Considering the themes, characters, symbolism, plots and subplots in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Considering the themes, characters, symbolism, plots and subplots in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,
Choose one of these prompts to base your essay on:
1). Harry being named “The Chosen One”
2). Dumbledore including Harry on the search for Horcruxes
3). Getting insight into Tom Riddle’s (Voldemort) family and life
4). Draco’s assignment to kill Dumbledore and find a passage into Hogwarts
* Do the themes move the story along and/or engage the reader?:
* Include discussion of the subplots
The revelation of Snape as the Half-Blood Prince
Harry doing well in potions class
Moaning Myrtle
Harry using Sectumsempra on Malfoy
Harry finding out that Snape is who overheard part of the prophesy and told Voldemort
Felix Felices
The cave and all things that happened there
Harry trying to get memory from Horace Slughorn
Ron and Lavender Brown
Snape as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher
The attempts by Draco that got Katie and Ron poisoned
any other subplots that are relevant….?
* Was the symbolism within the book obvious or obscure and did it really add to the story itself?
The potions Slughorn showed them
Kreacher
The Half-Blood Prince’s book
The Vanishing Cabinet
among others….
Remember this is a critical thinking assignment – look beyond the obvious to what the elements say to you.
Develop an essay in MLA format, at least 2 – 3 pages long – typed, double spaced – 12pt fonts (the 11pt Calibri font that Office defaults to is very small, so please be sure you’re specifically using 12pt fonts in Times New Roman or Arial, or Book Antigua or a similar font). And, make sure the paragraphs are indented. We do not use block style in English, that’s for use in letters and memos.
Include at least 5 quotes from the book that support your points. Quotes, paraphrasing, summaries should be kept to a minimum, and never overload the essay. Keep in mind that, on average, academic papers with source material should have a 75% – original, 25% – documented balance.
I found this on eHow and thought it might be help each of you think through these prompts critically, rather than let yourself fall into just any literary analysis:
Critical thinking calls for the ability to:
Recognize problems, to find workable means for meeting those problems
Understand the importance of prioritization and order of precedence in problem solving
Gather and marshal pertinent (relevant) information
Recognize unstated assumptions and values
Comprehend and use language with accuracy, clarity, and discernment
Interpret data, to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments
Recognize the existence (or non-existence) of logical relationships between propositions
Draw warranted conclusions and generalizations
Put to test the conclusions and generalizations at which one arrives
Reconstruct one’s patterns of beliefs on the basis of wider experience
Render accurate judgments about specific things and qualities in everyday life
In sum:
“A persistent effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that supports or refutes it and the further conclusions to which it tends.”[13
(You’re looking for the “why” and “how” not just to examine the character and his/her traits or plot, etc.. of a story – how does whatever you’re examining create a picture, move the story forward, why is that character, plot… relevant)
Please don’t write a literary analysis essay; THINK through the question of the prompt to create/develop your essay.
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