Harry Potter Writing Assignment
In the absence of equality in the world, we tend to take comfort in what balance that we have. For Harry Potter, a boy who has lost his father, godfather, mother, and mentor, this struggle in his heart is what inspires him to face the challenges he does. In fact, his sense of justice and morality is inspired by his understanding of good and evil in his world. His friends and companions are what he recognizes as good: the balance in his life. Voldemort and his followers are what he deems as evil: the things that tip the scale. The reason that Harry lives is to try to tip the scales back to normal; he seeks to manifest the injustice of the deaths of ones close to him and the love of his friends near him in order to overcome any obstacles in his way.
To Harry, the past is just as important as the present to him. And it is not only the memories of the past that he has to deal with, but the consequences of it too. The death of his loving mother left him with a destiny that he couldn’t avoid, one geared straight towards meeting Voldemort. Yet, it is not such a bad fate for him. His will and drive to avenge the dead and reclaim justice for those living play an enormous factor in his journey to defeat Voldemort. Harry is able to conquer his grief in the face of the deaths of many people around him and in turn, he channels it into a reason to fight, a reason to survive.
But not only does Harry turn towards the dead to fuel his actions. Harry understands that without those near him, he would have nothing. In the movie, Dumbledore famously explains this to harry by saying,. “do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.” Certainly, Dumbledore speaks towards Voldemort. Voldemort, or Tom Riddle as he was known in the past, suffered through a heartbreaking past. He never knew love in his life, and it is because of this that he is drawn to the dark arts. For Harry, it is his job, knowing love, to protect it at all costs. Voldemort may be too far from influence, but Harry understands that he must live to protect hose in his life, even if it means risking his own.
Ultimately, Harry is a character that we see portrayed as selfless and determined. He seeks to find his own justice in the world, and it is through the death of those around him, and the guidance of those with him, that Harry is able to muster enough courage to lead a life where despite the challenges, the goal is amazing. His eyes are set on the horizon, even if there’s a mountain between.