Harry Potter Philosopher's Stone And Dursley Relationship
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At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997) Harry lives with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and their child, Dudley Dursley. He is forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, which acts both as a bedroom and a punishment chamber. The Dursleys fear Harry’s magical abilities so they try and suppress them as much as possible by controlling everything Harry does. He is also the Slave to Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore controls all of Harry’s decisions and leads him on a path to death. Both the Dursleys and Dumbledore are Masters over Harry. This chapter will analyse each relationship, observe how Harry responds as a Slave in each instance, and argue that Harry overcomes death and becomes…show more content… He also escapes the kind of servitude that is, so to say, the Muggle-condition compared to the Magic-condition: Muggles just have to labour more for survival and further attainment (in serving themselves) than wizards, who can achieve much by magic (Gupta, 2003; 112). In Harry’s new magical world, observes Mrs. Weasley, mother to Ron who is in Harry’s class, use magic around the house to complete domestic chores. Cleaning is automatic with the use of a wand (Rowling, 1998; 31) and magic is also used to to help with cooking, which in the Dursley house had been left completely up to Harry.…show more content… He relates himself to one ‘Moment’ Hegel describes by having an object of desire: to use Harry to defeat Lord Voldemort. Harry, as the Slave, first relates negatively to this object but in the end he satisfies Dumbledore’s desire. Harry accepts his ‘ownership’ of death and even though the threat of death does not come directly from Dumbledore, but rather from Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore is in control of when this death is to happen. As the Slave, Harry has an expectation of death and at the end of Deathly Hallows (2007) sacrifices himself and dies at the hands of Lord Voldemort, just as Dumbledore wanted. These actions are due to Harry believing he has the power and ability to change the future. These actions in the long run, defeat Lord Voldemort and end the second wizarding war. Dumbledore, however, helps Harry achieve the status of the Master of Death. While it is assumed, by Lord Voldemort mainly, that the Master of Death is immortal, a true Master of Death accepts the fact that death is inevitable and that there are worse things than dying (Rowling, 2007). Harry has turned the balance of power back onto Dumbledore, who at this stage in the series has already been killed. This allows children to identify with a protagonist who triumphs even though he, appears weak. “Harry Potter, the champion of Gods, with his unruly hair, broken glasses, and slight frame, is the nerdy underdog-turned-hero for whom we are conditioned to