ENG 231: Children's Literature
JC Clapp, North Seattle Community College
Discussion Questions for Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone
The title of each of the chapters provides some clues as to what will occur in each. Do the titles tell the whole truth? How do they reveal some of the more symbolic meaning of the story?
The setting of a fantasy must be made clear if the reader is to more fully enter into the story. As Harry arrives at Hogwarts School, readers see it through his rather astonished eyes. What are some of the tricks and traps of the school? What are the rules for living at Hogwarts? Which rules are made explicit, and which ones does Harry have to figure out for himself? Many great fantasies begin with a very realistic, sometimes mundane, setting before transporting the reader to the more fantastic setting and then returning to the more realistic setting at later points in the story. Sometimes the contrast between the two settings underscores the changes experienced by the main character. Can you think of other books written in this way? How do they compare to Harry Potter in their use of setting?
The author has more than a little bit of fun with names in this story. For example, the Professor of Herbology is Professor Sprout, and even the authors of the textbooks Harry must study are puns and riddles. Can you find other examples of this wordplay and show how the names reflect the characteristics of their owners? What about names that are the opposite of what you'd expect? — for example, the huge, terrifying three-headed dog named Fluffy? What effect do you think the author achieves with this name?
Many novels of high fantasy borrow from the traditional stories of fairy tales, myths, and legends. The dog Fluffy that guards the trapdoor at Hogwarts School resembles Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the underworld of Greek mythology. What other creatures from traditional tales are paralleled in the story? How does each of these creatures play a pivotal role in advancing the plot?
Besides Harry Potter himself, who was your favorite character in the book? Or which character did you find most interesting? Why? What details did Rowling provide that made that character come alive in your mind in all his or her complexity? Did you learn more about the character from their words, their appearance, or their actions? Did your first impressions of the character remain unaltered, or did you change your opinion of the character as the story went on? Which characters will children have the easiest time identifying with?
In Chapter Nine, Harry disobeys a direct order from one of the teachers at the Hogwarts School and takes off on a broom. This infraction is normally cause for expulsion from the school. However, in Harry's case, it brings him the honor of being chosen as the "Seeker" for his Quidditch team. Can you find other instances in the story where Harry's actions lead to opposite results from what is expected? To what extent is the book's plot advanced by such surprise turns of events? How much unpredictability would be too much?
The Mirror of Erised (Desire) plays an important role in the Harry's growing understanding of his internal conflict. The inscription around the top of the mirror (page 207) translates: "I show not your face but your heart's desire." Dumbledore, the headmaster of the school, cautions Harry, saying that the mirror "will give neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible" (p. 213), and he concludes by saying, "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live" (p. 214). Harry longs for the connection to his family, something missing from his miserable childhood. How does he eventually make that connection to the past without losing sight of what is important in the present and essential to the future? How do children connect to this theme of family?
Quirrell tells Harry that "There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it" (p. 291). Do you agree with this? Is this the reality of a child’s world? Which is more important in the world of children: power, or good and evil?