhadap keseluruhan cerita?
Untuk melakukan analisa ini peneliti mengunakan studi pustaka dengan beberapa langkah. Pertama, peneliti menggunakan metode pengumpulan data untuk mendapatkan daftar seluruh makhluk-makhluk yang disebutkan di dalam cerita. Kemudian seluruh makhluk tersebut diklasifikasikan dan dikelompokkan menjadi makhluk mitos dan makhluk bukan mitos. Lalu peneliti menganalisa data tersebut untuk berdasarkan klasifikasi tertentu, aksi dan kejadian-kejadian yang telah dilalui oleh makhluk-makhluk tersebut.
Chapter I
Introduction
A. Background of the Study
What are mythical creatures? Do they have meaning? What do they represent? Those questions may be identified as the basic forms in making this undergraduate thesis. Here, the researcher wants to reveal the symbols that the mythical creatures perform in the first six series of Harry Potter written by J.K Rowling and also the connection of those mythical creatures with the other characters (mythical creatures and the non-mythical ones which are human in Harry Potter’s series).
Harry Potter series written by J.K Rowling are very popular. The researcher believes that this novel is awesome because Rowling cleverly uses the language, and it has successfully driven the researcher through the plot, the characteristics, and the details within the stories. In fact, the researcher finds that many people in the worldwide also love this novel because of the same reasons <www.harrypotterfans.com>. The researcher chooses this novel to analyze because the researcher finds it easy to understand the story, though it is considered to contain a very smart continuous complexity which makes the researcher driven away into the ‘imaginary world’ of Harry Potter (the main significant character) where all things in the novel can be easily imagined and the worlds can be clearly pictured (the ordinary world and magical world).
Novel is a kind of literary work. If we look carefully in it, we will be able
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to learn many things and we will surely be able to develop our imagination. Alterbend and Lewis once wrote in their book, Keys to Extended Meaning, that “Literature is one of the chief means in which people convert themselves in the human being that can help us to shape our perception” (1980: 90). Based on what was written by Alterbend and Lewis on their book that literature can change point of view of a person, the researcher is interested in revealing the mythical creatures of Harry Potter since the description of those mythical creatures are very interesting and it stimulates the researcher to reveal their symbols and function in the story in order to present a different point of view in those creatures.
Although it is in a form of novel, the target of this book is firstly for the teenagers, but later it has been read by all ages (children, teenagers, and adult). Harry Potter’s series had been planned to be written in seven series by the author, J.K Rowling. The work is categorized as ‘children’s adult literature’, for the reason that at first the main target is teenagers, and now it is widespread until it reaches another level of ‘audience’, that is why these books can also be categorized into adult literature. Based on the story it is categorized as children’s book (fairies, imaginary creatures, wizard, good and evil, etc), but based on its form it is categorized as an adult book (in a form of novel).
All the characters have different contributions to the plot of the story. It is found that even small things happened in this story are related to the main topic and later on into the next series, which later builds the unity of the story and for the whole series.
The researcher chooses the first six series of J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) to be analyzed for some reasons.
The first reason is that the topic chosen by J. K. Rowling is closely related to the definition of children story (the imagination, the creatures, the themes were about magic, friendship, romance, bravery, etc) but it is in the form of novel and the way she combines all of them into one continuous story without having no awkwardness in all sense is very skillful. We do not need to ‘think’ hard, and if we have lots of questions, we do not need to reread it; we will only get all the answers in latter events or in the next series.
The second reason is that the work has many values related to social relationships of people, like honesty, friendship, forgiveness, trust between a couple (the spell of the late Harry’s parents for him through his relatives), etc. Those values build the uniqueness of the characteristics of the imaginative people in the story.
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perspective to see a literary work and it can enrich our lives with their symbols that will be analyzed in this undergraduate thesis.
The fourth reason for the researcher to choose this novel as the literary text to be analyzed is because novel is a literary text to be read and enjoyed. Some experts mentioned that in order to be a good researcher we should not get carried away in reading the text, but here the researcher believes that in reading Harry Potter’s series it would be hard to create that condition, it is because J.K Rowling had made a work which is very complicated yet full of details. In order to understand the story and its details we should get in the atmosphere of the story and feel it like a reality, not like a data. At this point, the writer wants to achieve the purpose of understanding the creatures’ symbols and what their ‘functions’ are in the stories (the reason why J.K Rowling used them).
The fifth reason for the researcher in analysing the story would be how the stories were written. It is a work of literature, and it is a very hard thing to made, especially if the content of the work came from so many cultural aspects. Many of the readers that had read Harry Potter adventures said that they would not want to hold their urge to finish it; they would go with the flow of the story since it was written smoothly, without having any strange thing or awkwardness. The uniqueness of this work is that Rowling could blend several myths, legends, and fantastic creatures which originate from many countries and nations into one familiar piece of a story.
closely with symbols and they have such an important role for the main characters (the human characters), which are involved in the main story for each book and for the whole series. They can be said to have an important role in the plot of the story, for example as the saviors at the crucial time and place (Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix rescued Harry when he was about to die by the wound and poison caused by a basilisk venom – book 2; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret).
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the background of the study, the problems can be stated as follows:
1. What are the creatures used by Rowling in the first six series? 2. What do the mythical creatures symbolize?
3. What is the significance of the mythical creatures and their representation toward the storyline?
C. Objectives of the Study
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the creatures’ symbols viewed from the researcher’s point of view based on varied sources of data. Later on, in the analysis the researcher describes and tries to reveal the creature’s function and identify, the creatures’ roles, their details and of course their symbols in the story.
D. Definition of Terms
There are some significant terms that often appear in this thesis. To avoid misunderstanding of the meaning of those terms, the researcher defines the term based on varied references.
1. Symbol
A Glossary of Literary Terms sixth edition written by A.S. Hornby and published by Cornell University stated that symbol in the broadest sense is anything which signifies something; words, object, or event which in its turn signifies something, or has a range of reference beyond itself. Some are “conventional” or “public” (like a cross, rose, the color of red, white, etc) and some are “private” or “personal symbols”. They often do so by exploiting widely shared association between an object or an action with a particular concept (like the rising sun as birth, setting of sun as death, etc); some repeatedly use symbols whose significance they largely generate themselves.
