Topic > The Role of Magical Animals in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Although JK Rowling's Harry Potter series was an instant hit in modern culture, it is full of themes consistent with the literature of the Middle Ages and classical eras. The shared relationship between humans and nature is the most obvious of these themes, and throughout the series, characters have been hindered and helped in equal measure by animals. Humans have always had bonds and relationships with animals throughout history, but these are often mundane and uninteresting, unlike those in Rowling's novels. In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, animals have a greater role, meaning and connection to people. In JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the magical nature of animals speaks to Rowling's world in which animals communicate with humans in unusually magical ways. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One magical creature that stands out in the story, which helps bring awareness to the magical qualities that Harry possesses, is the serpent. The boa constrictor at the zoo Harry's family visits understands Harry and talks to him. When Harry sees the boa constrictor and sees the sign that says, "This specimen was bred in the zoo," Harry asks the snake if it has ever been to Brazil and mysteriously "the snake shook its head." The snake then suddenly crawls towards the floor away from the cage in which Harry also hears the snake tell him in a low, hissing voice, “Brazil, here I am… Thank you, amigo” (Rowling 28). Only a creature with magical and mythical qualities can communicate with a human being as such. Furthermore, this talking boa constrictor helps Harry become aware of his magical qualities, such as being able to communicate with a snake. The boa constrictor represents animals that can communicate their feelings with humans in a fantasy world in the same way that the biblical Adam used to communicate with the serpent. Rowling's portrayal of the boa constrictor in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone comes from a "human" point of view" (Fettke 20). According to Fettke, this style is similar to the "comic inaccuracy" common in the literature of the Middle Ages and medieval times, where moral significance was assigned to non-human species. Harry also has "snake-like" abilities, as evidenced by his ability as a Parseltongue, a wizard with the ability to converse with snakes. With this incidence, Rowling establishes that, although both humans and wizards have long regarded snakes as nothing more than animals, they are capable of rational thought. This could not be more evident in the conversation between Harry and the boa constrictor, where he thanks Harry for his help after being released from prison, stating, “Brazil, here I am… Thank you, amigo” (Rowling 28). Magical creatures also serve as messengers in this novel. The owls in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone demonstrate magical intelligence and wisdom. These owls, including Hedwig, Harry's owl, are good at identifying their owners and bringing them packages and such. For example, before the day's meal, "a hundred owls had suddenly flocked into the Great Hall during breakfast," dropping letters and packages for their owners straight into their laps. At one point, six owls carry a long package and "drop it right in front of Harry, causing his bacon to fall to the ground" (Rowling 164). Hedwig also delivers important secret messages who are told to deliver the messages. These owls possess a supernatural ability, thanks to which they can magically and precisely locate the locationof their owner. In fact, this is an example of high magical intelligence because this is unusual for any animal or long-eared owl. There also happens to be a group of magical creatures that would only appear in mythologies with unusual and strange physical characteristics. First, the magical being who is quite similar in appearance to the three-headed mythological guard dog Cerberus. Hagrid's faithful three-headed guard dog called Fluffy, who guards something that is being targeted by Voldemort (Rowling 192). According to Hagrid, Fluffy is bought by a "Greek chappie" he met in a pub. Hagrid lent the dog to Dumbledore to guide something he couldn't tell Harry and the others about (Rowling 192). The unknown object held by Fluffy is the philosopher's stone or the only item that can resurrect Voldemort so that he can devastate Hogwarts. Fluffy's role here is to guard and protect the area and not allow anyone, including Voldemort, to pass through the trap door where the stone is located. However, what explains Fluffy's magical quality is the fact that he has three heads instead of just one. However, the appearance of three heads communicates threat and fear to any human who sees them. Another mythological creature that appears in the novel is the dragon named Norbert. Although legends say that dragons are ferocious and destructive creatures, especially since they possess abilities such as breathing fire, etc. Norbert is a dragon who aroused compassion in each of the characters in the story. In fact, Harry and his friends, including Hagrid, saw Norbert hatch from an egg. Norbert is a dragon whose existence is protected by Harry and his friends at all costs from those who want to kill him, in which Harry and his friends also try to protect Hagrid from the violation of possessing such a destructive creature. Although the dragon plays a minor role in the story, he attracts the sympathy of Harry and his friends in protecting a weak, gentle creature that everyone in the wizarding world thinks is dangerous. Nonetheless, the dragon nurtured the friends' compassion and made them see things differently than others. Unicorns appeared in ancient Roman and Greek art, and in the Harry Potter series students learn that their horns possessed the magical healing and healing abilities. purification. Being a creature with a generally harmless and soft personality, unicorns are described in the story as possessing blood that can give someone immortality. Harry and his friends find a dead unicorn because Voldemort fed on their blood for his immortality. They have the beauty and grace spoken of in popular legends, as well as the great quality of immortality through their blood. Therefore, anyone who came into contact with the unicorn in history received the gift of immortality through sacrifice. This is probably why Voldemort kills a unicorn for its blood in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. One of the many reasons for the overwhelming success of Rowling's books is the way in which she masterfully blurs the lines between the familiar and the new and blends Classical themes. and Middle Ages with elements of modernity and popular culture. Indeed, animals in Rowling's world play a more significant role than simply reinvigorating the fictional world she has built. Mostly, these animals are characters and play a crucial role in the plot. Additionally, Rowling uses animals and creatures of myth to make tangible much of the abstract that is the core of her work. Although Rowling does not fully develop any of the non-human animals in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, they play a crucial role in helping develop and establish many people's sense of self...