The foil to Harry's character is Draco Malfoy. Draco comes from a well-known wizard family from the Slytherin House. He has joyfully experienced the opportunities that growing up in a wizard family brings about, often bragging about his experience with flying and explaining how talented of a Quidditch player he is.
It is interesting to note the fact that Harry and Draco are connected in some ways. While being sorted, Harry begs to not be in Slytherin, however, the storing hat sees that Slytherin could be a good for him. Also, essentially before the sorting hat hits Draco's head, he is announced to be in Slytherin. Another interesting thing to analyze is the relationship that Harry has with his family in growing up compared to the relationship Draco has with his family in growing up. It was mentioned in class that it would be interesting to see how Harry's character would have changed had he grown up in a family where the knowledge and use of magic was the norm. Would Harry be less humble? Would his character shift to mirror Draco's character? Additionally, how would Draco change if he was in Harry's position growing up? Would be become more humble? Many people during discussion thought that Harry would be less humble, but would his parents, given that they were never killed, instill a sense of humility in him? Or would they allow Harry to bask in all the glory that comes with growing up in a famous wizarding family?
Harry and Draco definitely have differences and similarities between them. Yet, it would be even more interesting to imagine if Harry was chosen into the Slytherin house and Draco was chosen into Gryffindor. If Draco was the protagonist in the book rather than Harry, He might have become the one who is more favored in the book. The other characters might be nicer to him instead of Harry. When it is time for the students to be sorted into their respective houses, the sorting hat says to Harry, “Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that” (Rowling 121). It can be said that the sorting hat is giving Harry a prediction about his potential is chosen into Slytherin. The possibility of Harry seen as a bad guy in the book would be another interesting idea to note. Harry could potentially be like Voldemort in which he would excel in his magic skills and take over with dark magic. He could turn into Quirrell in which he is “full of hatred, greed, and ambition” (Rowling 299). Instead, Harry learns that love is one of the most powerful things one can know and that is one of the reasons why Harry is able to defeat Quirrell and Voldemort at the end of the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what you are saying about Harry and Malfoy’s rivalry. While their conflicts between them become more dangerous in the later novels, in the Sorcerer’s stone it rarely develops past bickering. However, I do disagree that Malfoy’s feelings about Harry stem from jealousy, but rather from fear. Malfoy sees Harry, a pureblood wizard who has shown great aptitude for wizardry, interacting with Ron and Hermione who, as you state, he sees as lesser. He can not wrap his mind around why Harry would do this. More importantly, he isn’t jealous that Harry is better at magic and flying than he is, he is scared that he may be. This manifests itself into a strong disdain for Harry and his comrades. We see this in how Malfoy reacts every time something goes well for Harry, such as when he proves he can fly well, “Malfoy looked stunned” (Rowling 148), when Harry isn’t been caught by Filch, “Malfoy couldn’t believe his eyes” (Rowling 163), when Harry receives a broomstick Malfoy has “a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face” (Rowling 165), when Harry isn’t punished for receiving a broom Malfoy has “a look of horror” (Rowling 165), and so many more examples. Harry lives up to every expectation that Malfoy has for himself and this terrifies him. He wants so desperately to be the best of the best that the fear of Harry beating him pushes him to lash out.
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