2. Myth
A Glossary of Literary Termsstated that the word “myth” is derived from classical Greek “mythos” signified any story or plot, whether true or invented. A myth is one story in a mythology – a system of hereditary stories which were once believed to be true by a particular cultural group, and which served to explain (in terms of the intention and actions of deities and other supernatural beings) why the world is at it is and things happen as they do, to provide a rationale for social customs and observances. It can be said that a mythology is a religion in which we no longer believed.
The term “myth” has also been extended to denote supernatural tales which are deliberately invented by their authors. Mythology, whether invented or inherited, is essential to literature.
3. Creature
A.S. Hornby stated that creature is a living being, especially an animal. But to make it clearerMicrosoft Encarta Dictionary 2008 defines creature as any living person or animal with an unpleasant or frightening physical form; it can be because of natural events (born, or because an accident) or created by someone or something, for an example the story of Hunchback from Notre dame, Minotaur-the son of Pasipae-queen of Kreta- or Frankenstein.
4. Mythical creature
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that their children obey them, or in order to teach them some values; moral value, heroic deeds, etc). Its existence is believed in many generations and thereby becomes an authentic story (as the proof of their origins, existence and their symbols in many ancient artifacts).
5. Story line
Chapter II
Theoretical Review
This chapter covers four main parts. The first part is the review of related studies which provides some studies of the novel but they are analyzing different topics. Moreover, this part explains the originality of the study. This part also includes the criticism ofHarry Potter novel. The second part is the review of the related theories. It discusses some theories of literature which become the base for analyzing the topic for this undergraduate thesis. There are four theories that are used to analyze and to reveal the symbols and its relation with the other creatures (both mythical creatures in Harry Potter’s series and the non-mythical ones which are human) from the researcher’s point of view; they are theory of character and characterization, symbolism and allegory, new criticism, and representation. The third part contains the review on literature and biography which explain about the close relation between the literary work and the biography of J.K Rowling’s. Last, the fourth part is the theoretical framework which is the guidance to analyze the study; it is to find the answer of the questions stated in problem formulation.
A. Review of Related Studies
Some works and criticism toward Rowling and her literary works are very important for the researcher in enriching the development of the story, for that reason the researcher included some works in this part.
In thesis written by Mellia Hapsari Sabarno, entitled The Significance of Hermione Granger to Represent Rowling’s School Life in Harry Potter and the
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Prisoner of Azkaban(third book), she wrote about the resemblance of Hermione Granger (a character in the book) with the author J.K Rowling, she compared their physical appearances (female, brown hair, brown eyes), their activities (studying, reading in the library for hours), and their achievement and quality (smartest student, book-oriented, brave, sensitive, etc).
Maria Benedicta Dian Savitri wrote in her thesis entitledThe Reflection of the Social Divisions of The Twentieth Century British Society in J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret(second book), that the social divisions in the society are reflected with the “classification” of a wizard status which is pure blood (who came from both parents with wizard capabilities-descendent from the true wizard), half blood (whose one of the parents is a muggle-non-wizard people), and mud blood (who are capable of doing magical things while they are the son or daughter from a muggle or a non-wizard people,). Maria compared these classifications with the upper class, middle class, and lower class people (from wealth, education, and daily activities).
Voldemort. It can be said that all the main conflict is created by Voldemort, and without the existence of Voldemort, the stories will be plot less.
There is a study done by Elizabeth Pandolfo Briggs, the editor of Alice’s Academy <http://www.thelooking-glass.net/rabbit/4.2/academy.html>. In her article ‘The Real Magic of Harry Potter’, she focuses her study on the author’s way to create and develop the story. She says that the author created such an imaginative story combined with reality. The author placed the story in such constructed world that blends fantasy with reality by presenting ordinary routines magic. Although the author followed the fantasy tradition, she put the fantasy world in an environment that children know very well, which is school. To be specific, the story mixed high fantasy with the traditional British school story. Elizabeth concluded that the greatest interest in the book may be located in this ingenious structure that suggests a surprising closeness between fantasy and reality.
Ian Cunningham made ‘A Wizard Quiz about Harry Potter’ in Reader’s DigestNovember 2002 to test the readers how much they know about the story of Harry Potter. He said that “Harry Potter will once again be casting his spell with the release ofHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets this month.” It indicates how many people around the world are familiar with Harry Potter series.
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secretdeals with slavery and racialism. This is specially presented by the character of Dobby the house-elf and Hermione Granger, the friend of Harry Potter, whose parents are non-wizard. Furthermore, he claims that this book has much darker tone than its prequel,Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, because it suggests many more frightening creatures and events (giant spider, snake, death, some students petrified, etc) <http://www.azstarnet.com/harrypotter/21115chamberview.html>.
This undergraduate thesis attempts to develop something new and different from the other studies; this undergraduate thesis focuses on revealing the mythical creature’s function and their symbols from the first six series of Harry Potter. Therefore, this undergraduate thesis makes a new contribution to literary review since it has not been reviewed before.
B. Theories Review
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
a. Character
a story are just to support the development of the major character.” (Abrams, 1981: 20)
Based on the internal complexity, characters are also divided into two types; they are flat character and round character. A flat character is presented without many individualizing details, and therefore can be adequately described in a single phrase or sentence. It also can be ‘a single idea or quality’. A round character is complex in temperament and motivation that is presented with subtle particularity. “He is as difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life is and like most people, he is capable of surprising us.” (Abrams, 1981:20) Characterized by one trait or two, flat characters can be written in a sentence to describe whether they are good or bad character. It makes flat character not fully developed. Round characters are more complex and multi sided in their temperament so that the characters have much proportion for their development.
According to C. Hugh Holman and William Harmon in their book, A Handbook to Literature (1986), characters are also categorized into two types, namely static and dynamic. Firstly, a static character is a character who experience a bit of change (can be in his or her attitude or appearance). The pattern of action reveals the character rather than showing the character changing in response to actions. Sometimes a static character gives the appearance of changing simply because our picture of the character is revealed bit by bit. Examples of static characters are: Rubeus Hagrid, Prof. Dumbledore, Prof. Mc Gonagal, etc.
