This is my second time reading the first four Harry Potter books. I was about eleven years old when Harry Potter and the Scorcer’s Stone was published, making it easier for me to identify with Harry, Ron, and Hermione because we were the same age and growing up simultaneously. I was never the bookworm type, but was always captivated into the wizardry world whenever I picked up the Harry Potter books because it stretched my imagination. I agree with Iser’s statement that “the division takes places within the reader himself” because Rowling achieved great success by entrancing people of all ages into this mystical world. I wanted to explore Diagon Alley, eat treats at Honeydukes, play Quidditch, use an owl as my postal service, and sneak out of my house with an invisibility cloak after reading the books. As an adult rereading the books, I lost my rampant sense of imagination, but I have a deeper appreciation for the mystery and unexpected events Rowling incorporates.
I think everyone can relate to at least one of the characters. I find myself relating to a watered down Hermione in the sense that I try to do well in all my classes and manage a busy schedule, which would be easier with a Time-Tuner! I also share the same sense of loyalty with my close friends that Ron, Harry, and Hermione possess where they would make sacrifices to save their friends from harm or punishment. For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Ron sacrifices himself by allowing himself to take a beating by the monstrous chess queen, proving his selflessness.
Whether one is shy and forgetful like Neville Longbottom, brave and courageous like Harry, or sinister and snobbish like Draco Malfoy, anyone can relate to the various types of characters in the Harry Potter books.
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