This essay will examine the youth novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. The aim of this essay is to find tendencies of how the novel favours non-stereotypical male behaviour and characteristics. Using gender criticism, the novel and its most central male characters are analysed to highlight their gender characteristics. Symbols and metaphors constitute a part of the analysis for a more comprehensive examination. The results of this essay show that the male characters are divided into two factions, the good side and the evil side. It is evident that the male characters on the evil side are characterised by stereotypical male gender behaviour and the male characters on the good side tend to show a lack of stereotypical masculine traits. The Fantasy genre, which dictates a strong good versus evil storyline, extends this polarisation. The stereotypical male gender roles are therefore opposed and non-stereotypical male behaviour is promoted in the narration by favouring male vulnerability and ridiculing stereotypical masculine traits.

This study considers the visual representation of the alchemical idea of the philosopher’s stone (lapis philosophorum) in the Harry Potter films: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Columbus 2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Columbus 2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Cuaron 2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Newell 2005), andHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Yates 2007). The lapis philosophorum was believed to turn base metals into gold and produce an Elixir of Life. As such, it is envisioned as the ultimate alchemical idea, and this study emphasises how the lapis can function as a signifier for an alchemical worldview within the Harry Potter films. Because the concept and symbolism of the Harry Potter films is largely based on JK Rowling’s (1997; 1998; 1999; 2000; 2003; 2005; 2007) original novels, this study provides a detailed comparison of how alchemical imagery is used in the novels and contrasts this with the visual imagery of the films. This study undertakes a hermeneutic analysis of the transmission of alchemical ideals from the literary to the visual medium. It also provides a detailed analysis of interrelated visual icons in the Harry Potter films that represent the idea of the lapis as an embodiment of alchemical perfection. In addition, by studying the interplay between alchemical imagery in the Harry Potter novels and films, and comparing the worldviews represented by each, this study is able to analyse the dynamics of the hermeneutic process. This study concludes with a consideration of how alchemical theory relates to the discipline of hermeneutics, how it influences the process of interpretation, and ultimately the relationship between the alchemical worldview and current perspectives on authorship. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Visual Arts / unrestricted