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experiences, and one objective of the work in which the character’s appearance is to reveal the consequences of these actions (Holman & Harmon, 1986:83). Examples of dynamic characters are: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, etc. To judge whether they are static or dynamic is not only based on the changing in a condition or little changing in opinion, but there is a process to make the changing.
b. Characterization
Characterization is the process of creating characters in fiction, often those who are different from and have different beliefs than the author. A writer can assume the point of view of a child, an older person, a member of the opposite gender, someone of another race or culture, or anyone who is not like them in personality or otherwise. In essays or novels, characterization is character development which helps to establish themes.
Characterization can involve developing variety of aspects of a character, such as appearance, age, gender, educational level, vocation or occupation, financial status, marital status, social status, hobbies, religious beliefs, ambitions, motivations, etc.
In Glossary of Literary Terms (1981: 20-21) Abram defines character as “the person presented by the author as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that can be evaluated from the dialogue and the action.”
that they exist for the reader like life-like. They define three methods of characterization afterwards: “Firstly, by the explicit presentation of the author of the character through direct exposition; secondly, by the presentation of the character in the action; and thirdly, by the representation from within the character” (1986:81).
However Murphy in his work, Understanding Unseens, has several ways in which an author is able to make his or her characters understandable to the readers (1972:161-173):
a. By the personal description,
where the author describes a person‘s appearance and clothes to build the character.
b. By representing the characters as seen by other.
Here, the author describes his or her character through another’s eyes and opinions, instead of describing the character directly.
c. By speech.
The character is recognized by the readers from what other persons in the story say.
d. By past life.
Letting the readers know and learn something about a person’s past life surely can give a clue to shape the person’s character.
e. By the conversation of others.
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f. By reactions.
Considering a person’s reaction toward some situations or events may give the readers some clues to the character.
g. By direct comment.
The author can also describe or give comment on a person’s character directly.
h. By thought.
By knowing what a person is thinking about, the readers will be able to recognize the person’s character
i. By mannerisms.
The author can describe a person’s mannerisms or habits in order to tell the readers something about this character.
Another way of characterization is offered by Roberts, Edgar V and Jacobs in Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, that is, a story is usually concerned with major issues that a character must face. Characterization through dialogues, actions, and commenting may involve interaction between a character with another character, with a difficulty situation or with an idea (Robert, 1989:56)
Even in fantasy and caricature, an essential element is truth to life. However original and fantastic the author’s approach, he will fail if his reader do not feel that his character are real, believable, based on possible variations of human nature (1981:92).
Kate Greenville in her book entitled The Writing Book, A Work Book for Fiction Writers, agreed to Little that characterization is all the things writers do to build up the character they wanted (character development into good or evil, their physical appearance and their abilities). She added that characterization is the process to transforms real-life people into the characters in fiction (1990:36).
Little also added that the important thing about human life is that no person is wholly good or wholly evil, so that characters in the work (whether it is fiction or not) should be no wholly good or wholly evil (1981:92).
3. Theory on Symbolism and Allegory a. Symbolism
“Symbolism and allegory are modes of literary expression that are designed to extend meaning”, (Keys to Extended Meaning). Symbols are the representation from a group of people or as a token of a certain era and until now symbols are still used to make something easier to be said, especially in a work of literature. In here the researcher will explore only the symbols in Rowling’s works and try to reveal what the mythical creatures represent, and their significance toward the story line.
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remain itself and it can stand for or suggest something else. Symbolism, according to Goethe quoted by Abrams, “transforms the phenomenon into idea, the idea into an image, and in such a way that the idea remains always infinitely active and unapproachable in the image, and even if expressed in all language, still would remain inexpressible” (1985:208). Symbols are not solely objects presented in the work. They may also be a single word, a setting, a character, situations, actions, thoughts, even verbal patterns or idea. It possesses its own reality and meaning and may function at the normal level of reality within a story. There is often a topical or integral relationship between the symbol and things it stands for or the representation, but a symbol may also have no apparent connection and therefore may be considered arbitrary. What is important; however, is that the symbol points beyond itself to a greater and more complex meaning (Keys to Extended Meaning). When a symbol is introduced, like a key opening a lock, it signifies a specific combination of attitude, a sustained constancy of meaning and the potential for wide-ranging application. A symbol might appear over and over again in the same story, yet it always maintains the same meaning. Thus you might think of a symbol as a constant against a background of variables, like a theme with variations.
called cultural or universal symbols. They embody ideas or emotion that the writer and the reader share a common as a result of their social and cultural heritage. When using these symbols, a writer does not have to take the time to invest objects or people with symbolic resonance within the story; he or she can simply assume that the reader knows what the symbol represents for example, the color of black symbolizes sadness, darkness, and full of mysteries; the color of white symbolizes pureness and holiness, etc. The second type of symbol is called private, authorial,orcontextualsymbols for example for some people the color of red represent anger and cruelty, but for other people it will represent spirit and bravery. A contextual symbol is the object and description that gain their symbolic meaning within the context of the specific work of fiction. It only occurs in certain literary works, and only recognized by particular people, nation or culture. “Its further significance is to determinate within particular culture” (Abrams, 1985:206).
In determining whether a particular object or person in a story is a symbol, we need to make decisions based on our judgment of its total significance. If it appears to be of major importance, we can claim it has symbolic value as long as we can show its scope and sustained reference beyond itself. Symbols may appear as the story progresses, it may gain significance effect for both the author and the readers. Perrine gave cautions in order to analyze symbolic meaning (1974: 214-215), as follows:
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repetition or position.
2. The meaning of literary symbols must be established and supported by the entire context because the symbol has its meaning inside the context, not outside it.
3. A symbol may have more than one meaning in which its meanings are controlled by the context of the literary works.
These cautions can help the reader in finding and analyzing the symbolical meaning in a literary works, because precise interpretation of symbols requires delicacy, tack, and good sense.
b. Allegory
A narrative inverse of prose in which the literal events consistently point to a parallel sequence of symbolic ideas. This narrative strategy is often used to dramatize almost ideas, historical events, religious systems or political issues. An allegory has two levels of meaning. Goethe as quoted by Abrams inA Glossary of Literary Terms stated that “Allegory transforms the phenomenon into a concept, the concept into an image, but in such a way that the concept always remains bounded in the image, and is entirely to be kept and held in it, and to be expressed by it” (1985:208). Both Coleridge and Goethe stress that an allegory presents a pair of subjects (an image and a concept) and a symbol only one (the image alone) (1985:208).
from Greek word allegorein, which means “to speak so as to imply other than what is said.” Allegory, however, tends to be more complex and sustained than symbolism.
