2. J. K. Rowling
• was born on 31 July 1965
• she is author of the Harry Potter fantasy
series
• more than 400 million copies were sold
• it is best-selling book series in history
• her headmaster at St Michael's = Albus
Dumbledore
• she had a difficult homelife = Hermione
3. J. K. Rowling
• idea for the series on a train trip from
Manchester to London in 1990
• in 1990 her mother died = Harry's loss
• In 1993 Rowling was diagnosed with clinical
depression = the idea of Dementors
• the twelfth richest woman in the United
Kingdom
• 2012, Rowling published her first adult novel
The Casual Vacancy
4. Harry Potter series
7 books
1st published in 1997; the last one in 2007
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
5. Harry Potter series
smaller volumes
− Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
− Qudditch Through The Ages
− The Tales of Beedle the Bard
6. Harry Potter series
monomyth
− the hero's journey
− Joseph Campbell: The Hero With a Thousand Faces
− departure, initiation, return
− „A hero ventures forth from the world of common
day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous
forces are there encountered and a decisive victory
is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious
adventure with the power to bestow boons on his
fellow man.“
7. Harry Potter series
archetypes: reccurent symbol or motif in literature, art
or mythology
− Harry Potter - Orphan Hero
− Albus Dumbledore - Wise Old Man
quests: in each book there is a quest to be fulfill
− find the Philosopher's stone
− find three Deathly Hallows
− an ultimate quest for Harry: to find himself and to
discover who and what he is
8. Harry Potter series
structure: mirroring structure of the quests
− books 1 and 7
− books 2 and 6
− books 3 and 5
− book 4
9. Harry Potter series
good and evil: not sharply distinguished; characters are
mixed (e.g. Snape)
ending: no apocalyptic ending; an affirmation of the
goodness of normal life - „All was well“
10. Harry Potter in 99 seconds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y57sYHIDP_Y
11. List of sources
„The Books“ jkrowling.com. n.p., n.d. Web 4
November 2012
Algeo, John. Harry Potter and the Hero With a
Thousand Faces. theosophical.org. n.p., n.d.
Web 4 November 2012
