“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” is a children’s book, but it has a lot of essential life lessons for readers of all ages. The world-building for this novel hooks the readers into staying engaged, and the third-person narration adds to the detailed storytelling ability of the book. Several themes that are crucial to a child’s development are tackled in this book. Themes like love, friendship, and life lessons to tell apart absolute good and evil form a major part of the wide roster of themes that reside in this book.
Themes
Magic
Although an obvious theme, magic is an essential theme and is crucial in the details that build the story world. The major fascination in this book comes from a wide array of magical nuances that would be helpful to have in the real world. Spells, enchantments, potions, magical beings, artifacts, and several other aspects that make the story of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” a great read for children play an important role in building the imagination of the reader.
Spells like Wingardium Leviosa, flying broomsticks, or Madam McGonagall’s transfiguration into a cat are all impossibilities in the real world but add to the fascinating attraction that makes this book a memorable one. It caters to the escapism and fantastical requirement of the reader, thereby creating a sort of ‘magic’ of its own.
Friendship
Although similar in many respects to love, friendship has a more nuanced role in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” Starting with Hagrid, who is Harry’s first friend in the book, Harry goes on to make several friends, including Ron and Hermione. Furthermore, the idea of making friends is also of major importance in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
When Harry meets Draco Malfoy for the first time in Madam Malkin’s shop, Harry has already formed an opinion of Draco, and during their second meeting, Harry rejects Draco’s hand at the friendship and remains loyal to the humble and kind-natured Ron. Harry says, “I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks.” which illustrates his confidence in making clear choices very early in this world he recently discovered.
Sacrifice
Another major theme in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” is sacrifice. Harry Potter’s mother, Lily Potter, sacrifices her life to save him. Although Ron is partially responsible for Hermione being locked in with a mountain troll, Harry and Ron sacrifice their safety by choosing to save her from the troll and run towards danger knowingly. Hermione sacrifices her place in Hogwarts by saving both Harry and Ron from possible expulsion from Hogwarts and risking her own expulsion.
Finally, Ron sacrifices himself in the game of Wizard chess to facilitate safe passage for Harry and Hermione to protect the Philosopher’s Stone. While this being a children’s book allows for most of them to be unhurt despite sacrifice, all these choices to sacrifice themselves, made by the characters, involve accepting the possibility of death.
Courage and Bravery
An essential theme of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” bravery plays a major role throughout the narrative. For example, Neville Longbottom is scared and nervous in most parts of the book. He gets bullied severely, especially by Malfoy and his friends, Crabbe and Goyle. However, taking Ron’s word of ‘having to stand up for himself’, Neville gathers enough courage to fight Malfoy during the Quidditch match. He goes on to even stand up against his very friends, Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they are on the verge of breaking school rules.
Bravery is also portrayed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they persevere amidst challenges and keep their goal to prevent the stealing of the Philosopher’s Stone always.
Love and Family
One of the ‘standout’ themes of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” and by extension, the whole book series, is love. The very premise of Harry Potter surviving the killing curse of Lord Voldemort is based on the protection offered by Harry’s mother, Lily. By sacrificing herself to protect her son, she builds a strong magical shield around Harry, and Voldemort is destroyed by his very own curse as it rebounds.
Love is a recurring theme in the entire novel, and it dictates the dynamic of the plot. For instance, the lack of love from Harry’s foster family and his hatred towards them is in clear contrast to his desire to see his parents in the Mirror of Erised, which is fueled by love.
Intelligence
Another minor yet important theme in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” is intelligence. It is illustrated several times, starting with Hermione’s continuous application of her knowledge resourcefully with the spell Alohomora to open the door and her impressive application of logic amidst a stressful situation.
Ron’s intelligence in winning the game of Wizard Chess is another good illustration. Furthermore, Headmaster Dumbledore also plays a very clever role in showing Harry the mirror of Erised beforehand and using the subtle distinction between greed and need as a basis of his puzzle to retrieve the Philosopher’s stone.
