First Advisor

Narcisi, Lara

College

Regis College

Degree Name

BA

School

Regis College Senior Honors Program

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Number of Pages

77 pages

Abstract

My thesis involved studying Rowling's Harry Potter series as it relates to history, as an allegory for the Holocaust, Freudian psychology, and the Campbellian hero. I considered why Rowling's work, though children's literature, is still important: indeed, its importance is largely derived from the fact that it is written for children. It imparts moral teachings without being didactic and it relates to the struggles children encounter and Rowling addresses that every individual has the potential for both good and evil within themselves. By looking at the connections between the hero and villain through the lenses of psychology, the hero's quest, and just war theory I came to the realization that the overarching connection lay in the latent good and evil present within everyone and the choices we make as individuals that turn one into the archetypal hero or villain. By Rowling addressing these problems in an easily accessible way, the reader can come to a deeper understanding of themselves, their society, and their past. No one is destined to be the hero or the villain but if we realize the potentialities for both within ourselves and others, we can be better prepared for all eventualities.

Date of Award

Spring 2013

Location (Creation)

Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)

Rights Statement

All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.

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