Blog Post #1 Response: Expectations

I cannot begin to explain how excited I was when my friend told me that she had found a Harry Potter literature class. I had heard rumors that UC offered it for over a year, but every time I searched for it, my efforts were in vain. To be able to read the books and watch the movies again, and be able to call it studying, is truly a dream come true.

I began reading the Harry Potter series when I was in the fourth grade and was hooked from the very first page. I remember wishing so badly that my Hogwarts letter would arrive one day (I still think the owl is lost somewhere) and I would be able to enjoy the adventures of Harry and his friends. Wolfgang Iser's observation of the removal of an subject-object division is very true for me, because as I am reading, I picture myself playing Quidditch, fighting a basilisk, and loathing everything about Malfoy and Snape. For me, the series brings "not being able to put a book down" to a whole new level.

I feel that the character I identify most with is Hermione because, unlike Harry, I come from a very supportive family. I could see myself wanting to learn absolutely everything about the a magical world. Children who may not have a great home life would likely relate more to Harry because his story gives them hope of escaping the cruel world they live in and starting over as one of the most famous people in a world where he is loved.

Iser also talks about how, in good literature, our expectations are rarely met. One of my favorite series, other than Harry Potter, are Dan Brown's novels. I change my mind on what I think will happen at least 20 times while reading those books, and yet I have never been right. J.K. Rowling is able to do the same thing, as can be seen in her first two novels. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I was sure that Snape was the villain because every sign pointed to him. Yet as i reread the books, I notice her genius in mentioning Quirrel anytime it looks like Snape is being the bad guy. My favorite example is her subtly mention of Quirrel being knocked over when Snape's robes are set on fire at the Quidditch match. In the second novel, Rowling does it again by having all signs point to Malfoy as the heir of Slytherin, only to reveal at the end that it was Voldemort (really, who saw that coming?!).