An allegory is to a symbol as a motion picture is to a still picture; allegory puts symbols into consistent and sustained action. In form, an allegory is a complete and self-sufficient narrative; it also signifies another series or level of events or conditions of life as expressed in a habit of thought, a philosophy, or a religion.
“Allegory is a narrative strategy which may be employed in any literary form or genre to deliver moral lesson to the reader”A Glossary of Literary Terms (1985, 5). Allegories and the allegorical method do not exist simply to enable authors to engage in mysterious literary exercises, it was understood at some point in the past that people might more willingly listen to the stories instead of the moral lessons. Therefore the allegorical method evolved to entertain and instruct at the same time. In addition, the threat of reprisal or censorship sometimes causes authors to express their views indirectly in the form of allegory rather than to write directly. The double meaning that we will find in the allegory is hence quite real.
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often associated with Jesus, who used them in His teaching to embody religious insight and truth. The third is myth, a story that is related or associated with the religion, philosophy, and collective psychology of various groups of cultures. It sometimes embodies scientific truths for pre-scientific societies; they codify the social and cultural values of the civilization in which they were composed. Sometimes, unfortunately, the term mythical is used to suggest that something is untrue. This minimizing of the word reflects a limited appreciation of the psychological and social truths embedded in myths. The truths in mythology are not found literally in the stories themselves, but rather in our symbolic or allegorical interpretation of them(Microsoft Encarta Student Edition 2008).
To the extent that literature is true and probable, much of it may consider symbolic or allegorical, and knowing these, we may be tempted to find symbolism and allegorical meaning where none might exist.
4. Theory on New Criticism
Because it stresses close textual analysis and viewing the text as a carefully crafted, orderly object containing formal, observable patterns, the New Criticism has sometimes been called an ‘objective’ approach to literature. New Critics are more likely than certain other critics to believe and say that the meaning of a text can be known objectively. For instance, reader-response critics see meaning as a function either of each reader’s experience or of the norms that govern a particular interpretive community.
The foundations of the New Criticism were laid in books and essays written during the 1920s and 1930s by I. A. Richards (Practical Criticism, 1929), William Empson (Seven Types of Ambiguity, 1930), and T. S. Eliot (The Function of Criticism, 1933). The approach was significantly developed later, however, by a group of American poets and critics, including R. P. Blackmur, Cleanth Brooks, John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, Robert Penn Warren, and William K. Wimsatt. Although we associate the New Criticism with certain principles and terms—such as affective fallacy (the notion that the reader’s response is relevant to the meaning of a work) and intentional fallacy (the notion that the author’s intention determines the work’s meaning)—the New Critics were trying to make a cultural statement rather than to establish a critical dogma. Generally southern, religious, and culturally conservative, they advocated the inherent value of literary works (particularly of literary works regarded as beautiful art objects) because they were sick of the growing ugliness of modern life and contemporary events.
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Chicago School) to American isolationism. These critics tend to view the formalist tendency to isolate literature from biography and history as symptomatic of American fatigue with wider involvements. Whatever the source of the New Criticism’s popularity (or the reason for its eventual decline), its practitioners and the textbooks they wrote were so influential in American academia that the approach became standard in college and even high school curriculum through the 1960s and well into the 1970s.
(Adapted fromThe Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, A Glossary of Literary TermsandBeginning Theory, An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory)
5. Theory of Representation
Supporting Gibson, Peter Barry in his book, Beginning Theory, an Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, explained about the term 'representation' which is used to define the thing which has similarities with another thing in which these similarities can be seen in the outside or even can be found in the inside. Barry, then, divided the stage of representation to four stages in which the stages can be considered as the analogous to the four different ways of representation. The first one is the sign which represents "a basic reality". Second is that the "sign may change the reality behind it". The third stage for the sign is ''the disguise of the fact which has no correspondence of reality underneath". In third sign ''there's a representation of a representation". The last one is that ''the sign seems to have no relation to any reality" (2002: 87).
C. Theoretical Framework
By understanding the basic and brief theory of symbolism, allegory, and new criticism, we know that each of the mythical creature’s character is having their own meaning, function, and even symbols.
The researcher’s analysis focuses on each of the mythical creature which shows a significant role in each book. The researcher discusses mainly the symbols, and their function toward the story line will be included for the second focus. It is done to limit the analysis so that it will not be confusing and be too wide.
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support to help the reader to understand of what kind of literary work that the researcher chooses to analyze.
The theories explained in the previous sub-chapter are used to help to answer the problems the researcher finds. First, the theory of symbolism and allegory functions as the introductory part, so that the reader knows the basic theory that is used for the analysis in this undergraduate thesis. As for the second theory, new criticism is one of the ‘tools’ to be used to analyze the mythical creatures in details (their attitude, their status -half human, creature, beast-, physical appearance). The character and characterization are also the supporting theory, to clarify whether they are round character or not, major or minor, level of importance, and to clarify their function in the story. Theory of representation is used to reveal the meaning of symbol owned by the mythical creature. The theory of new criticism is used to answer the first problem. The researcher writes down the creatures based on what is in the text. By knowing the mythical creature that appears in each story, there would be not much problem to find out whether they are included as a developed character and which are not, and their levels of importance and their details. The second and third problems of this thesis are answered by using the other theories (symbolism and allegory, character and characterization, representation).
Chapter III
Methodology
A. Object of the Study
The object for this undergraduate thesis is the first six series (from seven series) of Harry Potter by Joanne Kathleen Rowling entitledHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stonepublished by Bloomsbury, 1997: London; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets published by Bloomsbury, 1998: London; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban published by Bloomsbury, 1999: London; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire published by Bloomsbury, 2000: London; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix published by Bloomsbury, 2003: London; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princepublished by Bloomsbury, 2005: London.
