Harry Potter Dehumanization Analysis

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The characteristic of dehumanization in both Travis Prinzi’s “Dehumanization: Defining Evil in Harry Potter,” and the Harry Potter series written by J.K Rowling offers various similarities between the definition of the word evil, and the context for which the word can be used in respectively. With the philosophical text that Prinzi offers in his thesis regarding the validity of dually the denotation, and the connotation of the word evil, and how it is used to describe several characters in the series; light is shed upon why J.K Rowling may have chosen this word to depict several of the more nefarious personas more appropriately. Prinzi describes evil as being in different shades. The darker the “color”gets the more “evil” it is, by artistic …show more content…
Williams’ essay conclusion entitled “Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve," he stated that humans are animals with spirits and that if that “animal’s” spirit is corrupted or removed; dehumanization begins to take place. Notice, Williams does not include the word evil within his conclusion because it can be easily argued that dehumanization is completely dissimilar to the act of being evil. If William’s conclusion is in fact true, one can relate the splitting of Voldemort’s soul or spirit into the seven horcruxes in Harry Potter. This action was said to have prolonged Voldemort’s physical immortality, but tear apart his natural and more human way of living, thus going through the process of dehumanization but begs the question of whether he became more evil as …show more content…
His focus on mainly Voldemort during the article presents a reader with the notion that his scope is very narrowed. If I was to add anything to the argument he is trying to make, I would use Draco Malfoy as a prime exemplification of how dehumanization takes place through the desire of selfish and “evil” needs. Draco’s misguided path fueled by the legacy of his parents and his alleged destiny to become the heir of Slytherin becomes the perfect storm for how a fairly innocent character can become consumed by one 's own selfish needs and the provocation of others such as parents and

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