At first glance, the idea of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows being placed in the same body
of highly-esteemed literature as the likes of Shakespeare and Dickens seems absurd. It
wouldn’t appear that a ‘children’s book’ would meet any of the criteria associated with the
Literary Canon. However, upon closer examination, it arguably does; the ‘universal’1i themes of
‘love’, morality, ‘evil’, and corruption, the carefully selected ‘historical associations’2, alongside
the immersive world Rowling has constructed through multifaceted characters, linguistic
elements and ‘aesthetic unity’3 of the text are worthy of literary merit. Furthermore, it is
important to challenge the potential elitist undertones of our current Canon. While some contend
that to consider it a classic would be ‘the infantilisation of adult culture, the loss of a sense of
what a classic really is’45, this essay will argue that a novel capable of having such an
immeasurable effect on contemporary literature and modern culture is deserving of a place in
the Canon.
Much of the aesthetic value of Harry Potter is derived from the vast, ever-expanding world that
Rowling creates. Everything in this magical universe is remarkably reminiscent of our own world
– from the simplest of things such as “dragon-pox” to the more detailed concept of a class
system that mirrors our very own. Critics are quick to say that Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows lacks sophisticated language or elements of the ‘sublime’, labelling the prose as
“pedestrian” and “second-rate”6, but it is salient we consider the linguistic techniques that
Rowling employs. There are a plenitude of spells: for example, ‘Expecto Patronum’ translates to
‘I expect (or await) a guardian’7 in Latin, apt considering the purpose of the spell. Another
example could be ‘Nox’, which has roots not only in Latin but also in Greek mythology. The
etymology of Rowling’s words is key, because she draws upon the cultural significance of Latin
and Greek and upon their connotations of alchemy and magic. These Latin roots give the spells
“resonance, beauty, and ‘rightness’ for their particular context”8. In terms of neologisms,
possibly one of the most striking images of the text is the personification of depression through
the ‘Dementor’. The ‘Dementors’ physiognomy as “tall, black-hooded figures, [with] ragged
breathing and eyeless faces”9 intensifies the vivid imagery and has ‘aesthetic’ quality. Despite
the argument that there is a lack of nuance in the Harry Potter lexicon, it may be a good thing
that Rowling makes connotations overt – as Foucault points out, it is often ‘critics themselves
(...) who repeat over and over again the message which the text itself failed to tell’10. By making
the associations apparent, Rowling increases the accessibility of her text, particularly to a
younger audience.
The complexity of this novel is enhanced using ‘sub-plots’ which ‘mirror and highlight the events
and themes in the main plot’11. A subplot of interest is the character arc of Severus Snape. The
position of his character has been consistently ambiguous throughout the series, his role as a
villain is cemented. This is why it is shocking when Rowling subverts expectations by unveiling
Snape’s unanticipated backstory and love for Lily Potter through an analepsis to his childhood12.
Rowling uses the metaphor of a ‘patronus’ as a physical manifestation of the love and faith he
holds for her. This metaphor is further utilised to create foreshadowing: a ‘silver doe [made of]
of highly-esteemed literature as the likes of Shakespeare and Dickens seems absurd. It
wouldn’t appear that a ‘children’s book’ would meet any of the criteria associated with the
Literary Canon. However, upon closer examination, it arguably does; the ‘universal’1i themes of
‘love’, morality, ‘evil’, and corruption, the carefully selected ‘historical associations’2, alongside
the immersive world Rowling has constructed through multifaceted characters, linguistic
elements and ‘aesthetic unity’3 of the text are worthy of literary merit. Furthermore, it is
important to challenge the potential elitist undertones of our current Canon. While some contend
that to consider it a classic would be ‘the infantilisation of adult culture, the loss of a sense of
what a classic really is’45, this essay will argue that a novel capable of having such an
immeasurable effect on contemporary literature and modern culture is deserving of a place in
the Canon.
Much of the aesthetic value of Harry Potter is derived from the vast, ever-expanding world that
Rowling creates. Everything in this magical universe is remarkably reminiscent of our own world
– from the simplest of things such as “dragon-pox” to the more detailed concept of a class
system that mirrors our very own. Critics are quick to say that Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows lacks sophisticated language or elements of the ‘sublime’, labelling the prose as
“pedestrian” and “second-rate”6, but it is salient we consider the linguistic techniques that
Rowling employs. There are a plenitude of spells: for example, ‘Expecto Patronum’ translates to
‘I expect (or await) a guardian’7 in Latin, apt considering the purpose of the spell. Another
example could be ‘Nox’, which has roots not only in Latin but also in Greek mythology. The
etymology of Rowling’s words is key, because she draws upon the cultural significance of Latin
and Greek and upon their connotations of alchemy and magic. These Latin roots give the spells
“resonance, beauty, and ‘rightness’ for their particular context”8. In terms of neologisms,
possibly one of the most striking images of the text is the personification of depression through
the ‘Dementor’. The ‘Dementors’ physiognomy as “tall, black-hooded figures, [with] ragged
breathing and eyeless faces”9 intensifies the vivid imagery and has ‘aesthetic’ quality. Despite
the argument that there is a lack of nuance in the Harry Potter lexicon, it may be a good thing
that Rowling makes connotations overt – as Foucault points out, it is often ‘critics themselves
(...) who repeat over and over again the message which the text itself failed to tell’10. By making
the associations apparent, Rowling increases the accessibility of her text, particularly to a
younger audience.
The complexity of this novel is enhanced using ‘sub-plots’ which ‘mirror and highlight the events
and themes in the main plot’11. A subplot of interest is the character arc of Severus Snape. The
position of his character has been consistently ambiguous throughout the series, his role as a
villain is cemented. This is why it is shocking when Rowling subverts expectations by unveiling
Snape’s unanticipated backstory and love for Lily Potter through an analepsis to his childhood12.
Rowling uses the metaphor of a ‘patronus’ as a physical manifestation of the love and faith he
holds for her. This metaphor is further utilised to create foreshadowing: a ‘silver doe [made of]
