In her article “Safe as Houses: Sorting and School Houses at Hogwarts,” Lavoie talks mostly about the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. She discusses why Slytherin is allowed to continue even though they are known to product dark wizards and why they are described the way they are in the books. Though just like in the novels the other two houses, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff go mostly unnoticed. Though it is widely known that the Houses provide a family for those within it they don’t foster much of a community atmosphere outside of the houses. Lavoie furthers this argument by stating that the welcome back feast “reinforces two types of loyalties – that which each individual owes to the school, and that which is owing to one’s house. The Sorting Hat thus brings the students together and simultaneously sets them apart” (35). At an extremely young age the children who go to Hogwarts are sorting into their houses. The sorting process is problematic on a couple of levels.

For starters, each house represents certain values that can also be seen as stereotypes. The Gryffindors are brave and daring, Hufflepuffs are loyal and hard-working, Slytherin are clever and ambitious, and Ravenclaws are smart and value learning. These are somewhat constricting parameters for a person to meet and it over simplifies the complexities of human personalities. Lavoie exemplifies this idea when she is talking about the simplified online sorting quizzes, “Rowling’s character’s, and the houses in which the hat places them, are more complicated than the websites allow” (40). Some people would suggest that Hermione should be in Ravenclaw because she is extremely smart and is at the top of her class. Even though she possesses those values that are important to Ravenclaw she is put in Gryffindor. Given the fact that Hermione is so smart she would fit the bill for Ravenclaw and should be put there but she isn’t is put into Gryffindor. She defies the stereotypes that seem to constrict those in the houses they are sorted in. However, most people do not seem to defy the stereotypes of their house. Draco Malfoy is one such example. He is cunning in that he is always trying to trick the system to get what he wants; an example of this would be when he got on the Quidditch team not by talent but by buying his way on the team with new brooms for everyone on the team. He also confirms the stereotype around Slytherins going bad when he becomes a Death Eater.

The other issue with sorting the students right when they get to school is that the house you are sorted into determines the friends you are going to have for the next seven years. Though Gryffindor has classes with other houses, they mostly have class with Slytherin. Given the hatred those two houses have for each other that doesn’t really give them the opportunity to interact and become friends with people from that house. Though they do occasionally have classes with other houses no friendships seem to come from it. The houses divide them. The only time some of the houses seem to come together is against Slytherin, “more often than not Gryffindors are united with Hufflepuffs and Ravenclws in their abhorrence of Slytherin” (Lavoie 38). But this only seems to bring the houses as a whole together and friendships on a more personal level don’t seem to form. Harry doesn’t make a friend from another house until he meets Luna in his fifth year at Hogwarts. Even then it is kind of hard to call them friends as they don’t really spend any time together except for when they are in the DA or Luna is helping Harry, Ron, and Hermione out in some form or another. She mostly exists on the periphery of the story and of our trio’s lives.

So, the houses bring people together and tear them apart all at the same time. The houses create some pretty strict stereotypes that most people seem to adhere to with a few exceptions. It divides people symbolically and physically from each other. The houses determine who your friends are going to be before you even get a chance to meet any other people since the sorting happens right after the first years get to Hogwarts. The houses make it a lot harder to make friends outside of your house though it does happen sometimes in the case of Luna and the trio. Perhaps there is a better way to sort the houses or maybe even create some programs where members of different houses can freely communicate with those in other houses for we will always be stronger together than apart.

Courtnee Johns

April 23, 2017

ENGL 281

Dr. Powers

Chemical Wizardry in the Classroom

In Jane Snell Copes’ article, The Chemical Wizardry of J.K. Rowling, she fantastically breaks down some of the magical aspects of the books (such as Hermione’s blue flame in a jam jar) and explains how we can create similar effects using chemistry. Copes’ article describes exceptionally well what one might need to create these “magical” effects, and which ones are safe enough to perform indoors. This article is a great tool for teachers who are interested in creating a fun and safe lesson plan for students of all ages.

For young students, perhaps preschool through elementary, Copes’ mentions safe, indoor-friendly options such as creating “invisible” ink or color-changing ink with common kitchen ingredients (Copes, 1480). Another immersive project for young students could be aging paper with tea, or using firework sparklers as makeshift wands (1480). Whatever you choose, children are sure to have fun in your Hogwarts themed class while you can teach lessons about safe experimentation, critical thinking (what makes the ink change color, for example) skills, and provide a brief introduction to chemistry.