Analysis of Key Moments
- Harry Potter is safely brought from Godric’s Hollow: Harry is brought to his Aunt’s House from the wreckage in Godric’s Hollow by Hagrid, and Dumbledore and Madam McGonagall place him on the doorstep.
- Harry grows up: Harry Potter grows up to be eleven but is bullied by his cousin Dudley and ill-treated by his Aunt and Uncle.
- Harry meets Hagrid: Harry encounters Hagrid in the secluded hut that Uncle Vernon took them. Hagrid conveys that Harry is a wizard and has been admitted to Hogwarts, to the dismay of his aunt and uncle.
- Harry buys supplies from Diagon Alley: Harry buys all the school supplies from Diagon Alley including his new wand, books, and pet owl that Hagrid gifts him. He first visits Gringotts bank with Hagrid, who picks up a small package from there after Harry finds out his parents left him a small fortune.
- Harry meets his new friends: Harry meets Ron and Hermione on the train to Hogwarts. Harry and Ron become friends.
- The Sorting Ceremony occurs: Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, is sorted into Gryffindor’s house.
- Flying Lessons occur: Harry learns how to fly and is selected as a seeker in his Quidditch house team.
- The Trio meets Fluffy: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville encounter a huge three-headed dog in a corridor that is forbidden for students.
- Facing the Troll: Harry and Ron fight a mountain troll and save Hermione. They all become friends.
- The Quidditch Match: Harry wins the Quidditch match against Slytherin for Gryffindor by catching the snitch but is almost knocked off his broom during the match. Hermione and Ron suspect Professor Snape.
- The Invisibility Cloak: Harry is presented with the invisibility cloak. He also encounters the Mirror of Erised.
- The Introduction to Nicholas Flamel: Harry, Ron, and Hermione find out about Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher’s Stone.
- Hagrid’s pet dragon: Hagrid tries to tame a dragon and is unsuccessful. He is forced to send it to Romania with Ron’s brother’s friends.
- Detention in the Forbidden Forest: Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Malfoy are sent with Hagrid for detention in the Forbidden Forest. Harry comes across a cloaked figure who turns out to be Lord Voldemort.
- Protecting the Philosopher’s Stone: Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to go to the Philosopher’s Stone and protect it from Professor Snape, who they suspect is behind it.
- Professor Quirrell is caught: They make it through all the obstacles, and Harry alone enters the last room, where he finds out Professor Quirrell is the culprit. Further, Lord Voldemort resides in Quirrell’s head and is controlling him. Harry fights them and is victorious.
- Gryffindor wins House Cup: Harry tells Professor Dumbledore about everything that happened. Later in the school feast, Dumbledore awards extra points to Gryffindor for their heroic actions. Gryffindor wins the House Cup.
Style, Tone, and Figurative Language
“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” is written with simple language and is easy to follow especially as it is a children’s book. The writing style is primarily in the basic third person without any evident experimental styles.
The tone of the novel is sometimes funny and even engaging. J. K. Rowling evokes humorous situations within the text by alluding to certain characters of the book whom Harry dislikes. Examples include Aunt Petunia, who is written as a nosy neighbor, Uncle Vernon as a rude, rule-following, and boring man, and his cousin Dudley as a spoilt brat who is pampered beyond repair by his parents.
Descriptive Style
The writing style of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” is very descriptive. It describes the story world of magic with great finesse, explaining each new term and idea properly and in detail. Despite being narrated in the third person, it is a highly focused narrative that particularly emphasizes Harry’s point of view and his experiences over anyone else’s. Other important features of the style in this novel are its humor and dialogue. J. K. Rowling is good at creating humor from the most unexpected situations which stands out in the style in which the novel is written. The dialogue delivery in most cases, is very apt and well-written, making it a very entertaining read.
Varied Tone
The tone of the novel ranges from funny and whimsical to somber, depending on the context of the circumstances the book is in. Most of the book follows a very fun, adventurous, and engaging narrative starting from the strange inexplicable things happening at a normal Muggle household like Privet Drive to later discoveries by Harry Potter in the world of magic which are quite engaging and interesting throughout the book. The mystery and suspense of key moments in the book are well executed and are therefore very memorable for readers.
