Heroism in the Harry Potter Series

1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4094-1244-1
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 248 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 543 g

Reihe: Studies in Childhood, 1700 to the Present

Taking up the various conceptions of heroism that are conjured in the Harry Potter series, this collection examines the ways fictional heroism in the twenty-first century challenges the idealized forms of a somewhat simplistic masculinity associated with genres like the epic, romance and classic adventure story. The collection's three sections address broad issues related to genre, Harry Potter's development as the central heroic character and the question of who qualifies as a hero in the Harry Potter series. Among the topics are Harry Potter as both epic and postmodern hero, the series as a modern-day example of psychomachia, the series' indebtedness to the Gothic tradition, Harry's development in the first six film adaptations, Harry Potter and the idea of the English gentleman, Hermione Granger's explicitly female version of heroism, adult role models in Harry Potter, and the complex depictions of heroism exhibited by the series' minor characters. Together, the essays suggest that the Harry Potter novels rely on established generic, moral and popular codes to develop new and genuine ways of expressing what a globalized world has applauded as ethically exemplary models of heroism based on responsibility, courage, humility and kindness.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Berndt, Katrin

Steveker, Lena

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Kinder- und Jugendliteratur, Märchen, Mythen, Sagen

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction, Katrin Berndt, Lena Steveker; Part I Heroism in Generic Perspective; Chapter 1 A Paradox: The Harry Potter Series as Both Epic and Postmodern, Mary Pharr; Chapter 2 Harry Potter and the Battle for the Soul: The Revival of the Psychomachia in Secular Fiction, Rita Singer; Chapter 3 The Diffusion of Gothic Conventions in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003/2007), Susanne Gruss; Chapter 4 Harry and his Peers: Rowling's Web of Allusions, Lisa Hopkins; Part II The Formation of the Hero; Chapter 5 ‘Your soul is whole, and completely your own, Harry’: The Heroic Self in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series, Lena Steveker; Chapter 6 Harry Potter’s Archetypal Journey, Julia Boll; Chapter 7 Harry Potter — The Development of a Screen Hero, Jennifer Schütz; Chapter 8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), or, How Harry Potter Becomes a Hero, Nadine Böhm; Part III Heroic Originals, Friends and Foes; Chapter 9 Harry Potter and the Idea of the Gentleman as Hero, Christine Berberich; Chapter 10 Hermione Granger, or, A Vindication of the Rights of Girl, Katrin Berndt; Chapter 11 The Influence of Gender on Harry Potter’s Heroic (Trans) Formation, Karley Adney; Chapter 12 Adult Heroism and Role Models in the Harry Potter Novels, Maria Nikolajeva; Chapter 13 Heroism at the Margins, Kathleen McEvoy;

Über Autor(innen)

Katrin Berndt is assistant professor of English and Anglophone Literatures and Cultures at Bremen University, and Lena Steveker is assistant professor of British Literary and Cultural Studies at Saarland University, Germany.