This novel told us about the life of a sorcerer boy named Harry Potter in a wizarding school named Hogwarts. He had a big enemy, a dark wizard, named Lord Voldemort. He killed Harry's parents when Harry was a baby, leaving him a lightning bolt scar. Because of that, Harry hated Voldemort very much and he wanted to take revenge on behalf of his parent, yet he also needed to survive from Lord Voldemort tricks. Each series of Harry Potter tells about his journey with his friends in Hogwarts.
All of the books in the series have gone to the top of bestseller charts in many countries, such as America, England, Australia, Indonesia, and many other countries and they have won many awards, regarding the unique, delighting and
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marvelous story. Although Harry Potter series is Rowling’s first work she managed to ‘trap’ all the readers when reading Harry Potter series, it is like she had tons of experience in making novels. With the popularity and the enthusiasm from the readers of the books, both Rowling and her work were awarded with many awards, such as, The British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, 1998;Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999); Author of the Year, February 2000; The Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year, February 2000; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince nominated for W.H. Smith Children’s Book of the Year, January 2001; Royal Society of Edinburgh from Napier University; Triple Smarties award for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,(1998) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, (1999), the American Library Association Notable Book, the Best Book for Young Adults 2000, the Los Angeles Times Best Book 1999, and the Booklist Editors' Choice 2000. January 2001; Harry potter and the Goblet of Fire was a nominee for the W. H. Smith children's Book of the Year award. Publisher Weekly reported Harry Potter (novel) succeeded in achieving the first position of the best seller list in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Years to come some awards still wait to be given for Harry Potter novels and films.
success, and won many awards as much as its novel series. The title is the same with the British novel (the title for each novel is different in each countries), they are: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, premiere: 16 November 2001 director: Chris Columbus; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, premiere: 15 November 2002, director: Chris Columbus; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, premiere: UK: 31 May, 2005, director: Alfonso Cuarón; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, premiere: 16 November 2005, , director: Mike Newell; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, premiere: 13 July 2007 , director: David Yates; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, premiere: estimated for Winter 2008 (November), director: still unknown.
Some of the movies had been nominated and won some awards from the year of 2004 until 2006 (Teen Choice Award, People's Choice Award, Public Choice Award, Audience Award, Special Award from UK. Empire, Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film Award, Saturn Award, Golden Reel Award, Hugo Award, Grammy Award, Oscar Award, Golden Trailer Award, BAFTA Film Award, BAFTA Children's Award, Amanda Award, Blimp Award, PFCS Award, VES Award, BMI Film Music Award, World Soundtrack Award)
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Harry Potter series have revolutionized the routines of many children in all over the world, and they began to read more books and leaving their electronic games behind.
All the data were taken and compiled from the internet (7march2008). <www.imdb.com/title/tt0304141/awards;www.veritaserum.com/books/book1/awa rdsreviews.shtml;http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4858368.stm;http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_film_series;www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/bo oks/author/index.htm;www.harrypotterfans.net/potterica/index.html;www.bookm usicfilmsTV.com;http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/homework/litguides.aspx;www.c esnur.org/recensipotter_026.htm>
B. Approach of the Study
The focus of the study here is the mythical creature and their significance and function from the first until the sixth series. Dealing with this study, the researcher uses the new criticism approach to answer the problem formulation stated at chapter two. The researcher believes that text material provides useful facts for the readers, so that the readers can understand and later find out what they need to know about any specific thing (in this case about mythical creature).
for analyzing the novel. (Adapted from The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms).
C. Method of the Study
To do this undergraduate thesis, the researcher used the method of library research, and was also helped by internet research to support the data found in the library. Most of the sources the researcher used can be found in library. For this thesis, the researcher used Joanne Kathleen Rowling’s book (Harry Potter) from the first series until the six (some in Indonesian language/ translated edition). The source of the internet research used for this study is mainly provided by J.K Rowling’s official site. For the analysis, the writer used the data collection and data analysis, fromHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone; Harry Potter dan Batu Bertuah; Harry Potter dan Kamar Rahasia; Harry Potter dan Tawanan Azkaban; Harry Potter dan Piala Api; Harry Potter dan Orde Phoenix; Harry Potter dan Pangeran Berdarah Campuran; The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter; Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them. For the theories the researcher used A Glossary of Literary Termswritten by M.H Abrams.
1. Data Collection
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series. All those mythical creatures would be picked (using a statistic) to find out which ones will be analyzed and which ones will not.
2. Data Analysis
The data that the researcher had found were analyzed to answer the problems. Problem number one was answered by identifying the entire mythical creature, and based on the listed creatures that were considered having an important role; they were analyzed based on the series they appeared. The main indicator that the researcher used to decide whether the mythical creatures had an important role or not, is by counting their appearance (how many times they were mentioned) from the first until the six series. To solve this problem, the researcher used statistic for each creature; for if the appearance is below certain number or percentage, they will not be analyzed, even if they have important symbols.
Problem number two was about the symbol that the mythical creatures had, seen from many aspects and of course from the text itself and this was answered by some steps. First, the researcher identified the creature that appeared in each series and analyzed it, and then if they had appeared in the previous series, the researcher will analyze it if their symbol had changed from the previous and explained their symbolic change.
More or less it was nearly the same way problem number two was; first of all, the researcher identified the mythical creatures in each series. Then the researcher counted their appearance, if they met the number or percentage needed, they would be analyzed and explained about their significance toward the story line.
34 CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter is divided into three subchapters. The first subchapter is a list of the entire creatures’ name based on the appearance on the books (contains both the mythical and non mythical ones). In this subchapter, the researcher also gives the description of the mythical creatures that will be analyzed and why some creatures are considered as non mythical from the point of view of the researcher (there is a classification of what the mythical creatures are and which are not). Then it is followed by the percentage of the mythical creatures’ appearance (the percentage will not be calculated based on each book, but from the first until the sixth series). The next subchapter discusses the creatures’ symbols and evidences taken from some sources to support the analysis made by the researcher. The last subchapter discusses the significance of the mythical creatures’ representation toward the story line. Some explanation and evidences will also be included in this subchapter.
