''One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream ......"
"Harry slept peacefully. In the morning he was woken by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles."
Explanation: This passage is a clear, and early example of melodrama that sets the tone for the rest of the book. It establishes that Harry is 'special' and great and does not even know it. It also establishes symbols for the knowledge being kept from him (the letter), making him a victim-hero. Harry sleeps peacefully while knowledge is withheld for him. The continuance of the story relies on Harry finding a way to attain the truth, to defeat the 'evil' that keeps it from him, rather than Harry growing internally.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are restricted to course members only.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.