Harry Potter- Beginning Book Two!

Hey all!

It’s been a while since my last post, but because my homework for Media Studies was to journal about or create media, I realized it was the perfect opportunity to pick up the second book in Rowling’s series and blog!

Just as I did for the last book, my hope is to document what it is like to read the Harry Potter series for the first time. So many people cite the series as their favorite books, and who wouldn’t want to read his or her favorite book again as if it were for the first time?! Plus, I feel it is somewhat my obligation as a future English teacher (student teaching this fall, yikes!) to read the series. Plus, because I am an English major, it just feels natural to include a commentary of my thoughts as I read through the books. (What a nerd! But I love it, haha)

Before even beginning, I tried to make predictions about what the book will be about (a strategy teachers can use when introducing books to students). The illustration on the cover page shows two large glowing eyes peering out from the depths of what I would assume to be the “chamber of secrets.” The lone feather laying on the ground in front of the open door seems to imply that a bird is somehow involved, perhaps in the opening of the chamber, and that this chamber is probably not open all that often. Another strange thing I noticed was the snake patterns on the columns. Is it just me, or does the snake figurine on the right almost seem alive? This gives me a feeling that strange things will continue to happen at Hogwarts, and Slytherin and Voldemort will probably somehow be involved. In the picture it is also difficult to miss the black spider hanging from the eves. However, one thing that I only noticed upon further inspection was the much larger shadow that the spider cast on the wall behind it. This makes me wonder if spiders will play an important role in this books plot or if it is just setting the mood (things are not always as they seem, or that evil is lurking). It will be interesting to see if these themes show up later in this book.

Anyway, enough with the “method” and on with the reading! 

Immediately Rowling reacquaints us with the setting, characters and even events from the prior book. This book, just like the first, begins at “number four, Privet Drive” (I wonder if Rowling will begin every book at Privet Drive…?). The reader is immediately reacquainted with the Dursleys in all their yelling, yuppy-ness, inflexibility, and (in Dudley’s case) grossness (not just his inadequate manners, but also his humongous size –the root word, “gross,” comes from the French term meaning “fat”).

Again and again, Rowling uses chapter one to reestablish the world of Harry Potter: the obnoxious Dursleys, important friends and teachers at Hogwarts, why Harry is no ordinary wizard, and Harry’s place on the Quidditch team. It may be hard to believe, but I actually forgot Harry was magical (shocker, right?). For when the Dursleys freak-out after Harry says “You’ve forgotten the magic word” it took me a moment to figure out why the Dursleys were so upset. It had less to do with Harry speaking out of turn, and more about his specific word-choice.

Rowling’s inclusion of this conversation, along with the many other allusions to her  prior book, reorients the reader to the “world” she has created, in which magic is more real than some people may even want to believe.  Lots of my friends will talk about how they will get so “into” the series that they’ll forget about the “real” world. It is this repetition of past event and inclusion of passages like this, in which characters are painted as ridiculous for not believing in Rowling’s fantasies, that cements the world of Harry Potter in the minds of readers. Through including parallels, background, details and allusions from the prior book Rowling generates an internal nostalgia for the books as well as an anticipation for what is to come. 

Speaking of what is to come: true to form Rowling leaves the reader hanging and eager to read the next chapter: who is sitting on Harry’s bed?!?! And what is up with bush with eyes?! 

There’s only one way to find out…

Nicole

PS. Sorry for the relatively dry post, once I get through more chapters things should speed up again!