Lord Voldemort’s quest for power in “Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows”.

 Course No.: 14 [New Literature]

                                                                                               Batch: 2014-16

Name: Vanita Tadha

Roll No.: 30

Qualification: MA Part–2 [Sem-4]

Enrollment No.: Pg14101029    

Submitted to: Department of English [Maharaja Krishnakumarsihji Bhavnagar University, Gujarat, India.]

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Lord Voldemort’s quest for power in “Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows”.

Brief overview of the novels

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British writer J. K. Rowling. The novel is revolving around the character of protagonist Harry Potter and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They are students of Hogwart (a magical school). Harry is an orphan child living with maternal aunt. There is a mythical story behind Harry that he born to kill Voldemort as Hindu God, Lord Rama and Lord Krishna born to destroy such evil things from the world. There are rules in the school and Harry is a rule broker still he wasn’t got any punishment and considered good fellow. Hermione is innocent, clever & beautiful girl. She should be protagonist but it is anti-feminist text so power goes to male character rather than female. Ron Weasley is also helping character with his magic car to Harry. Throughout the novel he is a fearful character and jealousy of Harry in study and getting love from his mother. There are different blood relation are too presented. Such things are repeating but the power goes to different people in different situation so it seems J. K. Rowling has provided equal opportunity to all characters and therefore it is enjoying by spectator. Every part starts with home that student going to Hogwarts for studying and at the end they are returning to home. Fight between Voldemort and Harry is main thing which enhancing the plot of the novel. Whenever Voldemort tries to kill Harry, his mother’s invisible power, sacrifice and love stand to keep safe to Harry.

This text put under the category of children’s literature but it seems surreal that children are innocent and won’t have enough understanding to come out of difficult situation. This also falls under speculative literature which includes genres, alternative history, fantasy, horror, fiction, magic realism, science fantasy and science fiction. The magical world is imaginative and can’t go further until we do not clear background. It also makes confuse to audience.

Power structure is constantly transforming from one to another and that’s how space is given to every individual character. Hierarchical structure of school seems reality which constructed through power. It gives the idea of ideal prison (ISA – Ideological State Apparatus). Magic is power to create fear or prohibition among character.

Name of novels:

1] Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)

2] Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)

3] Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)

4] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)

5] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)

6] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)

7] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

Lord Voldemort’s quest for power

Lord Voldemort is a fictional character created by J. K. Rowling in Harry Potter series. He was a half-blood wizard who was considered to have been the most powerful and dangerous Dark wizard of all time. He is a leader of ‘death eaters’, a group of evil. He first appeared in the first part “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” and at the last time in the last part “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. In between he appeared in flashback. J. K. Rowling shows in the beginning that he killed Harry Potter’s parents, Lily and James and wants to kill Harry also. He has tremendous power. He divided his soul in seven Horcruxes therefore without destroying Horcrux Voldemort can’t kill.

Seven Horcruxes:

1).Book

2).Dumbledore’s Ring

3).Locate

4). Hufflepuff's cup

5).Diadem

6).Nagini

7).Harry potter (his soul)

 

Afterwards Tom Marvolo Riddle, manifestation of Voldemort visible in second part. The book harry crushed is one of the Horcrux of Voldemort. His real power shown in 6th part that he takes revenge with his father and grandparents for abandon him. Dumbledore told him that he is a wizard and taking sadistic pleasure with people.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort furthers his quest for ultimate power is visible. He is searching a powerful wand to kill Harry. Later on he found that Harry and his friends are hunting and destroying his Horcroxes. Voldemort uses Harry’s blood to resurrect himself. Harry’s blood is runs through Voldemort’s veins so Harry cannot be killed as his mother’s protection lives in Voldemort’ body too. Instead Voldemort destroy the part of his own soul resides in Harry’s body.

Harry reveals about Elder wand that Draco becomes true master of the Elder Wand when he disarmed Dumbledore.

Everyone is greedy for power and want become immortal. To sustain forever Voldemort divided his Horcruxes into seven parts which makes him to alive. He is an antagonist or writer can play on him as to keep control on him. I think his is a most powerful character in the novel but without making his as an evil hero, Harry Potter can’t symbolize a superman.

In the first part Harry tempted by Voldemort that you will get your parents back if he give stone to Voldemort. Harry was happy and thinks to give him but suddenly his parents appeared and advised he lies, don't give him. Voldemort find out Harry will not give so he physically starts attack on Harry. Through his magic Harry defeated Voldemort.

Experiment with the narrative:

J. K. Rowling describes two opposite side like, day and night, good and evil. Good qualities symbolize by Harry whereas bad goes to Voldemort. Harry is orphan innocent and ordinary child yet he is only capable to kill Voldemort. Voldemort divided his soul in Horcrux and powerful than anyone and then he has to die because good wins over evil. Somewhere both have evil power like habit to talk with snake. Voldemort is powerful but evil so he won't get proper space as Harry. Whoever win but everybody must struggle to raise level. Harry is hero can't anyone image that he will die because only evil things are exist for destroying or good for preserve. Evil can also win but it is not a cup of tea of their hand so writer is playing with them.

