English 1B
Seminar 6

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and archetypal theory.

Directions: Read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and, using the principles of Psychoanalytical Criticism write a brief (1-2 paragraph) in response to each of the following questions. Include at least one quote.

• Explain the traditional role of the archetype; why are these characters so important that they show up in every literary tradition throughout time?
• Identify at least three modern archetypes in Harry Potter; who are the characters, and to what ancient archetype/s do they correspond? Do any of the characters fulfill more than one archetypal role, or a blend of more than one?
• How does Rowling update these archetypes to appeal to a modern audience?
• What elements of the book remind you of elements from other stories? Name some specific characters, situations, objects or other symbols that you can see echoes of in other stories.