Mapping The World Of The Sorcerer S Apprentice

From the Dursleys as social commentary to a look at Snape's role in less than child-friendly fanfiction . . . from the parallels between Azkaban and Abu Ghraib to the role of religion at Hogwarts . . . from why Dumbledore had to die to why killing Harry never should have been part of Voldemort's plan to begin with . . . Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice offers a comprehensive look at the Harry Potter series through the eyes of leading science fiction and fantasy writers and religion, psychology, and science experts. This book has not been authorized by J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros. or anyone associated with the Harry Potter books or films.

From the Dursleys as social commentary to a look at Snape's role in less than child-friendly fanfiction . . . from the parallels between Azkaban and Abu Ghraib to the role of religion at Hogwarts . . . from why Dumbledore had to die to why killing Harry never should have been part of Voldemort's plan to begin with . . . Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice offers a comprehensive look at the Harry Potter series through the eyes of leading science fiction and fantasy writers and religion, psychology, and science experts. This book has not been authorized by J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros. or anyone associated with the Harry Potter books or films.

This multidisciplinary collection of essays provides a means to appreciate the richness and variety of fictional portrayals of businesses and businesspersons. The works selected for examination reflect the variety of philosophical, political, economic, cultural, social, and ethical perspectives that have been found in American society over time.

When Harry Potter first boards the Hogwarts Express, he journeys to a world which Rowling says has alchemy as its "internal logic." The Philosopher's Stone, known for its power to transform base metals into gold and to give immortality to its maker, is the subject of the conflict between Harry and Voldemort in the first book of the series. But alchemy is not about money or eternal life, it is much more about the transformations of desire, of power and of people--through love. Harry's equally remarkable and ordinary power to love leads to his desire to find but not use the Philosopher's Stone at the start of the series and his wish to end the destructive power of the Elder Wand at the end. This collection of essays on alchemical symbolism and transformations in Rowling's series demonstrates how Harry's work with magical objects, people, and creatures transfigure desire, power, and identity. As Harry's leaden existence on Privet Drive is transformed in the company of his friends and teachers, the Harry Potter novels have transformed millions of readers, inspiring us to find the gold in our ordinary lives.

Problems of individual moral choice have always been closely bound up with the larger normative concerns of political theory. There are several reasons for this continuing connection. First, the value conflicts involved in private moral choice are often reproduced on the public stage: for example, states may find it difficult to balance both justice and mercy in much the same way individuals do. Second, we frequently find conflicts between the values of our individual and public lives, such that the moral choice we must make is between the private good and the public good. Loosely speaking, choices that express these conflicts are what philosophers call moral dilemmas: choices in which, no matter what you do, you will forfeit some important moral good, in which wrongdoing is to some degree inescapable, in which (perhaps literally) you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Through classroom activities, wizard rock concerts, and organizations like the Harry Potter Alliance, Harry Potter fans are using creativity to positively impact the world. This collection of essays and interviews examines how playful fandom--from fanfiction to Muggle quidditch, cosplay, role-playing games, and even Harry Potter burlesque--not only reimagines the canon but also challenges consumerism, questions notions of identity, and fosters participatory culture. The contributors explore issues applicable to fan studies and performance studies at large, such as the role of performance, the nature of community, and questions of representation and ownership in the digital age. Presented in three parts, the essays discuss discrepancies between sanctioned versions of Harry Potter and fan creations, the reenactment and reinterpretation of the original narrative in fan performance, and collaborative and participatory performances that break down the boundaries between actors and audiences.

Cultural Politics in Harry Potter: Life, Death and the Politics of Fear is the first book-length analysis of topics, such as death, fear and biopolitics in J.K. Rowling’s work from controversial and interdisciplinary perspectives. This collection brings together recent theoretical and applied cultural studies and focuses on three key areas of inquiry: (1) wizarding biopolitics and intersected discourses; (2) anxiety, death, resilience and trauma; and (3) the politics of fear and postmodern transformations. As such, this book: provides a comprehensive overview of national and gender discourses, as well as the transiting bodies in-between, in relation to the Harry Potter books series and related multimedia franchise; situates the transformative power of death within the fandom, transmedia and film depictions of the Potterverse and critically deconstructs the processes of subjectivation and legitimation of death and fear; examines the strategies and mechanisms through which cultural and political processes are managed, as well as reminding us how fiction and reality intersect at junctions, such as terrorism, homonationalism, materialism, capitalism, posthumanism and technology. Exploring precisely what is cultural about wizarding politics, and what is political about culture, this book is key reading for students of contemporary literature, media and culture, as well as anyone with an interest in the fictional universe and wizarding world of Harry Potter.