Mirrors, Memories and Magic Originally presented at Azkatraz, July 2009. Posted with permission. I’m going to talk today about mirrors in the Potterverse, the forms they take their impact. While I’ll be touching on several characters, not just Harry, I’m going to devote some extra time to Voldemort and Snape, whose experiences give us a
For an assignment in a class called “Colonizing Girlhoods: L.M. Montgomery and Laura Ingalls Wilder,” the professor took us to the Special Collections department of the college library to look at books and artifacts associated with the Little House and Anne of Green Gables series, such as spinoffs, older editions, paper dolls, alphabet books, guidebooks
No real-world figure has reminded me of Snape more strongly than Michael Cohen, the former fixer for ex-President Trump. When he described himself as “villain or savior, depending on your point of view,” and discussed his efforts to expose the crimes he once helped to commit, I had to see if there was more to
Summary: Through plot and literary strategies, the Harry Potter series pays tribute to several themes from To Kill a Mockingbird, which J.K. Rowling recommended as one of her top 10 books for young readers. Marvolo Gaunt and Bob Ewell impose their racism and abuse on their daughters, with catastrophic consequences. The scapegoating of Tom Robinson has echoes in
In a last-minute surprise move, at the end of Deathly Hallows, it turns out that Ron Weasley can open the Chamber of Secrets using Parseltongue. At first read, this seems like an awfully convenient plot point. But is there more to it? I looked into what the series says about Parseltongue acquisition and Ron’s history
Some of you may be familiar with Xandra Robinson-Burns of Heroine Training, who frequently partners with the Granger Leadership Academy and the Harry Potter Alliance. Her current essay, “Life in the UK,” collects her thoughts while studying for her exam to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. I was honored to be
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