A. List of the Entire Creatures and their Classification
To answer the first problem the researcher used some tables to give a clear view of what the creatures are from the first until the sixth series of Harry Potter. There are four main tables that will be the base of the analysis in this undergraduate thesis.
The first table is the list of all the creatures that appear in the first until the sixth book of Harry Potter based on when they appear (table 4.1.1). The second table contains all the entire creatures from the first table which is divided into two groups: the non mythical and the mythical creatures’ classification (table 4.1.2), followed by some explanation of how the researcher categorized; which ones are included in the non mythical creatures and which ones are included in the mythical creatures themselves. The third table is a list of only the mythical creatures that appear in the first until the sixth series, and the list is arranged in alphabetical order (table 4.1.3). The fourth table is the representation of the creatures that are converted into percentages, and it is also in alphabetical order since the percentages will not show their “rank” of significance (table 4.1.4).
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The first table is the list of all the names of the creatures that were mentioned in the first six series. Here the researcher listed all the names that were found in the novel (whether they were mentioned many times or just once).
Table 4.1.1 List of all the creatures in the story
Book number List of all the creatures
Book 1 troll, owl, snake, goblin, cat, toad, dragon (Norwegian Ridgeback, Common Welsh Green, Hebridean Black), rats, lion, eagle, badger, goat, giant squid, 3 headed dog (Fluffy), golden snidget, werewolf, vampire, unicorn, dog (Fang), ghost, centaur (Firenze, Ronon, Bane), beetle, chicken, giant, bat
Book 2 basilisk, phoenix, owl, house elf / elfish, gnome, chicken, dracula, goblin, troll, vampire, werewolf, yeti, beetle, banshee, pixie cornwall, kelpie, rooster, yak, salamander, giant spider, leech, insect, ghost, gargoyle, griffon, snail, centaur, unicorn, giant, bat
Book 3 owl, giant spider, 3 headed dog, dragon, dog (Ripper, Sirius), dementor, dwarf, rat, 2 headed water lizard, toad, fly, giant turtle, snail, rabbit, cat, raven, furball, imps, goblin, ghost, hippogriff, gargoyle, flobber worm, fox, boggart, banshee, mummy. snake, red caps, kappa, grindylow, hinkypunk, werewolf, salamander, golden snidget, pony horse, troll, giant squid, unicorn, giant, ghost, bat, deer
veela, leprechaun, giant squid, exploding back skrewt, dragon (Norwegian Ridge back, Hungarian Horn-tail, Common Welsh Green, Swedish Short Snout, Chinese Fireball), banshee, salamander, ghost, fox, boggart, red cap, hinkypunk, grindylow, kappa, werewolf, spider, lion, eagle, badger, snake, raccoon, cockatrice, palmino horse, giant, bat, buffalo, scorpion, crab, beetle, unicorn, birds, rat, crocodile, hag, ghost, manticore, fire crab, merpeople, niffler, sphinx, deer, spider, gargoyle
Book 5 cat, owl, bat, deer, dog, elfish, hippogriff, spider, dementor, boggart, doxy, goblin, gargoyle, werewolf, puffskein, rat, wartcap, centaur, phoenix, thestral, ghost, pixie, flobber worm, salamander, niffler, skrewt, bowtruckle, fairy, pterodactyl, unicorn, porlock, kneazle, crup, knarl, murtlap, hag, goat, heliopath, lion, snake, dragon, troll, vampire, giant (Karkus, Golgomath, Gwarp), abraxan horse, chimaera, griffin, beetle, frog, iguana, weasel, flamingo, fire crab, giant squid, snail, beaver
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The data that were presented in table 4.1.2 were not only taken from the novels as the main data, but the researcher also usedHewan-Hewan Fantastis dan Dimana Mereka Bisa Ditemukan, an Indonesian version of Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Themby J.K. Rowling herself.
Table 4.1.2 List of the classified creatures
Mythical creatures Non Mythical creatures
abominable snowman, abraxan horse, acromantula, aethonon, antipodean opaleye, armadillo, ashwinder, augurey (Irish phoenix), banshee, basilisk (the King of Serpents), bicorn, billywig, biting fairy, albino bloodhound, boarhound, boggart, boomslang, bowtruckle, bugbear, bundimun, cat-liked creatures, centaur, chameleon ghoul, chimaera, chizpurfle, clabbert, cockatrice, cornish pixie, crup, dark creature, dementor, demiguise, diricawl, double-ended newt, doxy, dragon, dugbog, erkling, erumpent, fairy, ferret, Chinese fireball, fire crab, fire slug, flesh-eating slug, flobber worm,
beetle, cats, dogs, fish,goat, insects, leech, mummy, owl, rabbit, ramora, rat, raven, salamander, sea serpent, toads and frogs, spider, giant squid, tarantula, snail, snake, crocodile, iguana, weasel, flamingo,
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tortoise, troll, unicorn, vampire, veela, common Welsh green, werewolf, wildebeest, woodlouse, wood-nymph, yeti
Here are some criteria that the researcher used to define the creatures included as the mythical creatures in this undergraduate thesis.
The first criterion is that the creatures encountered or had a special connection towards the other characters, especially the main characters (Harry Potter, Voldemort, Dumbledore, etc). Those mythical creatures are: basilisk, phoenix, elfish, giant spider, boggart, dementor, etc.
The second is they had an important task which latter build a relation for other characters or events at least in one book, such as: Fluffy/three-headed dog (which was guarding the philosopher’s stone), Nagini/ poisonous snake (which was one of the horcruxes for Voldemort), dragon, sphinx, acromantula and blast-ended skrewt (which were the obstacles in the Triwizard tournament), Buckbeak/ Winterwing, (which was the hippogriff that is used to help Sirius Black escaped from death punishment), etc.
at the Triwizard tournament), golden snidget (which became the main goal in Quidditch match), Buckbeak/ Winterwing (when it attacked Draco Malfoy for self-defense), werewolf (which was one of the significant characters in both sides – Lupin, who represented the good side and Fenrir Greyback in the dark side), unicorn (when Voldemort suck their blood to stay alive), centaur (which saved Harry when he had to face Voldemort for the first time at the forbidden forest), etc. Those are the criteria that were used by the researcher to classify the mythical creatures that will be analyzed in this undergraduate thesis.
