Analysis of Work 

Prompt: 

2014.   It has often been said that what we value can be determined only by what we sacrifice. Consider how this statement applies to a character from a novel or play.    Select a character that has deliberately sacrificed, surrendered, or forfeited something in a way that highlights that character’s values. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the particular sacrifice illuminates the character’s values and provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole.

Analysis 

In the novel “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, Rowling highlights Harry’s values in order to convey his sacrifices through his childhood and relationships for the greater good, ultimately illustrating that acts of heroism require sacrifice. 

To begin, Rowling presents Harry’s value by making him the heroic character, which leads him to sacrifice his childhood. To illustrate, Harry was willing to lose his life in order to protect the public, and he chose to take on Voldemort in early years of his life. This demonstrates Harry’s values because his actions display selflessness, and he prefers to defeat evil rather than live his life normally. Consequently, since Harry chooses to take matters into his own hands, he makes sacrifices, but never gives up, which pushes adolescence away and enhances maturity.  Furthermore, Harry’s values toward nevering giving up help him mature more quickly due to the fact that he is faced with difficult objectives a young mindset would not be able to grasp. These sacrifices portray the message of the story, which is never give up. By choosing to make sacrifices, Harry enhances the story's meaning because he chooses to defeat Voldemort and go through challenging threats. Therefore, Harry’s decision to be selfless creates more sacrifice; thus, the heroic character matures quickly instead of living and learning throughout his childhood. 

In addition, by highlighting Harry’s sacrifice, Rowling enhances the understanding of important relationships Harry chooses to make while also losing important people. For example, Harry loses many people he thought of as family like Sirius Black and Dumbledore, but chooses to continue on to meet his goal. This demonstrates Harry’s ambition is too strong to give up because he lost father figures and friends, but continued on until the fight was over. Also, it presents his devotion to helping people while forming relationships with people that Voldemort has also hurt. This provides a deeper connection between the characters which enhances the meaning of the work because the characters all have a common occurrence. They were all affected by Voldemort at a time in their life. The common occurrence connects the characters ambition, devotion, and goal. The values of the characters provide an extensive understanding because they emphasize the importance of never giving up and achieving important goals.   Consequently, since Harry’s purpose is to defeat Voldemort, he loses relationships important to him, but also gains close companionships he can trust. He sacrifices his loved ones, but receives good people who help him achieve his goal. Furthermore, his values provide a deeper understanding of his ambition due to the fact that he chooses to never give up, which is a main message portrayed in the novels. Therefore, Harry’s decision to continue with his goal after losing so many important people intensifies the importance of his sacrifice; thus, the meaning of the novel is easier to understand. 

Overall, by presenting Harry’s sacrifices of his childhood and relationships, Rowling expanded his values, which created a deeper meaning of the novels. Also, the sacrifices emphasize the main message of the story.