Literature

This is a fairly personal topic I’d like to write myself, but will leave to more experienced Potterheads.

I was ten when the first Harry Potter book came out. I grew up in a moderate, but still observant Christian family who considered it too much of a risk to expose me and my then-six-year-old brother to a series that contained any form of witchcraft. I didn’t read the books then and later, got too busy with other books. Besides, I didn’t want to be labeled childish for carrying around HP paperbacks in, say, high school.

As an adult, I’ve finally gotten around to opening my Hogwarts letter and starting the series, and it’s been a lot of fun. However, I can’t escape this fact: I’m a thirty-something woman. I have a different HP experience than the average 11-year-old.

And so I’m curious to see an analysis of this phenomenon. Does age matter when you’re discovering HP for the first or two hundredth time? How do children and adults view the series differently? Are there less or more "mature" ways to interact with it? Or, as I suspect, has Harry Potter bridged age gaps in a way other book series can only dream about doing? If yes, how did J.K. and Harry do it?

Analyse what a Dystopia is whilst describing distinctive characteristics of the typical dystopian story. Draw comparisons between today’s societal struggles, such as the epidemic of social rebellion and political disagreements, and the dystopian story – could the purpose of this literary genre be the author’s portrayal of modern day society? Perhaps the author wishes to enlighten the reader of such issues in society through story-telling, an appealing and engaging form of media. Dystopian literature also sheds light on philosophical questions which could be further explored such as ‘What does is mean to be human?’. Most literature leaves the reader asking questions, however does this genre more so than others by forcing us to accept humanity’s flaws? Use literary examples throughout this discussion.

Some say that being able to speak another language allows you to process your native language better and increases memory. Others say that the existence of translators already, and the rise of artificial translators are making this knowledge redundant. Some that learning another language is a trivial hobby unless you intend to live in the country of the language they speak. Is it worth the time and brainpower? Should some languages be prioritized over others? What is the worth of a second language?

Analyse the usage of absurdist elements in Adrienne Kennedy’s "Funnyhouse of a Negro" and how they functioned in the course of the play.

In literature, stereotypes of alternative subcultures are rampant. Analyse the possible bases for such stereotypical depictions.

In Joanne Greensberg’s "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden", the protagonist, who is based on Greensberg, is diagnosed with schizophrenia. However, in a 1981 New York Times article, two psychiatrists challenge this diagnosis using the diagnosis criteria in the DSM-3. Using the DSM-5’s diagnosis criteria, can it be argued that the protagonist suffers from schizophrenia?

There are many ways in which Jay Gatsby is portrayed as the physical embodiment of the American Dream, is his death Fitzgerald’s way of criticising the changing idea of the American Dream, or its delusion/reality or the changing of American values in some way?

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a book and now a film parodying Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, playfully recycles Elizabeth Bennet’s story into a quirky — perhaps campy — tale that is more digestible for wide audiences. The parody references famous lines and scenes from the original, humoring those who have read and adored the book. Additionally, it opens up the less accessible media of ‘classic novel’ to a 21st century audience, hopefully piquing their interest in something they would never have considered before. Books like "Texts from Jane Eyre" and others rehash the favorite characters of English majors, but perhaps also open up older literature to young people only attracted to the young adult fiction section.

Are these tactics effective to opening up classics to a new generation? What is the effect of adding zombies to a story such as Pride and Prejudice? How do well-read critics of classics take to these parodies?