Figurative Language
Rowling uses figurative language to great effect in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone“. There are several instances of similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole throughout the novel. Uncle Vernon getting angry being described as “he looked like a bulldog who had just been told it was a lovely evening” is one of the best examples of simile. Rowling also employs imagery to describe several important magical places and things, and she uses alliteration, symbolism, and onomatopoeia to varying degrees throughout the book.
Analysis of Key Symbols
Mirror of Erised
The Mirror of Erised is where Harry first sees the reflection of his parents and the rest of his family. It is revealed to show the deepest desires of the viewer. It works as an important literary tool in portraying Harry’s deep desire to be reunited with his parents, whom he never had the chance to know. It also does the same with Ron, who is revealed to want to be more successful than all his elder brothers, shedding light on his plight as a young sibling overshadowed by successful elder brothers.
The Philosopher’s Stone
Being an extremely valuable magical artifact, the Philosopher’s Stone can create the Elixir of Life, which would make its drinker immortal. This symbolizes absolute power and demonstrates Lord Voldemort’s drive to attain dominion over others with this power. Furthermore, the fact that Harry could get it out of the Mirror of Erised illustrates his pure and incorruptible intentions and cements Dumbledore’s faith in him further.
Sorting Hat
The Sorting Hat is another key symbol used in the novel. Despite having a sentient presence, it works in enhancing and showing a student’s true potential to themselves, rather than telling them which house to go to. It is very mindful of the student’s wishes and interests when it sorts them into a particular house. This signifies its presence as a guide rather than a decision maker which places importance in a student’s choice for their life.
Invisibility Cloak
Later revealed to be one of the three Deathly Hallows, the Invisibility Cloak is a major magical item in the entire series. It symbolizes a lot of things, but most importantly, it stands for the adventurous rule-breaking that Harry is so known for. The Invisibility Cloak helps Harry in channeling his rebellious risk-taking abilities especially when he is trying to help or protect his loved ones. It protects him from being seen when he is on a noble mission, by upholders of the rules, who would slow down his progress.
The Scar on Harry’s Forehead
The scar on Harry’s forehead symbolizes the constant agony he faces when he is reminded of that fateful night when his parents were taken away from him forever, by Lord Voldemort. The lightning-shaped scar is also a reminder to everyone that despite Harry’s fame, what he has endured to this day is no less than exceptional, and his defiance of Voldemort until the end is what justifies his existence as ‘the Chosen One’.
Personal Perspective
“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” takes the reader on a beautiful journey filled with magic, adventure, and agency to choose for the self. In Rowling’s world, Muggles are just a metaphor for people who do not “live with vigor, creativity and fervor” – traits that we value among humans. Magic, although used to differentiate between magical and non-magical species, is also a metaphor for young readers to pick up on as a way to live fully, and live fulfilling lives.
Instead of being “cogs in the machine” with minimal love and empathy like Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley, the reader is immediately transported to a world of magic where friends are made, adventures are had and a happy life is lived, in each moment. As Harry leaves Hogwarts, he wants to go back as soon as possible, and not the other way round, like his farewell from Privet Drive.
For me, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone“, is an ode to let my imagination run free, do great things passionately, and make the best of my short life, by living in the moment, using the magic of existence.
FAQs
What is the message of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?
There are several messages in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. However, the most important message in Harry Potter is that love and friendship triumph over anything, no matter how fear-inducing the obstacles may be. Another message in this book is also that taking action in the face of adversity despite fear is the true sign of bravery.
What is written on top of the Mirror of Erised?
The engraving on the top of the Mirror of Erised reads, “Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.” When one reads this backward, the sentence becomes more apparent – “I show you not your face, but your heart’s desire.” This is the very purpose of the mirror, and the engraving works as a clever stylistic device to create mystery in the reader’s mind till it becomes apparent.
