What is Webquest?
"A WebQuest," according to Bernie Dodge, the originator of the WebQuest concept, "is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuest's are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than on looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation." (Linda Starr)
HARRY POTTER IS A SERIES OF FANTASY NOVELS WRITTEN BY BRITISH AUTHOR J. K. ROWLING. AFTER AN ENLIGHTENED DISCUSSION ON THE NOVELS/ MOVIES, IT IS UP-TO THE STUDENTS TO SHOW THEIR LEARNING....
THIS BLOG IS PART OF MY ACADEMIC PROJECT TO ENHANCE AND REFLECT LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF WEB QUEST ACTIVITY ON HARRY POTTER SERIES .
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF DR. DILIP BARAD .DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, MAHARAJAKRISHNAKUMARSINHJI BHAVNAGAR UNIVERSITY BHAVNAGAR, GUJARAT, INDIA.
Here, we find some of the important questions regarding this series,
1) Feminist reading of Hermione's character in Harry Potter:
All the women characters overpowering by Male characters. In compare to other female character only Hermione portrayed as the most intelligent and hard working , brave, honest and smart girl, Though,Though this Portrayal of Hermione as intelligent girl breaks down in several time by considering her knowledge as Bookish Knowledge. The Growth of the character of Hermione is always questionable. Because her growth remains not static. The character of Hermione is not portrayed as the protagonist, Similarly the character of Ginny portrayed as love object.
2) Discourse on the purity of Blood and Harry Potter:
The term pure blood is used for insulting Muggle blood and half blood people. It used to distinguishes between family trees that have different level of magically endowed member. In some cases blood is just as a literal as figurative. The house elves are in slaved by wizard race and sometime horribly abused and treated at the end of their masters. Draco treated Hermione as Muggle blood not as intelligent and powerful witch.
3) Children's literature and Harry Potter:
Harry Potter is definitely series is full of fantastical, supernatural or magical elements which put it into the category of Children's literature. Normally in Children's literature we found a quest of Hero, Hero rescuing his princess, Magic, fantasy, happy ending, good vs evil, ideal hero etc. In the second part, "Chamber of secrets" Harry rescued Ginny in the end like true ideal hero. In all the parts there is quest or adventure, fight against the evil Voldemort, virtue rewarded and vice get punished. The magical world fantasies children and gives immense pleasure. But harry Potter series is not fall under the classic children literature because of its deep moral and philosophical lessons, political meaning.
"When you first start reading the books, they're just kids. But as she(JK Rowling) develops them through happy and sad moments, they feel more and more real," says Marine Davidson.
4) Theme of choice and chance;
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
-Dumbledore
There is choice of Harry Potter to stay with his guardian even if they are cruel. Harry got his magical power but still he didn't left his guardian home. Harry also chose to save humankind from the evil creature Voldemort. He chose to fight for other. There is chance for him to escape but he didn't and stand as a true ideal hero. In the end when everyone is fighting to protect Harry from Voldemort, then Harry realized that because of him many Innocent are killed by Voldemort. Therefore he decides to surrender himself. He has choices to make in his life that whether he become as cruel like Voldemort or good like Dumbledore. These all harry Potter series plays vital role in between Choices and Chances. Harry Potter is by chance becomes a part of horcrux that should be destroyed at the end. But he comes to life after death because Rowling wants to make happy ending and this could only done by making Hero alive.
5) Moral and philosophical reading:
See, Entire Harry Potter series teaches us very important life lessons. The popular book series urges us to accept our mortality so we can fully experience human virtues, particularly the virtue of love. Accepting death can be seen as an important philosophical lesson. Harry Potter is not like all ordinary man who fears of death and wants to be immortal like Voldemort. He is happily and calmly accept death as it is. He is not reacting in each and every situation. In most of the places he stays calm. He follows the moral principles which were taught by Dumbledore. He always remains on the sideof truth. He doen's allow the evil side to win over his good side. He contantly struggling with is inner self. The philosophical speech about the life after the death of Harry by Dumbledore is very significant in the end.
"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and above all, those who live without love."
- Dumbledore
6) Self Help book :
The characters of Harry Potter series are struggling to gain something. In a way all are helping themselves with some ideologies. Harry is treated very badly in his guardian home. He learns to stay strong in awkward situations in life. His life battle is fought by himself without any kind of support. When he left all alone in the dangerous situation then with his own power he fought with the death eaters. There was one scene in the last part when Sirius is killed then Harry saves his body and himself also from the Dementors. Same is the case with other characters like Hermione, Ron who are constantly struggling for their identity. Hermione wants to show her talent that she is best from all the pure blood students. She is intelligent and with her knowledge she defeats everyone and in this way help herself. The children or even adults also learn things from Potter series about self help culture.
7) Speculative Fiction:
Speculative fiction encompassing fiction with certain elements that do not exixt in the real world(Wikipedia). There is more imagination than the reality. Harry Potter series is full of imagination, supernatural things which doesn't exist in the real world. Like magical wand, Dementors, horcruxes, Sorcerer's stone, liquid luck, invisible caps everything's is just an imagination. In the third part there is one werewolf character Prof. Lupin who turned out as werewolf in full moon night. There is nothing like werewolf, all these is exist in fantasy world only. There is no truth behind this. Therefore Harry Potter series is fall under the genre of speculative fiction.
8) Theme of Love and Death :
There is death of Harry Potter's parents by Voldemort, after which the revenge motive came in the mind of Harry. From the very beginning he is in search of finding the truth and in search of Voldemort. He wants to destroy him and that is possible only if he destroyed all the horcruxes. In between this process of destruction, many innocent people dies. In the Triwizard tournament Harry lost his friend. He lost his godfather Sirius when he is fighting with Voldemort. He lost his mentor Dumbledore who is killed by prof. Snape. In this way many dies in Harry Potter series, specially the close ones of Harry.
click here for WebQuest activity....
Click here to see Rubric of Harry Potter
No comments:
Post a Comment