The forth criterion is that the creatures should be classified as not having a real physical form in our real life society or in the form of a real natural evidence such as bones structure, or fossil.
The third table is the list of all mythical creatures in the novel, and some of the names in the list which would be analyzed for the symbols, function, and their significance toward the story in the next subchapter.
Table 4.1.3 List of the mythical creatures in each book
Book number List of all the mythical creatures
Book 1 centaur (Firenze, Ronan, Bane), dragon (Norwegian Ridgeback, Common Welsh Green, Hebridean Black), ghost, giant squid, goblin, golden snidget, three-headed dog (Fluffy), troll, unicorn, vampire, werewolf
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werewolf, yeti
Book 3 acromantula, banshee, boggart, dementor, dragon, dwarf, flobber worm, furball, gargoyle, ghost, giant, giant squid, giant turtle, goblin, golden snidget, grindylow, hinkypunk, hippogriff, imps, kappa, red caps, three-headed dog, troll, two-headed water lizard, unicorn, werewolf
Book 4 acromantula, banshee, blast-ended skrewt, boggart, dementor, dragon (Norwegian Ridge back, Hungarian Horn-tail, Common Welsh Green, Swedish Short Snout, Chinese Fireball), elfish, fire crab, gargoyle, ghost, giant, giant squid, gnome, goblin, golden snidget, grindylow, hag, hinkypunk, hippogriff, kappa, leprechaun, manticore, merpeople, nagini, niffler, palmino horse, red cap, sphinx, troll, unicorn, veela, werewolf
Book 5 abraxan horse, blast-ended skrewt, boggart, bowtruckle, centaur, chimaera, crup, dementor, dragon, doxy, elfish, fairy, fire crab, flobber worm, gargoyle, ghost, giant (Karkus, Golgomath, Grawp), giant squid, goblin, golden snidget, griffin, hag, heliopath, hippogriff, knarl, kneazle, murtlap, niffler, phoenix, pixie, porlock, puffskein, thestral, troll, unicorn, vampire, wartcap, werewolf,
nog-tails, palmino horse, phoenix, puffskein, pygmy puff, unicorn, water monster, werewolf
Since that the criteria for the mythical creatures include the percentages’ criteria (to make sure that the data taken are provable) the researcher included the table in the first subchapter, so the main data will be focused in this first subchapter.
Data for the mythical creatures’ percentages which were analyzed can be seen in the table above. The researcher made the percentages based on the mythical creatures’ appearance in the book with more than twenty appearances from all six books.
Creatures which appeared more than twenty times were included in the list. Some of the creatures having less than the percentages’ criteria would not be analyzed, except if the researcher considered it is important to include the creature(s).
Table 4.1.4 List of the creatures that will be analyzed
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Although it uses the term “symbol”, allegory is the theory that is used to see the creatures’ symbols, since the theory of symbol can stand by it self in the work of literature, and for allegory, it is a kind of theory that suit better in a narrative work.
All of the creatures have a certain symbol that can be seen from the conversation by themselves or from other characters, attitude or responses in certain events, their manner, by personal description, etc. Here all the creatures are called as a character because they fit with the description from the theory of character and characterization. Seen from Harry Potter and other human as the main character, the creatures are called minor character; seen from their internal complexity, they are regarded as a round character –having a complex temperament and motivation, and capable of surprising us- , and some of them is stated as both static and dynamic characters.
a. Acromantula (Aragog, Mosag)
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individual failure who tries to rival the God, as the result of the excess ambition of imitating and trying to overpass its creator.
It is said that Aragog was brought in a pocket of a traveler from a far away land (Greek) when he was an egg. Then the traveler passed him to young Hogwarts’ students named Hagrid.
(HP#2; p.345) and honest (HP#2; p.346) to the one that had done something for them (HP#2; p.345).
Acromantula was one of the mythical creatures that lived in the forest, which somehow in the last moment, they helped to fight the dark side (when the death-eater and Voldemort attacked Hogwarts). It was not clear whether they intentionally helped, or whether they killed the death-eater because they had trespassed the territorial of a bunch of hungry acromantulas (book 6). They also helped Harry Potter to find the chamber of secret by telling Harry and Ron about the creature that they feared the most, which was Basilisk (book 2). With the death of Aragog, Harry could persuade Professor Slughorn to give him his memory about his conversation with Tom Riddle (book 6). Acromantula was one of the creatures that helped Harry Potter developed his skill (when facing it as one of the Triwizard tournament obstacles in themaze)
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Aragog also mentioned it clearly in the forest toward Harry and Ron, when they asked whether Aragog had attack people or not (HP#2; p.345).
b. Basilisk
“There is nothing so simple or so common place as a serpent, and yet by virtue of this very simple simplicity nothing with shocks the spirit more,” Jean Chevalier and Alain Ghreerbrant stated in Penguin Dictionary of Symbols (1994: 844). Legend says that Basilisk is the king of all snakes and serpent. The word comes from Latin "basilicus" which means royal, so the nickname ‘King of Serpents’ is particularly appropriate. Greek people call it Cockatrice. It was described as a serpent with a white dot on its head, and it cannot be ordered by anything or anyone. The detail about male being crested apparently come from the real-life basilisk, which is a kind of iguana. Stories of serpent had two sides, good side and bad side, as serpent is told as the destroyer of purity, as an evil and the devil itself that deny the will of God (Christian’s belief), it is said as the soul and libido which create the human kind by the Pygmies, while Indian people believe that the serpent named Ananta (associated with Vishnu and Shiva) as the creator and stabilizer of the world. The Book of Numbers said that it is the act of God choosing the one that will be restored after life (Numbers 21: 6-9).
(HP#2; p.360). Acromantula as the king of Arachnids (HP#4; p.609) was afraid of Basilisk (HP#2; p.346, p.361), yet it was said that Basilisk flee only from the rooster’s crowing, which was fatal to it (HP#2; p.362). Basilisk could live at least 900 years if given adequate food supply (by eating all vertebrates, birds except rooster, mammals, and reptiles). It could not be controlled other than the heir of Salazar Slytherin, one of the four Hogwarts founders, who was a powerful dark wizard that hated muggle born and a half blood wizards and dreamed of “whipping” all the muggle and half blood wizards using Basilisk (HP#2; p.388). It was said that Basilisk was breed from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad (HP#2; p.360); usually it was magical rather than normal breed and done by a great dark power. Although not explicitly stated, the basilisk's skin probably had the same armor characteristics as dragon skin, leaving its eyes and the inside of its mouth as its only vulnerable points.
