Part 4- Symbols, Motifs, and Allegory
“In a novel you have to resist the urge to tell everything.” -J. K. Rowling
Introduction
Symbols and motifs are some of the more recognizable and well understood types of literary devices. I can certainly remember doing countless projects in high school english classes where we did research and analysis on symbols and motifs in the books we read. A symbol is defined as a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process, and a motif is defined as a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition. More unknown perhaps are allegories. An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Symbols, motifs, and allegories are used throughout the Harry Potter series, but there are some particularly interesting examples in the third book (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) that we will be looking at today.
Symbol of Dementors
In this book, the reader is introduced to the terrible creatures known as dementors. Dementors are dark, hooded figures with scabbed skin and no face. Their very presence sucks the joy and hope out of nearby people, and they are used to guard the wizard prison Azkaban, where most of the prisoners end up insane because of the dementors. Dementors also have the ability to suck out the very soul of a person, leaving them alive but with no sense of being. As it may now be obvious, dementors symbolize depression, fear, and hopelessness. J. K. Rowling has even stated that she came up with the idea of dementors while struggling through depression following the death of her mother. It can also be argued that dementors symbolize the corruption in the Ministry, as the Ministry employs these creatures who will prey on anyone, not just criminals as we learn throughout the Prisoner of Azkaban. Throughout this book and the rest of the series, dementors turn up during times when the characters are happy, angry, desperate, or cautious, representing how things like depression and fear can creep up on a person no matter the circumstance or their mood.
However, there is one thing that keeps the dementors at bay, a charm called the Patronus Charm, which casts a brightly lit protector made of pure hope and joy and love. The dementors are unable to suck these things out of the protector, and therefore can not defeat it. This also symbolizes how there is always hope for those willing to look for it, and that things like love and joy are stronger than fear. As Dumbledore says, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
Motif of the Grim
“The Grim, my dear, the Grim! The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen – the worst omen – of death!” (cue Professor Trelawney dramatically sighing). Throughout the book, Harry is tailed by a mysterious black dog thought to be a Grim. Every time the dog appears, he has a near death experience. The Grim is supposed to bring death to one who sees it, but Harry manages to survive every time, just as he survived Voldemort’s attempt to kill him at just one year old. Of course, later we learn that the great dog is actually Sirius, Harry’s godfather, who can turn into a dog and used this to escape from prison (he was wrongly accused of murder). Because of this, the Grim does not represent death, but prejudice and misunderstanding. As the Grim is a famous omen of death, with entire books written about how to deal with seeing one, it never crossed the character’s minds to consider that instead of bring about death or near death experiences, the dog could be there to protect Harry. This theme of things not always being as they appear is common throughout the series (and is again demonstrated with the thestrals in book 5, which can only be seen when you have seen someone die) and will be discussed more in part 9 of this blog.
Allegory of Divination
In this book, Harry, Ron, and Hermione begin studying new subjects, one being divination. Divination is the study of predicting the future and fortune telling, however has a reputation of being extremely unreliable. The professor for the subject is Sybil, Trelawney, who is well known for her overdramatic actions and countless false predictions. For example, when Trelawney begins teaching about astrology (I believe in book 4) she tells Harry that he obviously was born in mid-winter, to which he replies that “no, I was born in July.” She also is known to refuse to sit at tables with 12 people, as she believes that when 13 dine together the first to rise will die. What’s more, Harry and Ron have to make predictions for class, which they completely make up (predicting their own deaths in many tragic ways that never happen) and Trelawney gives them full marks for the homework. Divination class is an allegory meant to show that it is impossible to predict the future, and that it is important to live in the present. Harry’s life is marked by a tragic past and a tense future, one that has to end in him either killing or being killed by Voldemort. As an extension of this, divination represents how you can’t change your past, but you can change your future.
As a bit of a bonus, I would like to point out that many of the “predictions” made often came true in some respect. While Harry was not born in mid-winter, Voldemort was (I suggest you look up horcruxes to understand the full significance of that), and there are multiple instance throughout the books where 13 characters eat a meal together and later in the series the first to leave does in fact die. This also makes divination an allegory meaning things don’t always happen the way we predict or in a way we understand.
Conclusion
If I’m honest, studying the symbols, motifs, and allegories was one of my favorite things to do in english classes in high school. I find hidden meanings behind details to be fascinating and an impressive thing to accomplish when writing. Studying these three things requires a reader to not just understand the story, but also to learn to understand other people and to think more deeply about a subject. I have found symbolism, motifs, and allegories to be one of the best ways to learn lessons from stories, even if the story is about a magical world where owls carry your mail and people travel by broomstick. Next time you read a book, any book, I encourage you to look for the repetitions, look for these literary devices. You may discover a whole new level of the story.
Image link:https://www.peacocktv.com/collections/harry-potter-movies/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban
Sources:
https://medium.com/read-watch-write-repeat/a-dozen-quotes-by-j-k-rowling-to-help-you-write-your-novel-9b3362ad91a3
https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/harry-potter-3-azkaban/analysis/symbols-imagery-allegory
https://www.gradesaver.com/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/study-guide/symbols-allegory-motifs
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/symbols/dementors