Voldemort has fear of death so he says to Dumbledore;

Voldemort: "There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!"

Albus Dumbledore: "You are quite wrong. Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness."

Power of Voldemort:

Without any comparison we can't understand the powerful or weak personality of something.

For Example:

Day                  Night

White               Black

Girl                   Boy

Protagonist       Antagonist

To know the power of antagonist we must put protagonist to opposite. Generally protagonist are powerful then antagonist but here antagonist, Voldemort is powerful than Protagonist, Harry.

Even any witch or wizard dares not utter his unmentionable name, and refers to him instead with such expressions as "You-Know-Who", "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "the Dark Lord".

Witch and wizard have fear about Voldemort so they rarely utter Voldemort's name. Voldemort is aware about these all things but ultimately he wants immortality. If he thinks to rule over Hogwarts he can but he just wants to kill Harry. Harry also afraid of Voldemort's power but he is supported by supernatural power like his mother, professor Dumbledore and Hagrid.

Horace Slughorn view on Voldemort about how he is powerful

"When I first met young Mr. Riddle, he was a quiet albeit brilliant boy, committed to becoming a first rate wizard. Not unlike others I've known. Not unlike yourself. If the monster existed it was buried deep within."

—Horace Slughorn to Harry Potter about his first experiences with Tom Riddle

He was too aware about his power yet he has fear of losing his self. He is Lord of evil and has each kind of skill to show his power to other.

"I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me. I can make them hurt if I want to...I can speak to snakes too. They find me, they whisper to me. "

—Tom Riddle to Albus Dumbledore about the things he can do.

He can do anything yet he mere a wooden toy because of writer. He is not aware that weather he will raise his level or not but he keeps fighting and loses his confidence at the end. He thinks that whatever he is doing is with contemplate so the result will be good as he will win fight and will be immortal.

Voldemort's character is merely to Abhimaniu of Mahabharata. Abhaimaniu can't kill if that thread is at his hand. Krishna disguise in rat and break it so he die otherwise there is no such power which can destroy him that same seems in “Harry Potter” as to destroy Voldemort first need to crush six Horcruxes. Harry is one of Horcrux so first he must die and then Voldemort can kill. When die or fainted down his soul met with Dumbledore and he gave choice that you want to die or fight. Than he chooses fight and again came back.

When Harry die at first time Voldemort was happy as he won world war. He thinks he will be mortal. Only he is happy it indicates his power towards his self. Again when Harry came back they start fighting and at the end he killed by Harry.

Dumbledore aware about every things and he suggested Harry and that’s how Voldemort killed.

Througoht the novel it is not just talking about physical power but the power of magic or memory is represented. Memory of magic like how much people can remember and apply when the time comes.

If I talk about physical strength then Voldemort is elder and strong by body and as opposite Harry is a child and not capable to destroy Voldemort. J. K. Rowling shows the ultimate power of human beings.

“Only the wand can make them alive and destroy”

Voldemort starts searching powerful wand. He thinks that it was the wand of Professor Snap who first attacked so he killed him and grab that wand. In reality Draco first attacked which is fare ahead of Voldemort's guess. Harry knows about this so he got the power of Dumbledore through this wand and successfully killed him.

When Harry went to know the mystery of wand he got this type of idea that how wand works differently.

“The wand chooses the wizard,” said Ollivander. “That much has always been clear to those of us who have studied wand lore”.

“A person can still use a wand that hasn’t chosen them, though?” asked Harry.

“Oh yes, if you are any wizard at all you will be able to channel your magic through almost any instrument. The best results, however, must always come where there is the strongest affinity between wizard and wand. These connections are complex.”

— Deathly Hallows, chapter 24 (The Wandmaker) Ollivander

Conclusion

As above whole describe that Voldemort is powerful without power means he has power of strength, mind and everything yet he can't win. He has quest to become an immortal is seems everywhere. He attempted ever attempt to kill Harry but here happen as Bollywood film that hero never dies. Even if he killed than again however came back same Harry got chance to live and fight with Voldemort. Doubt Voldemort is evil but everyone can raise their level to come out of such situation. As everybody has quest to live same Voldemort had and if the things like sacrifice than who will look at good or bad.

Work Site:

Wikipedia contributors. "Lord Voldemort." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

Wikipedia contributors. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/37252/did-harry-potter-lose-voldemorts-powers-when-he-stopped-being-a-horcrux

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Tom_Riddle 

Work Site:

Wikipedia contributors. "Lord Voldemort." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

Wikipedia contributors. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/37252/did-harry-potter-lose-voldemorts-powers-when-he-stopped-being-a-horcrux

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Tom_Riddle