For older students, perhaps in middle school or high school, assuming parental permission is granted for experiments that have more of a “flash and bang” aspect, Copes’ describes how a teacher can create the blue flame in a jam jar by preparing “a gel of denatured alcohol with saturated aqueous calcium acetate solution” (1479). She notes, however, that to avoid any accidents, it would be safer to use a metal can rather than a glass jam jar as in the Harry Potter novel (1479). Also concerning neat tricks with open flames, Copes discusses how sprinkling boric acid into flames will create the dazzling green effect that Floo Powder has and that one could create a similar effect of holding flames in hand by creating flashpaper, which burns quickly and completely (1480). The allure of Harry Potter and the awesome effects that can be created using simple procedures and ingredients is certain to keep students engaged and excited during the class period.

While Coles’ article is not a step-by-step instructional guide to magical wizardry in the classroom, it is an in-depth, highly informative, and relatively short read that will help to formulate ideas about how a teacher may want to conduct a Harry Potter Potions class or a similarly themed class. Her article, while providing brief information about the types of chemicals you might need to achieve these dazzling chemical reactions, also includes a wide array of reference articles in which a teacher may find more detailed instructions and safety information.

Overall, for educators who desire adding a new, exciting element to their lesson planning repertoire, Cole’s brief article is a wonderful place to start. Her reader-friendly writing style is great for chemistry teachers who already know their way around a Bunsen burner, while it’s also easy enough to understand for educators in other subjects (such as English Educators looking for an engaging way to talk about the use of language in spells) who are looking for a break in the class’s routine.

Cassidy LeDonne

Journal 12

4/24/17

Marketing of Harry Potter

In the article “Truth is Stranger than Magic: The Marketing of Harry Potter”, author Anne Galligan talks about all the positive and negative things being said about the marketing of Harry Potter.  Galligan talks about the decisions J.K. Rowling made and she allowed or didn’t allow some things to be marketed.   J.K. Rowling created a global phenomenon in Harry Potter. As an author, she has the right to market her phenomenon the way she wants to.  I completely disagree that some parents, nutritionists and other health-advocacy groups were upset that J.K. Rowling allowed a partnership between Coca-Cola and Harry Potter.  Galligan states “One nutritionist declares that the partnership between Coca-Cola and Harry Potter ‘is a sad example of unconscionable marketing’.”  J.K. Rowling has a right to market the way she wants too and Coca-Cola were to offer that nutritionist a “three-year, eighteen million dollar campaign” for something that they published, I doubt that nutritionist would say no either.  Besides, just because J.K. Rowling agreed to the campaign with Coca-Cola, it doesn’t mean she’s promoting unhealthy eating just like some of the health-advocacy groups were claiming.  Kids shouldn’t have to worry about drinking Coca-Cola at a young age, and it’s not like J.K. Rowling was allowing Harry Potter to be in the drug market campaign.

Putting the negative thoughts about the critics of Coca-Cola aside, there were many other critics to J.K. Rowling’s global phenomenon.  Author, Anne Galligan, states that other people like conservative groups “charge that the books/films are anti-Christian, promoting witchcraft and Satanism.”  J.K. Rowling has defended her Harry Potter series time and time again, stating that she is a Christian herself and she actually puts hints of bible verses throughout the books.  I feel like people have nothing better to do with their lives but be jealous and constantly be a critic of someone else who is succeeding more than them.

Aside from the negative critics about how J.K. Rowling markets Harry Potter, there are many positive critics and other positive things happening from what J.K. Rowling is doing.  Anne Galligan states that J.K. Rowling has a “willingness to contribute to selected charities.”  At the end of the day, J.K. Rowling is benefiting herself by getting Harry Potter more globalized but at the same time she chooses to benefit others as well as herself.  From all of J.K. Rowling’s willingness to contribute to charities, she was then labeled as a hero author.  Galligan states “Rowling received an OBE and an honorary Ph.D. after HP4 for her services to literature.”  Though Rowling is doing positive things with her marketing of her Harry Potter series, she is also benefiting from it like no other.  J.K. Rowling is one of the richest females in the world.  With all the marketing she is doing, she has to be a billionaire by now.  Lego paid J.K. Rowling $100 million for the construction license and Coca-Cola paid $150 million for its food license.  These aren’t even counting how much money she made from all the movies, Harry Potter World in Florida and other various other Harry Potter items.

Rowling has done a brilliant job marketing her Harry Potter world. She has turned down the right people when she needed and has never said no to an amazing opportunity. Anne Galligan states in her article that “Twice a year she negotiates with Warner on possible Potter products and claims success in vetoing particularly crass prototypes.  The Moaning Myrtle Toilet Seat, for example, did not eventuate.” J.K. Rowling has, in her own way, made Harry Potter as famous as he is with help through marketing.  She turned Harry Potter into a well-known, any aged global phenomenon.