Basilisk plays a major part in the adventure of Harry Potter in his second year in Hogwarts since it lived in the chamber of secret and believed to be the pet that Salazar Slytherin bred himself. Basilisk created the climax of the story when Harry Potter fought it and won by stabbing the Gryffindor’s sword pass through the Basilisk’s mouth; after Fawkes attacked its eyes and made it blind. The fang of Basilisk destroyed one of Voldemort’s Horcrux (the part of Voldemort’s soul that would keep him alive if his rough body was destroyed) which was Tom Riddle’s diary.
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death. In the story Basilisk was described as a monster that could not be controlled other than a Slytherin heir, although he or she could speakParselmouth orParseltounge(language of the snake). Slytherin gave Basilisk a duty to kill all except the pure blooded wizards, and since it was the most favorite creature of the dark wizards (as a pet and as many dangerous and deadly potions use snakes as its basic ingredients), it made Basilisk an evil creature. Death is the other symbol for Basilisk, since its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk had a murderous stare, and all who were fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. It was also said that Basilisk skin was poisonous, and when it crept on grass and trees, it would soon wintered and died.
c. Blast-Ended Skrewt
Rowling created a new mythical creature named blast-ended skrewt. Blast-ended skrewts were some of the most revolting creatures ever seen, they had sting in many parts of its body, legs coming from many places of their body, and they grew so quickly from a newly hatched into three meters long in a few months, and like an acromantula, blast-ended skrewt only had one weak point, which was the lower part its body where there was not any thick shell (HP#4; p.751).
from its back of its body (HP#4; p.358). Blast-ended skrewt was a very rare creature since it was bred by Hagrid himself prior to the autumn by crossing manticores (see appendix for more explanation) with fire-crabs (HP#4; p.528) and regarded as a pleasant pet by Hagrid (HP#4; p.299). The name ‘blast-ended skrewt’ may be a reference to the term "blasting off" which is slang in some parts of Britain for breaking wind (like the explosion from its back).
Blast-ended skrewt was one of the creatures that were taken care from the beginning until the end, as one of the creatures that were learned in Magical creatures’ class. Blast-ended skrewt also functioned as one of the Triwizard tournament obstacles that had to be confronted by Harry directly inside the maze besides Acromantula and other creatures (book 4). It also had the role as one of things that Rita Skeeter (who was a very annoying reporter that loved to write false yet amazing news) wrote in the newspaper and that later made Hagrid stop teaching for a few weeks.
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d. Boggart
This creature was told by many children books or movies as Boogey-man, something that crept and lived under our bed, inside our cupboard, in old attic, and many dark places in our surrounding. It usually had a figure of a scary and ugly man with torn clothes (cupboard’s version); something hairy that tickles our feet if we annoyed it, it would later catch our foot and drag us down into its world (under the bed’s version); sounds and shadows that sometimes caught our senses, but when we looked for it, it would never be there (attic’s version); and the most common was something in boxes or an antique wooden chest. Children aged six until ten lived in the West culture will find it as a reality. Until now it is not clear who spread the story of Boogey-man and what it is for (unlike other children stories that were made for a cause such as Candyman, Jason, the Sleep Hollow, etc)
Boggart is a shape shifter (HP#3; p.169), it loved to stay in dark places such as cupboard, drawer, etc (HP#3; p.169) and nobody knew its actual form because when it came out of its hiding place it had changed into something that we feared the most (HP#3; p.169, p.293). The only thing that could destroy Boggart is laughter (HP#3; p.170). When it changed, it would also have the ability of the form that it took; although was not as powerful as the real thing.
death (book 3). Boggart was using the shape of a Dementor when it met Harry in the maze as one of the obstacles before reaching for the Triwizard trophy (book 4).
This creature symbolizes hunger for recognition, and an uncertainty on every action. It can be said that its attitude was the one that will be its symbol, in this case when it stepped out from its hiding place it would change into something people feared most so that it would not be disturbed. When people felt fear because of them, they had the power to act. Yet if the person were not scared or even laughed at it, it would die; which means it is the perfect symbols for those who wanted to be in charge of something, to be famous, and to be able to achieve what they dreamed of but not wanting to be humiliated. They will do anything to achieve their goals.
e. Centaur
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A highly skilled physician and friend of Heracles (Hercules), Chiron fought at the hero’s side in the battle which set them against the other centaurs. Wounded in error by one of Heracles’ poisonous arrow and longing for death, he offered his own immortality to Prometheus to find rest. The story taught us about the battle between instinct and reason. Iconographically, centaurs are generally depicted with the expression on their faces. They symbolize lust, with all the brute violence which can reduce mankind to the level of beast if it is not balanced with spiritual strength.
Centaurs made by Rowling had their own manner and rules (HP#1; p.319) for themselves in their own herd (HP#1; p.316), they were very good at astronomy (HP#1; p.315, p.322), and they tended to think that they had more knowledge (HP#1; p.316) and a closer relation to Gods through their ability (HP#1; p.319-320) which explained why they had a very high pride (HP#1; p.319).
Centaurs in the forbidden forest of Hogwarts were very strict with their law, and yet they preferred to solve every problem with communication, and if it could not be settled, they would leave the herd voluntarily or by force. One of the centaurs in the forbidden forest named Firenze once rescued Harry when facing with Voldemort in his freshman year at Hogwarts. Here they were a combination of the descendents of Ixion’s and the descendents of Philyra and Cronos.
knowledge; animal and human. They represented the balance between wildness and control (they lived freely yet they had rules that had to be obeyed in the herd). They had the wisdom, knowledge, mysteries, and at the same time they also had the lust, passion, and anger.
f. Dementor
We will not be able to find other mythology creature that resembles it, since Rowling made it born magically from her thought helped by her pen and papers
