The ivory tower and Harry Potter : perspectives on a literary phenomenon / Lana A. Whited, editor.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Whited, Lana A., 1958-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rowling, J. K--Characters--Harry Potter.

Rowling, J. K.

Harry Potter.

Children's stories, English--History and criticism.

Children's stories, English.

Fantasy fiction, English--History and criticism.

Fantasy fiction, English.

Potter, Harry (Fictitious character).

Wizards in literature.

Magic in literature.

Physical Description:

x, 408 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Columbia : University of Missouri Press, [2002]

Summary:

In 2000, Forbes listed J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, as nineteenth in celebrity earnings, only two places behind another phenomenon, Michael Jordan. Translated into nearly three dozen languages, Rowling's books have both elicited praise and provoked controversy. In The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter, contributors from Great Britain, the United States, and Canada offer the first book-length analysis of Rowling's work from a broad range of perspectives within literature, folklore, psychology, sociology, and popular culture. A significant portion of the book explores the Harry Potter series' literary ancestors, including magic and fantasy works by Ursula K. LeGuin, Monica Furlong, Jill Murphy, and others, as well as previous works about the British boarding school experience. Other chapters explore the moral and ethical dimensions of Harry's world, including objections to the series raised within some religious circles. Rowling's use of folkloric devices is examined, particularly in terms of how these elements increase the books' appeal for children. The handling of British slang in U.S. editions and difficulties in translating Rowling's work for foreign-language editions are also addressed. The books' appeal for adolescent boys, not customarily a strong presence in the reading market, is explored within a cultural framework, and gender dynamics are discussed from the standpoint of contemporary feminist literary theory, focusing on the character of Hermione Granger. The concluding chapters survey the development of fan communities and the implications of the Harry Potter commercial empire -- books, motion pictures, action-figure toys, and other consumer goods -- for the series' literary standing. Written to ensure its accessibility to a broad audience, this volume will appeal to librarians, teachers, parents, and the general Potter reader, as well as to literature scholars.

Contents:

Pt. 1. Harry's cousins in the magical realm. Harry Potter and the secret password: finding our way in the magical genre / Amanda Cockrell ; The education of a wizard: Harry Potter and his predecessors / Pat Pinsent

Pt. 2. Harry's roots in epic, myth, and folklore. In medias res: Harry Potter as hero-in-progress / Mary Pharr ; Of magicals and muggles: reversals and revulsions at Hogwarts / Jann Lacoss ; Harry Potter: fairy tale prince, real boy, and archetypal hero / M. Katherine Grimes

Pt. 3. Harry's other literary relatives. Harry Potter and the extraordinariness of the ordinary / Roni Natov ; Harry Potter, Tom Brown, and the British school story: lost in transit? / David K. Steege

Pt. 4. Greater than gold in Gringotts: questions of authority and values. Crowning the king: Harry Potter and the construction of authority / Farah Mendlesohn ; What would Harry do? J.K. Rowling and Lawrence Kohlberg's theories of moral development / Lana A. Whited, with M. Katherine Grimes

Pt. 5. Gender issues and Harry Potter. Hermione Granger and the heritage of gender / Eliza T. Dresang ; Locating Harry Potter in the "boys' book" market / Terri Doughty

Pt. 6. Harry's language: taking issue with words. You say "jelly," I say "jell-o"? Harry Potter and the transfiguration of language / Philip Nel ; Harry Potter and the tower of Babel: translating the magic / Nancy K. Jentsch

Pt. 7. Commodity and culture in the world of Harry Potter. Specters of Thatcherism: contemporary British culture in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series / Karin E. Westman ; Harry Potter and the technology of magic / Elizabeth Teare ; Apprentice wizards welcome: fan communities and the culture of Harry Potter / Rebecca Sutherland Borah.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 369-389) and index.

ISBN:

0826214436

OCLC:

50441688